The newest additions to Denver Film’s guest list for its 48th annual Film Festival include actors Zoey Deutch and Ben Foster, as well as directors Charlie Polinger and Peggy Ahwesh. 

Deutch will appear in-person on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 to receiver the Rising Star Award after the screening of her new film Nouvelle Vague. Foster will also appear in-person at the screening of his new film Christy, which is a biographical sports drama about former professional boxer Christy Martin. Foster will receive the Festival’s inaugural Outlaw Award, honoring excellence in antagonistic performances. 

Denver Film previously announced that actors Lucy Liu, Delroy Lindo, and Niecy Nash-Betts would be attending the festival at various times, along with director Gus Van Sant. 

“We are so excited to kick things off this year on Halloween with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. So, the third installment of the Knives Out films. We’re also going to be having an amazing opening night party at Kirk of Highland. Also spooky themed,” said Matt Campbell, Artistic Director for the Denver Film Festival. 

Denver Film Festival will host a second screening on Halloween night. The Late Night Showcase will feature Primate, an American horror film.

This year’s Centerstage presentation is Is This Thing On? at the Holiday Theater on November 3, 2025. Bradley Cooper directs and stars in the film along with Will Arnett and Laura Dern. 

The Closing Night presentation should be a draw for Broncos fans. It’s the world premiere of Elway, a documentary on legendary Broncos quarterback, John Elway.

“We’ll be going through November 9th, and we’ll be showing over 130 films, a lot of Oscar buzzworthy titles, documentaries, international films, indie films, short films and a lot of panels and creative conversations,” Campbell explained. 

This year, Denver Film Festival will show a series of special retrospective films honoring the film industry artists who’ve recently passed away. 

• Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, in honor of Robert Redford.
• The French Connection, in honor of Gene Hackman.
• Mulholland Drive, in honor of David Lynch
• Something’s Gotta Give, in honor of Diane Keaton
• 3 Women, in honor of Shelley Duvall
• Top Secret!, in honor of Val Kilmer

In order to program the 10-day festival, Campbell watches some 500 movies every year. When asked what is the hidden gem in this year’s lineup, he responded that it’s difficult to pick just one, but then went on to say,

“One of my favorites is The Testament of Anne Lee, so this is a new film by the creative team that did The Brutalist last year. This is about Ann Lee who was the found of the Shaker religious movement. It stars Amanda Seyfried, and it’s a musical. So it’s crazy, over the top, but really fascinating, amazing film making.”

The announcement that the Sundance Film Festival is coming to Boulder is all the buzz in the Colorado film community. Denver Film welcomes the addition. 

“It’s going to be an amazing addition to an already rich ecosystem here for the film industry, and we’re excited to partner with them. It’s just going to raise both of our games as we go forward,” said Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Denver Film.

LINK: For Information & Tickets to the 48th annual Denver Film Festival 

Denver Film’s 48th Annual Film Festival runs Friday, October 31 – November, 9, 2025 at theaters and venues throughout the city.

The City Council has approved $1.5 million in settlements for six people who sued Denver over the police department’s use of force during the 2020 George Floyd protests.

DENVER — As the leaves change color and cool evenings settle over the city, the Denver Botanic Gardens is offering a seasonal mix of spooky storytelling and family-friendly fall activities.

An after-dark event called Ghosts in the Gardens will be held from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. on October 17, 18, 19, and 30. Visitors can wander illuminated paths while trained storytellers recount eerie tales about the gardens and the Denver area.

“The weather is still usually gorgeous, so it’s kind of that shoulder season where people get to enjoy being outside,” Manager of Adult Programs for the gardens Sydney Goldade said. “They know how to tell a good story in detail, but also make you feel the story a little bit more and take it on as your own.”

The gardens are decorated for the Glow at the Gardens event with playful displays like skeletons with pool floaties, to darker decorations for visitors who prefer something scarier. The decorations are all viewable throughout the day, even outside of special event times.

“There’s something for everyone, and it can be as fun or it can be as serious as you want it to be,” Goldade said. “You get to go at your own pace. There’s no rush for the night.”

‘Ghosts in the Gardens’ blends history, spooky tales at Denver Botanic Gardens

Ghosts in the Gardens also gives guests rare access to the Waring House, a nearly century-old staff building on the property that is often the subject of rumors about hauntings.

“If you’ve ever seen this giant house and wondered what it looks like inside, this is your only chance to do so during the year,” Goldade said.

Denver7’s Ethan Carlson

The event blends local history with entertainment. Goldade noted that the gardens were once a burial ground for early Denver residents and that storytellers weave those historical elements into their performances.

“It’s a little history lesson, and a little fun storytelling, but they really bring in some of those elements from the greater Denver area,” she said. “It’s really fun to know a little bit more about the space that that we all live now and what it used to look like.”

Tickets are $29 for members and $34 for nonmembers. Goldade said all proceeds support the gardens’ education programs, which offer more than 700 classes and activities each year — from school and kids’ programs to adult workshops in gardening, cooking, and floral arranging.

Organizers recommend Ghosts in the Gardens for visitors 12 years of age and older.

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