Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery opens this year’s festival with Paramount’s Primate as the opening night late night showcase, Searchlight’s Is This Thing On? as its centerpiece and the World Premiere of Netflix’s Elway as the closing night presentation, presented in person by John Elway
Lucy Liu, Delroy Lindo, Gus Van Sant, Niecy Nash-Betts to receive top individual honors
The Testament of Ann Lee, Sentimental Value, Hamnet, Jay Kelly, No Other Choice, Rental Family, and Christy highlight robust lineup of features, documentaries, and shorts
Tickets on sale Oct. 5 to Denver Film members, Oct. 6 to the public
DENVER, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Denver Film announced today its program lineup for the 48th annual Denver Film Festival (DFF48), taking place Oct. 31 – Nov. 9. This year’s Festival lineup delivers 136 feature-length films, documentaries and shorts from across the globe. The complete schedule of films, screening times and locations, as well as tickets to individual screenings, Special Presentations, Red Carpets and events is available at https://www.denverfilm.org/denverfilmfestival/. Tickets to individual screenings, panels and parties go on sale to Denver Film members Oct. 5 at 10 a.m., and to the general public Oct. 6 at 10 a.m. at: www.denverfilm.org/.
The DFF48 curtain rises Oct. 31 with two Opening Night presentations including the Opening Night Red Carpet presentation of Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. Writer/Director Rian Johnson’s third installment in the Knives Out series features southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) chasing clues in the latest mystifying case and featuring a star-studded ensemble including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington.
The Halloween celebrations will continue later that evening with the Late Night Showcase Opening Night presentation of Paramount’s Primate, the American horror film directed and co-written by Johannes Roberts and starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander and Troy Kotsur.
The festival continues with Searchlight’s Is This Thing On? as its Centerpiece presentation on Nov. 3 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater. Directed by Bradley Cooper and featuring Cooper alongside writer/actor Will Arnett and Laura Dern.
The festival will close with the World Premiere of Elway, a Netflix and Omaha Productions produced documentary on legendary Broncos quarterback John Elway.
The film chronicles his early collegiate career at Stanford through his 16 seasons as the Denver Broncos starting quarterback. Elway will join co-directors Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver to present the film at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Denver Film will welcome and honor several guests, spotlighting their work through Special Presentations.
Lucy Liu (Rosemead, Presence, Kill Bill, Charlie’s Angels) will receive the John Cassavetes Award at a screening of Rosemead, Nov. 8 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater presented by Amazon.
Delroy Lindo (Sinners, Malcolm X,Get Shorty, Da 5 Bloods) will receive Denver Film’s Next50 Career Achievement Awardfollowing a special screening of Sinners at the Sie FilmCenter on Nov. 1.
Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho, Good Will Hunting, Milk, To Die For) will receive the Excellence in Directing Award for his work on Dead Man’s Wire screening Nov. 4 at the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater presented by Amazon.
Niecy Nash-Betts (All’s Fair, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Reno: 911!, Claws) will receive the fourth CinemaQ LaBahn Ikon Award presented annually to an entertainment contributor from the LGBTQIA+ community whose work has made a lasting cultural impact and inspired meaningful representation on screen and beyond. Past honorees include: Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Colman Domingo, and Andrew Haigh. Nash-Betts will be honored Nov. 2 at Denver Botanic Gardens.
The Denver Film Festival will serve as the first opportunity for most audience members to see some of the most-talked about films of the year. This year’s lineup includes Sentimental Value, winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and starring Stellan Skarsgard as a film director trying to reconnect with his daughters; Hamnet, directed by Oscar-winner Chloe Zhao and featuring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal in a story about the real-life tragedy that influenced William Shakespeare’s greatest work; The Testament of Ann Lee, award winning writer-director Mona Fastvold’s (The World to Come, The Brutalist) speculative retelling of the extraordinary story of Ann Lee, founder of the religious sect known as the Shakers; Jay Kelly, a Noah Baumbach-directed dramedy with George Clooney as a movie star reflecting on his life choices and Adam Sandler as his manager; No Other Choice, the latest twisty thriller by South Korean auteur Park Chan-wook; Rental Family, a crowd-pleaser featuring Brendan Fraser as an actor who stumbles into an unusual job playing stand-in roles for strangers; Christy, with Sydney Sweeney in a knockout performance as boxer Christy Martin; Nuremberg, starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe in a psychological drama about one of the most important trials of the 20th century; Man on the Run, Morgan Neville’s documentary on Paul McCartney; and The Secret Agent, with Wagner Moura in a performance that took home the Best Actor prize at Cannes.
“Selecting from so many accomplished works was an incredibly difficult process,” said Denver Film Festival Artistic Director Matthew Campbell. “But we’ve curated a lineup that reflects both the diversity and strength of contemporary storytelling with a remarkable selection of films, storylines and performances. Eclectic and thought-provoking, these films ask urgent questions about our past, present, and future, alongside deeply personal stories of resilience and triumph. It’s a program rich with human connection and empathy and our audiences will have the opportunity to come together in a communal experience and discover both big-name titles and hidden gems that shine just as brightly. That’s what makes the Denver Film Festival such a special experience.”
Completing the 10-day Festival programming, DFF48 will deliver a robust lineup of general screenings including feature length films, documentaries, and shorts. In addition, the Festival will bring filmmaker conversations, events, panels, parties, industry guests, awards and tributes that will be shared in venues across the city including the Sie FilmCenter, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Botanic Gardens and the MCA Denver at the Holiday Theater presented by Amazon.
“The Denver Film Festival has always been about bringing people together through the transformative power of film,” said Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith. “As we celebrate our 48th year, we’re excited to bring bold new voices and world-class filmmakers to Denver and to create experiences that inspire, challenge and connect us. There is a clear and noticeable momentum coming from Colorado’s film industry, including the most recent addition of Sundance to our ecosystem, and original and independent voices are driving it. This festival is as much about our incredible community as the films themselves.”
Additional in-person guests/honorees will be announced as confirmed in the weeks ahead.
2025 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
RED CARPET PRESENTATIONS : If you want to see films destined to receive industry honors and awards, Red Carpet presentations are an excellent place to start. The films below feature some of DFF’s boldest and best artists pushing envelopes and taking big swings. Many, if not all, are sure to generate passionate discussions after the credits roll.
OPENING NIGHT:
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (United States), directed by Rian Johnson
OPENING NIGHT LATE NIGHT SHOWCASE
Primate (United States), directed by Johannes Roberts
CENTERPIECE:
Is This Thing On? (United States), directed by Bradley Cooper
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
Arco (France, United States), directed by Ugo Bienvenu
The Choral (United Kingdom), directed by Nicholas Hytner
The Chronology of Water (United States, France, Latvia), directed by Kristen Stewart
H is for Hawk (United Kingdom, United States, Singapore), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe
Hamnet (United Kingdom), directed by Chloé Zhao
Heads or Tails? (Italy, United States), directed by Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis
Jay Kelly (United States, United Kingdom, Italy), directed by Noah Baumbach
Man on the Run (United Kingdom, United States), directed by Morgan Neville
No Other Choice (South Korea), directed by Park Chan-wook
Nuremberg (United States), directed by James Vanderbilt
Rebuilding (United States), directed by Max Walker-Silverman
Rental Family (United States, Japan), directed by HIKARI
Sentimental Value (Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Türkiye), directed by Joachim Trier
Sinners (United States), directed by Ryan Coogler
The Testament of Ann Lee (United States, United Kingdom), directed by Mona Fastvold
Train Dreams (United States), directed by Clint Bentley
CLOSING NIGHT:
Elway (United States), directed by Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver
DFF48 FILMS IN-COMPETITION
Featuring films from across the world, this year’s selection of in-competition films will be screened and judged by a panel of industry professionals and entertainment industry media.
Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film – Finalists
In its early years, the Denver Film Festival gained a reputation within the international film community for showcasing, on a regular basis, new Eastern European films. Krzysztof Kieslowski appeared in 1989 for a major tribute and was a guest again in 1994. The director died in 1996 at the age of 55. The following year, Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature, presented to a feature-length film that reflects the artistic sensibilities of the late Polish director, was established the next year under the auspices of the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and in collaboration with the widow of the late director.
Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan), directed by Shih-Ching Tsou
The Love That Remains (Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, France), directed by Hlynur Pálmason
My Father’s Shadow (Nigeria, United Kingdom, Ireland), directed by Akinola Davies, Jr.
The President’s Cake (Iraq, United States, Qatar), directed by Hasan Hadi
Sirāt (Spain, France), directed by Olivier Laxe
Sound of Falling (Germany), directed by Mascha Schilinski
Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary – Finalists
In the early 1960s, two brothers started a revolution in documentary filmmaking. Albert and his late brother David pioneered the method called direct cinema. Hand-held cameras and lightweight sound equipment made possible an immediacy and spontaneity that led to an entirely new way of making films uniquely suited to non-fiction subjects. The Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary is presented to a filmmaker who best represents the truth and purity of documentary filmmaking as established by the Maysles Brothers.
Cover Up (United States), directed by Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
The Eyes of Ghana (United States), directed by Ben Proudfoot
Hair, Paper, Water…(Belgium, France, Vietnam), directed by Nicolas Graux, Trương Minh Quý
Seeds (United States), directed by Brittany Shyne
Shifting Baselines (Canada), directed by Julien Elie
A Simple Soldier (Ukraine), directed by Jual Camilo Cruz, Artem Ryzhykov
American Independent Competition – Finalists
This award is presented annually to a domestic narrative feature that boldly steps outside of the studio system to offer unique stories in an unconstrained spirit.
Charliebird (United States), directed by Libby Ewing
Fucktoys (United States), directed by Annapurna Sriram
Lucky Lu (United States, Canada), directed by Lloyd Lee Choi
Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) (United States), directed by Joel Alfonso Vargas
The Plague (United States, United Arab Emirates), directed by Charlie Polinger
Rosemead (United States), directed by Eric Lin
Featured Shorts –
The shorts lineup includes a wide range of offerings from across the globe. The shorts jury will screen and award a Grand Jury Prize for Best Short, as well as for Student Shorts: Live Action and Student Shorts: Animation.
48th Denver Film Festival A-Z Film Guide:
Amrum (Germany), directed by Fatih Akin
André is an Idiot (United States), directed by Tony Benna
Arco (France, United States), directed by Ugo Bienvenu
Backside (United States), directed by Raúl O. Paz-Pastrana
Below the Clouds (Italy), directed by Gianfranco Rosi
Calle Malaga (Morocco, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium), directed by Maryam Touzani
The Captive (Spain, Italy), directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Charliebird (United States), directed by Libby Ewing
The Choral (United Kingdom), directed by Nicholas Hytner
Christy (United States), directed by David Michôd
The Chronology of Water (United States, France, Latvia), directed by Kristen Stewart
Coexistence, My Ass! (France, United States), directed by Amber Fares
Comparsa (Guatemala, United States), directed by Vickie Curtis, Doug Anderson
Cover-Up (United States), directed by Mark Obenhaus, Laura Poitras
Creede U.S.A. (United States), directed by Kahane Corn Cooperman
Dead Man’s Wire (United States), directed by Gus Van Sant
Elway (United States), directed by Ken Rodgers and Chris Weaver
Eternity (United States), directed by David Freyne
The Eyes of Ghana (United States), directed by Ben Proudfoot
Fantasy Life (United States), directed by Matthew Shear
Franz (Czech Republic, Germany, Poland), directed by Agnieszka Holland
Fucktoys (United States), directed by Annapurna Sriram
God Will Not Help (Croatia, Italy, Romania, Greece, France, Slovenia), directed by Hana Jušić
The Golden Spurtle (United Kingdom, Australia), directed by Constantine Costi
H is for Hawk (United Kingdom, United States, Singapore), directed by Philippa Lowthorpe
Hair, Paper, Water… (Belgium, France, Vietnam), directed by Nicolas Graux, Trương Minh Quý
Hamnet (United Kingdom), directed by Chloé Zhao
Heads or Tails? (Italy, United States), directed by Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis
I Was Born This Way (United States), directed by Daniel Junge, Sam Pollard
Is This Things On? (United States), directed by Bradley Cooper
Ish (United Kingdom), directed by Perretta Imran
Jay Kelly (United States, United Kingdom, Italy), directed by Noah Baumbach
Kokuho (Japan), directed by Lee Sang-Il
Kontinental ’25 (Romania), directed by Radu Jude
La Grazia (Italy), directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Late Shift (Switzerland, Germany), directed by Petra Volpe
Left-Handed Girl (Taiwan), directed by Shih-Ching Tsou
A Life Illuminated (United States), directed by Tasha Van Zandt
Living the Land (China), directed by Huo Meng
The Love That Remains (Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, France), directed by Hlynur Pálmason
Lucky Lu (United States, Canada), directed by Lloyd Lee Choi
Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) (United States), directed by Joel Alfonos Vargas
Man on the Run (United Kingdom, United States), directed by Morgan Neville
My Father’s Shadow (Nigeria, United Kingdom, Ireland), directed by Akinola Davies, Jr.
The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Chile, Germany, France, Belgium, Spain), directed by DiegoCéspedes
Natchez (United States), directed by Suzannah Herbert
The New Yorker at 100 (United States), directed by Marshall Curry
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (Canada), directed by Matt Johnson
No Other Choice (South Korea), directed by Park Chan-wook
Nuremberg (United States), directed by James Vanderbilt
OBEX (United States), directed by Albert Birney
Orphan (Hungary, France, United Kingdom, Germany), directed by László Nemes
Palestine 36 (Palestine, United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Qatar, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Jordan), directed by Annemarie Jacir
Peter Hujar’s Day (United States, Germany), directed by Ira Sachs
The Plague (United States, United Arab Emirates), directed by Charles Polinger
A Poet (Colombia, Germany, Sweden), directed by Simón Mesa Soto
The President’s Cake (Iraq, United States, Qatar), directed by Hasan Hadi
Primate (United States), directed by Johannes Roberts
Promised Sky (Tunisia, France, Qatar), directed by Erige Sehiri
Rebuilding (United States), directed by Max Walker-Silverman
Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Italy), directed by Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani
Rental Family (United States, Japan), directed by HIKARI
Resurrection (China, France, United States), directed by Bi Gan
Romería (Spain, Germany), directed by Carla Simón
Rosemead (United States), directed by Eric Lin
The Secret Agent (Brazil, France, Germany, Netherlands), directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
Seeds (United States), directed by Brittany Shyne
Sentimental Value (Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France, United Kingdom, Türkiye), directed by Joachim Trier
Shifting Baselines (Canada), directed by Julien Elie
A Simple Soldier (Ukraine), directed by Juan Camilo Cruz, Artem Ryzhykov
Sinners (United States), directed by Ryan Coogler
Sirāt (Spain, France), directed by Olivier Laxe
Sisu: Road to Revenge (Finland, United States), directed by Jalmari Helander
Sound of Falling (Germany), directed by Mascha Schilinski
Straight Circle (United Kingdom), directed by Oscar Hudson
The Stranger (France), directed by Francois Ozon
The Tale of Silyan (North Macedonia), directed by Tamara Kotevska
The Testament of Ann Lee (United States, United Kingdom), directed by Mona Fastvold
Train Dreams (United States), directed by Clint Bentley
Two Prosecutors (France, Netherlands, Germany, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine), directed by Sergei Loznitsa
Underland (United Kingdom, United States), directed by Robert Petit
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (United States), directed by Rian Johnson
Young Mothers (France), directed by Jean Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Zodiac Killer Project (United Kingdom), directed by Charlie Shackleton
The Press Accreditation application process for the 48TH Denver Film Festival (DFF48) closes Oct. 24 at 11:59 p.m. The application to be considered for Accreditation can be found on the DFF48 website or by clicking here.
2025 Denver Film Festival Sponsors (as of Oct. 4):
Branding Designed By
AOR
Thank You To Our Sponsors
Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media
Amazon
Liberty Global
Next50
Anna John Sie Foundation
Dormer Harpring Personal Injury Lawyers
Sheila K O’Brien
Wana Brands Foundation
William LaBahn
GHP Investment Advisors, Inc.
BOK Financial
Meow Wolf
Taloma Partners
PNC Bank
Mary Watson
Snarfs Sandwiches
Visit Denver
Gloria Campbell and John Verwys
Suzanne Siteman
Colorado Environmental Film Festival
Consulate General of Canada in Denver
Media
5280 Magazine
Axios
CBS News Colorado
City Cast Denver
Colorado Public Radio
Denverse
KBCO (97.3 FM)
Metromode Magazine
Rocky Mountain Public Media
theBulletin.io
Additional Thanks To
Eldorado Natural Spring Water
Best Day Brewing
Butler Rents
Denver Screen Print & Embroidery
milkhaus
Newberry Brothers Florist
Ratio Beerworks
Serendipity Catering
Sexy Pizza
Spirit Hounds
Topo Chico
Total Wine
Denver Botanic Gardens
MCA Holiday Theater
Dulin McQuinn Young, LLP
Colorado Dragon Boat
Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival
SAG-AFTRA
SeriesFest
Proudly Funded By
Bonfils Stanton Foundation
SCFD (Scientific & Cultural Facilities District)
About Denver Film
Denver Film has been transforming and entertaining the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film since 1978. Operating as the region’s only membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit film institution, Denver Film has grown into a signature cultural organization in the West, screening international and independent movies found nowhere else in the region.
Serving more than 160,000 patrons annually through 600-plus screenings that include year-round programming at Denver Film’s flagship home the Sie (pronounced SEE) FilmCenter, the annual Denver Film Festival celebration, the iconic Film on the Rocks program at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Spotlight Festivals including CinemaQ, Women+Film, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Spotlights highlight underrepresented communities and foster inclusivity. Denver Film works to build resilience across all of its programming and events by amplifying diverse voices, promoting equity, and fostering community connections.
For more information or to explore the full suite of Denver Film programming, events, and ticketing visit: denverfilm.org.
About Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 116 years of promoting the Mile High City, Visit Denver is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Denver welcomed more than 37.1 million visitors in 2024, generating $10.3 billion in spending, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs and making Tourism one of the city’s largest industries. Learn more about Denver at Visit Denver or Tourism Pays Denve r. Follow Denver’s social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , YouTube and LinkedIn .
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SOURCE Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
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