45th Filmfest
September 17 - 22, 2024
Internationally recognized Aspen Film organizes a major film event every season, along with an extensive education program: Aspen Filmfest, Academy Screenings, Aspen Shortsfest, Summer of Cinema, and FilmEducates. With a mission to enlighten, enrich, educate, and entertain through film, Aspen Film stimulates thought, encourages dialogue, and broadens our understanding of our world and selves through the diverse spectrum of ideas presented by filmmakers worldwide. Aspenfilm.org
45th ASPEN FILMFEST PROGRAM 2024:
Tuesday, September 17 | 7 PM
SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
US, 2024 | 106 MIN
Directed by Ian Bonhôte + Peter Ettedgui
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY tells of Reeve’s astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, including his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but catalyzed his activism for disability rights.
WITH Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, + Will Reeve
Wednesday, September 18 | 12 PM
THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG
Iran, France, Germany, 2024 | 168 MIN
Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
Investigating Judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.
Wednesday, September 18 | 5 PM
SPECIAL
SURPRISE
SCREENING
Stay tuned for an exciting announcement in September.
Wednesday, September 18 | 8 PM
CHECKPOINT ZOO
US, 2024 | 107 MIN
Directed by Joshua Zeman
CHECKPOINT ZOO documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.
Q+A with Director Joshua Zeman
Thursday, September 19 | 12 PM
FLOW
Latvia, Belgium, France, 2024 | 84 MIN
Directed by Gints Zilbalodis
When a solitary cat's home is devastated by a great flood, he finds refuge on a boat populated by other creatures, including a dog, a bird, a capybara, and a lemur. Sailing through mystical landscapes, they must navigate the challenges, dangers, and wonders of this new world.
Thursday, September 19 | 2 PM
SANTOSH
UK, Germany, France, India, 2024 | 120 MIN
Directed by Sandhya Suri
A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a low-caste girl is found raped and murdered, she is pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
WITH Shahana Goswami, + Sunita Rajwar
Thursday, September 19 | 5 PM
A REAL PAIN
US, 2024 | 90 MIN
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
WITH Kieran Culkin, Jesse Eisenberg, Will Sharpe, Daniel Oreskes, Kurt Egyiawan, + Jennifer Grey
Thursday, September 19 | 8 PM
CHAMPIONS OF THE GOLDEN VALLEY
US, Afghanistan, Germany, 2024 | 81 MIN
Directed by Ben Sturgulewski
In the high peaks of Afghanistan, young villagers from rival ethnic groups build makeshift wooden skis and convene for an exuberant mountain race that requires incredible camaraderie and resilience – lessons they must call upon when they experience the shocking collapse of their country.
Q+A with Producer Katie Stjernholm
Friday, September 20 | 12 PM
MEMOIR OF A SNAIL
Australia, 2024 | 94 MIN
Directed by Adam Elliot
From Academy Award®-winning animator Adam Elliot comes this bittersweet memoir about a melancholic woman named Grace Pudel, a hoarder of snails and romance novels.
WITH Eric Bana, Sarah Snook, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dominique Pinon, Jacki Weaver, + Nick Cave
Friday, September 20 | 2 PM
MY SUNSHINE
Japan, 2024 | 100 MIN
Directed by Hiroshi Okayama
On a Japanese island, life revolves around the changing seasons. Winter is time for ice hockey at school, but Takuya isn't thrilled about it. His real interest lies in Sakura, a rising figure skating star from Tokyo, for whom he has started to develop a genuine fascination. Coach and former champion Arakawa spots potential in Takuya and decides to mentor him to form a duo with Sakura for an upcoming competition. As winter persists, feelings grow, and the two children form a harmonious bond. But even the first snow eventually melts away.
WITH Sôsuke Ikematsu, Ryûya Wakaba, Kiara Takanashi, + Keitatsu Koshiyama
Friday, September 20 | 5 PM
UNSTOPPABLE
US, 2024 | 116 MIN
Directed by William Goldenberg
Anthony Robles, despite being born without a right leg and growing up in an abusive household, rises to become a NCAA Division 1 Champion wrestler, ultimately winning a national championship against the school that rejected him, national powerhouse Iowa. Based on the book Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion by Anthony Robles and Austin Murphy.
Q+A with film subject Anthony Robles
WITH Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Shawn Hatosy, Don Cheadle, Michael Peña, + Jharrel Jerome
Friday, September 20 | 8 PM
THE THICKET
US, 2024 | 108 MIN
Directed by Elliott Lester
When fierce bounty hunter Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage) is recruited by a desperate man to track down a ruthless killer known only as Cutthroat Bill (Juliette Lewis), he rallies a band of unlikely heroes, including a grave-digging ex-slave and a street-smart woman-for-hire. Together, they embark on a perilous quest to track down Cutthroat Bill, which leads them into the deadly “no-man’s-land” known as…the Thicket.
Q+A with Director Elliott Lester
WITH Peter Dinklage, Juliette Lewis, Esme Creed-Miles, Ned Dennehy, Levon Hawke, Arliss Howard, + Gbenga Akinnagbe
Saturday, September 21 | 2 PM
THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN
US, 2024 | 87 MIN
Directed by Sue Kim
In THE LAST OF THE SEA WOMEN, an extraordinary band of feisty grandmother warriors wage a spirited battle against vast oceanic threats. Often called real-life mermaids, the haenyeo divers of South Korea’s Jeju Island are renowned for centuries of diving to the ocean floor — without oxygen — to harvest seafood for their livelihood. Today, with most haenyeo now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, their traditions and way of life are in imminent danger. But these fierce, funny, and hard-working women refuse to give an inch, aided by a younger generation’s fight to revive their ancestral lifestyle through social media. Peering into what drives haenyeo young and old, this moving documentary zeroes in on their tight-knit friendships, savvy independence, and infectious sense of empowerment. The story unfolds into an uplifting tale of women taking on world powers to protect their beloved ocean and inspire a new generation.
Saturday, September 21 | 5 PM
THE REMARKABLE LIFE OF IBELIN
US, Norway, 2024 | 106 MIN
Directed by Benjamin Ree
When Mats Steen, a Norwegian gamer, died of a degenerative muscular disease at age 25, his parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated existence. They were unaware that Mats had long been leading a vibrant digital life that had left a profound impact on a community of fellow gamers.
Saturday, September 21 | 8 PM
SPECIAL
SURPRISE
SCREENING
Stay tuned for an exciting announcement in September.
Sunday, September 22 | 12 PM
THE WILD ROBOT
US, 2024 | 102 MIN
Directed by Chris Sanders
From DreamWorks Animation comes a new adaptation of a literary sensation, Peter Brown’s beloved, award-winning, #1 New York Times bestseller, THE WILD ROBOT. The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot—ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh surroundings, gradually building relationships with the animals on the island and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling.
WITH Lupita Nyong'o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Matt Berry, Ving Rhames, Mark Hamill, + Catherine O'Hara
Sunday, September 22 | 4 PM
THE JERK
US, 1979 | 94 MIN
Directed by Carl Reiner
A simple-minded, sheltered country boy suddenly decides to leave his family home to experience life in the big city, where his naivete is both his best friend and his worst enemy.
WITH Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Catlin Adams, Mabel King, Richard Ward, + M. Emmet Walsh
