37th annual Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival begins Oct. 18

Sept. 12, 2024

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For a 37th year, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film, a nonprofit film organization based in Colorado Springs, will invite community cinephiles to get a glimpse of the world from a woman’s point of view through a three-day celebration of female filmmakers and their work.

According to the organization’s website, the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival takes place at Colorado College Oct. 18-20.

Many details on the festival’s film lineup and schedule won’t be shared until Oct. 1, but Nicole Nicoletta, the executive director of Rocky Mountain Women’s Film, shared some information on what attendees can expect.

Nicoletta said the festival starts on Oct. 18 with a small reception in the Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center and a film showing in the Kathryn Mohrman Theater. The reception will feature live music, and attendees can get a complimentary drink.

“We offer a glass of wine, or beer or signature cocktail included with your ticket price, and we have some sweet treats and just some savory nibbles all included in your price,” Nicoletta said.

On Oct. 19 and 20, daytime film showings will take place until 6 p.m. According to the RMWFilm website, festival goers will have the opportunity to attend filmmakers forums during the mid-day break each day and can purchase a catered box lunch from Summit Catering.

The Oct. 19 evening block, which begins after 6 p.m., is called After Dark; it includes a pre-party and gives attendees two screening options to choose from, according to Nicoletta.

“Saturday Night is a cash bar and popcorn, of course. Complimentary popcorn because it's movies, and you have the opportunity of a block of short films or a feature-length film,” Nicoletta said.

Nicoletta noted that there will be after-parties at The Mining Exchange on Oct. 18 and 19 following the festival’s main events. These events will offer a signature cocktail, as well as other drinks and snacks, and a chance to interact with the filmmakers.

Rocky Mountain Women’s Film offers several festival passes and ticket options with the intention of making attendance more approachable.

“I don't want anyone to be intimidated by the fact that it's two full days, plus Friday’s opening night. There are a lot of opportunities for you to just, you know, dip your toe into the film festival scene and just come enjoy it for one film, if you want, or the whole weekend,” Nicoletta said.

Nicoletta mentioned that RMWFilm also offers ticket options for a Virtual Encore happening Oct. 24-27, when many of the films shown at the festival are available to watch at home.

Right now, Virtual Encore tickets are only available with the purchase of an in-person pass, but they can be purchased separately starting Oct. 1.

Tickets and passes are available to purchase on the RMWFilm website. The following graphics provide information on each option:

RMWFilm’s website describes this festival as the longest-running women’s film festival in North America; it was launched in 1987 by two women, Donna Guthrie and Jere Martin, who wanted to acknowledge the diversity of women, share female stories and build a community.

Nicoletta said the festival still has that goal and emphasized that the entire community is welcome to attend.

“Oftentimes, when people think ‘women's film festival,’ they think it's just women, but it's just not true. We have lots and lots of men who have been coming for decades with their wife, or with their sister [or] with their friends. So, it's really… it's a very inclusive space. The content is not always just about women, though it is definitely women-centric,” she said.

Nicoletta’s first memories of this festival come from time spent with a family friend during childhood, whose mother volunteered for RMWFilm in the ‘90s.

“I started attending the festival in the ‘90s, early ‘90s, with my dear friend Kirsten. Her mom was one of the original volunteers for the organization, and so, by default, when her mom was driving around handing out movies for people to preview, Kirsten and I were in the back seat just along for the ride,” she said.

Nicoletta said RMWFilm is still mostly volunteer-operated, and they will be seeking volunteers to help out with the festival soon. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up for their newsletter to hear when opportunities are available.

Those who want to view announcements, purchase tickets or learn more about the festival can visit RMWFilm’s website. Their social media team also shares some of these announcements on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.