Denver Film Festival Spotlights Difficult Issues With Social Justice Films
DENVER (CBS4) – The Denver Film Festival had to go virtual this year, so there are about 100 titles available for streaming for the price of a ticket. As always, the offerings are quite diverse everything from blockbuster movies to music videos. For the first time this year, the festival has put together a program of social justice films that organizers are hoping will have an impact on viewers.
"We think that Denver Film has a responsibility to use this medium to make it available and accessible to everyone throughout the community, to really be a spark for conversation, a spark of inclusivity," said James Mejia, the CEO of Denver Film.
The program includes 8 films:
"Women in Blue" – follows three women officers in the Minneapolis Police Department.
"The 8th" – the fight in Ireland to repeal the 8th Amendment which bans abortion.
"City Hall" – explores the city government of Boston, Massachusetts.
"The New Corporation" – the development of the contemporary business corporation.
"MLK/FBI" – tracks the FBI surveillance of Martin Luther King Jr.
"City So Real" – a look at the 2019 election in Chicago and its aftermath.
"Coded Bias" – racial & gender biases coded into facial recognition technology.
"Dope Is Death" – the development of the first acupuncture detox program in America.
"We are having virtual screenings of those, and then conversations via zoom. With different groups that want to talk about racial bias, social justice, etc." Mejia explained.
These conversations start with the 43rd annual Denver Film Festival, but Mejia hopes they continue to gain momentum throughout the year.
"We need to get back together and hear from each other and learn from each other and empathize with each other," he told CBS4.
LINK: 43rd Annual Denver Film Festival
The Denver Film Festival runs through November 8th.
