The 14th Durango Independent Film Festival is a late winter/early spring destination festival cultivating a reputation as a filmmaker’s festival. Located in picturesque southwestern Colorado, filmmakers will enjoy staying within walking distance of two of three venues, fine restaurants, boutiques, brew pubs, art galleries, and historic Victorian hotels. Durango offers many recreational diversions such as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge train and early spring skiing at nearby Purgatory Ski Resort. In addition to festival parties, we host nightly gatherings in the private filmmaker’s lounge with complementary beverages such as our own festival beer courtesy of SKA Brewing.
All films selected will be screened at least twice during the festival. Filmmakers are encouraged to participate in Q&A sessions following screenings to further engage and connect with the audience. To be more involved, there is an opportunity to participate in panels and/or workshops. Each year, our festival seeks out an eclectic mix of narrative features, documentaries, and short films. We seek all genres of film including: Adventure, LGBT, Native American, and Family. We also curate creative films suitable for students of all ages for our REEL Learning School Program.
"I cannot overstate how wonderful of a time we had in Durango last week. You all truly go above and beyond to make filmmakers feel amazing. From packed screenings to quirky hotels to delicious food and excellent parties. Durango had it all. Thank you." - Director Edd Benda, Superior
"I want to thank you so much for everything you did to make the festival possible. I know it's a big collaboration, just like any film production, but it starts from the top. I couldn't have prepared for how welcoming and enjoyable of an experience it was. I could go on and on, but I want to tell you it's the best film festival experience I have had! Not only that, but it was very inspiring as a filmmaker to share my film with the Durango community, and the enthusiasm it received was overwhelming. I didn't want to leave. It was an honor to be a part of it...keep doing what you're doing! You should be very proud." - Director Darren Rudy, Blind Date
This is a juried film festival concluding with both juror and audience award presentations.
