50/50 wins Aspen Filmfest 2011 Audience Favorite Award

Audience Favorite Feature
50/50
Directed by Jonathan Levine
(USA, Summit Entertainment)

Runner-up
THE WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR
Directed by Philippe Le Guay
(France, Strand Releasing)

Audience Favorite Documentary-shared
BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY
Directed by Constance Marks
(USA, Submarine Deluxe)

WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE
Directed by Alexandra Dawson and Greg Gricus
(USA, Fish Creek Films)

Aspen Film’s 33rd edition of Aspen Filmfest, which ran September 21 – 25, showcased previews of new releases, critically acclaimed documentaries, and features popular on the festival circuit. Enthusiastic and appreciative film fans filled the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen and the Crystal Theatre and PAC3 in Carbondale to view independent productions from around the world and hear filmmakers and special guests tell the stories behind their films.

“Filmfest 2011 was palpably special: From the unique and diverse films to the great energy and engagement of the audience, it was a festival of wit, fun, drama, and true stories, and a highly successful event,” said Aspen Film Executive Director Robyn Myler.

Added Aspen Film Artistic Director Laura Thielen, “As the past five days repeatedly demonstrated, Aspen Filmfest provides a unique forum cherished by movie lovers of all ages and tastes. It was exciting and gratifying to see how the features and documentaries spoke to our audience, drawing people not just from the immediate community but from around the country. The eclectic, full-hearted tone of our selections resonated deeply.”

Aspen Filmfest 2011 Highlights & Guests

• Opening night sizzled with a sold-out screening of Drake Doremus’s LIKE CRAZY, starring Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones. The screening was followed by the presentation of the Artist to Watch Award to Yelchin, who was later joined on stage by Jones for a Q&A. The stars then mingled with Filmfest guests at the after-party at Aspen’s Sky Hotel.
• Ticket sales were also especially strong for 50/50; THE ARTIST; WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE; WOMEN ON THE 6TH FLOOR; and the SURPRISE FILM.
• Filmmaker guests included co-director Kurt Norton, whose engaging documentary about the National Film Registry, THESE AMAZING SHADOWS, opened the festival, whetting the appetites of movie buffs for the screenings to come; director Turk Pipkin and his wife, Christy, the team behind BUILDING HOPE, an inspiring documentary about the collaboration to construct a sustainably designed high school in rural Kenya; directors Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus, who brilliantly captured the relationship between horse and trainer in their heartwarming documentary WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE; and director Linda Goldstein Knowlton, whose poignant documentary SOMEWHERE BETWEEN deeply affected viewers through its portrayal of the exploration of identity among Chinese-American teen girls.
• Aspen Film’s education program, which includes Filmmakers to the Classroom and Schools to the Theater, reached more than 900 students from Aspen High and Middle Schools, Basalt High and Middle Schools, and Rifle High School. Filmmakers Turk and Christy Pipkin, Linda Goldstein Knowlton, and Alex Dawson and Greg Gricus shared their films and experiences behind the camera with enthusiastic students during school visits.

Aspen Filmfest 2011 was made possible, in part, by presenting sponsor Starz, as well as the City of Aspen, The Aspen Times, Stella Artois, Hotel Jerome, Sky Hotel, and Aspen Public Radio.

Aspen Film’s Upcoming Events 

As Filmfest wraps, Aspen Film begins preparations for its next two events, Academy Screenings, December 20, 2011 – January 1, 2012, and the 20th anniversary edition of Aspen Shortsfest, April 10-15, 2012. Academy Screenings will present the fall’s slate of films that everyone will be talking about come Oscar® season. The internationally recognized Aspen Shortsfest is an Oscar®-qualifying competition for short animation, live action, and documentary films.