Crested Butte Film Fest Locals Showcase

Our first-ever, locals showcase. Join Crested Butte filmmakers, Mark Reeb, Laura Yal

ORNITHOLOGY (AND OTHER HOBBIES YOU CAN TAKE TOO FAR)

From Crested Butte native, Benjamin Swift, comes the story of two young lovers who want to be birds. As their avian lifestyle spirals out of control, feathers ruffle, petty squabbles turn to squawks, and mastication leads to mating rituals. In a failed attempt to find happiness and fill the cracks in their strained relationship, they prepare to adopt their first child—err, bird.

Bergen Hoff and Benjamin Swift are like birds: light, fragile, and largely misunderstood creatures. They are both recent graduates of Colorado College, where they majored in creative writing and sociology, respectively. They met each other during a vulnerable time, and thus became codependent as creative partners. Bergen is an unwieldy creative who hisses at deadlines and lives in the viewfinder of his camera. Benjamin is a diligent, driven, and organized producer who shoulders the thankless yoke of keeping their sh*t together. It’s a match made in heaven.

Showing:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte

WIGGLE

An imaginative kid is afraid to get his tooth pulled. Filmed in Crested Butte by local actor and director, Mark Reeb.

Mark Reeb is an award-winning independent filmmaker and character actor, often playing offbeat roles. He earned his MFA in Acting from Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and his BFA in Acting from University of Texas. He lives in Crested Butte with his wife, Jennifer, and their Yorkie.

Showing:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte

JEFF BANKS: GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Jeff Banks is an internationally certified mountain guide living in Crested Butte, Colorado, and Chamonix, France. Over his tenure as a guide he has developed a unique approach to dealing with the dangers inherent to backcountry skiing.

N.D. Wolff is a former resident of Crested Butte who recently moved to LA to follow his passion in film making. He is interested in creating compelling short documentaries about real issues with significant emotional appeal.

Showings:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte
Sat, Sep 24th, 4:00 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte

THE BEN I AM

Ben, a young filmmaker at a small college, comes toe to toe with an identity crisis when he investigates a group of 36 students who share one thing in common: his name. When he tracks down 16 of the Bens for an interview, he finds that many of them share his feeling of being lost in a crowd. Ironically, each Ben is quite unique. There’s a TV Ben, a longboard Ben, and a dancing Ben, which leads our original Ben to wonder how he can stand out among the sea of Bens. However, when he lures the Bens to a Ben-only gala with pizza and Kool-Aid, he realizes that he doesn’t have to try to be special. He’s just happy to be part of the club. Featuring Crested Butte local, Benjamin Swift.

Showing:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte

A THOUSAND CASTS

Throughout the course of Oliver White’s life fly, fishing has been at the root of a series of once-in-a-lifetime events. What started as physical therapy, led to the financial district, a business opportunity, and a near-death situation. His pursuit of fish on the fly now takes him to the mythical, magical country of Bhutan to do what he does best – figure things out.

From one of our favorite filmmakers, Colorado’s own, Ben Knight.

Showing:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte

RURAL RUNNERS

RURAL RUNNERS follows a progressive climate activist as she becomes the youngest representative elected to both the Maine House of Representatives and Senate, winning two consecutive campaigns in deep-red rural districts. The film follows Chloe Maxmin and her campaign manager, Canyon Woodward, as they throw away the traditional Democratic playbook (which lost roughly 90% of the vote to Trump in rural counties in the 2020 election) to unseat Republicans, one in a district that had never voted Democrat before. They reached across the aisle, knocked on 13,000 doors, and actually listened to people. Chloe and Canyon are gaining national attention as they shake up the Democratic Party and rehumanize our deeply divided political system. The film is an intimate portrait that offers hope, healing, and a path toward a healthier democracy.

Forest Woodward is an internationally published and awarded photographer and filmmaker. His photographs have been published in National Geographic, Esquire and The Atlantic. Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Woodward is the director of Food Chains (2014) and The Important Places (Mountainfilm 2015), in which he takes his father down the Grand Canyon. Returning to the ditch, Woodward follows the U.S. Men’s Rafting team as they attempt to break the speed record through the canyon in The Time Travelers (Mountainfilm 2017). He co-directed the shorts Ace and the Desert Dog (Mountainfilm 2016) and Sky Migrations (Mountainfilm 2018). He went on to direct (people) of water, and Sacred Strides (both Mountainfilm 2019), Matagi Mālohi: Strong Winds (Mountainfilm 2020), The Mystery (Mountainfilm 2021) and Rural Runners (Mountainfilm 2022).

Showing:
Wed, Sep 21st, 5:30 PM @ The Center, Crested Butte