The Eighth Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival kicks off this week. The four-day Asian and Asian American Film Festival honors individuals, organizations, and films that highlight the rich cultures and experiences of AAPI communities.
The festival starts this Thursday, March 9 and runs through March 12 at both the Sie FilmCenter (2510 E. Colfax Ave.) and the Freyer Newman Center at the Denver Botanic Gardens (1085 York St.).
Things to know about the festival:
Full festival passes are $65 for Denver Film Members and $75 Non-Member, and Individual film tickets are $12 for Denver Film Members ($15 Non-Members).
Individual tickets and full festival passes are available at denverfilm.org.
The festival was founded in 2016 and this year Colorado Dragon Boat will be entering its fourth-year in partnership with Denver Film.
"There are so many narratives coming out of the Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander communities all over the world and right here in Colorado," said Colorado Dragon Boat Executive Director Sara Moore. "This year's film festival highlights those voices and experiences through film, cinema, community conversations, food, an Asian marketplace and more."
"Reclaiming Denver's Chinatown," a documentary produced by the Denver Office of Storytelling that documents the history of Chinese immigrants who made a home in Denver a decade after the city's founding, will be screened March 10 at 2 p.m.
The festival will conclude March 12 at the Denver Botanic Gardens with a screening of "I Am What I Am," an animated comedy-drama following a teenage boy who sets out to master the traditional Chinese art of lion dancing. A reception, featuring food and a local Lion Dance performance, will follow the screening.
Check out the full schedule of films here.
The festival will also feature AAPI-focused conversations with local community members that will be free and open to the public.
The festival will also host "Celebrating the Stories of Our LGBTQ+ Asian American Pacific Islander Community," a community conversation highlighting the intersectional identities, multifaceted experiences, and valuable contributions of members of Colorado's queer AAPI community on March 11 at 11 a.m..
A panel discussion titled "Celebrating the Stories of our Multiracial AAPI Community," a deep dive into experiences and stories of multiracial panelists.
Both conversations will be held at the Sie Film Center and attendees can pre-register on the event pages.
