Did you know that a Denverite is the main star of a Quentin Tarantino movie? Or that a different Denverite was the first Black actor to win an Oscar?
Both bits of trivia are true, and both of these actresses will be featured at a two-day film festival celebrating the 150th anniversary of Denver’s East High School.
The East High Film Festival runs from Sept. 26-27 and aims to highlight some of the “notable alums” who attended Denver's oldest high school.
The blaxploitation star Pam Grier will headline a screening and Q&A for “Jackie Brown." Also screening are “In This Our Life” — starring Hattie McDonald, who won the Oscar for “Gone With The Wind” — and “The Freshman,” with silent film star and East alum Harold Lloyd.
“The East FilmFest is more than a celebration of movies—it’s a celebration of legacy,” wrote Marcia Goldstein, Chair of the East FilmFest Committee. “From Harold Lloyd’s slapstick genius to Hattie McDaniel’s groundbreaking Oscar to Pam Grier’s trailblazing stardom, East High has shaped Hollywood in unforgettable ways. We’re thrilled to bring alumni, students, and the Denver community together for this once-in-a-lifetime milestone.”
A new documentary celebrates the school's history
"Angel Power!: 150 Years of East High Excellence,” a new documentary about East that’s premiering at the festival, also celebrates the school’s impact on culture.
The film features archival photos, home movies and other footage, alongside interviews with alumni and students. It is premiering in the auditorium at Denver East on Friday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m.
A Q&A and 'Jackie Brown' screening with Pam Grier
Grier and the “Jackie Brown” screening will headline the festival on Saturday, Sept. 27. Grier will join a Q&A with film critic and fellow East alumna, Lisa Kennedy, at the Sie FilmCenter.
The screening begins at 6:30 p.m., with the Q&A to follow. VIP ticketholders can also attend a special reception before the screening.
Grier’s legacy is packed with action movies like “Sheba, Baby,” “Coffy,” and “Foxy Brown” that, at the time, broke the mold of the “James Bond women” archetype. She’s regarded as a pioneer for women in film, especially women of color.
“These figures single-handedly detonated layers of oppressive cultural conventions that were desperate for radical revision,” the Harvard Film Archive wrote about her legacy and the characters she played.
Films starring Hattie McDaniel and Harold Lloyd round out the schedule
The films “In This Our Life” and “The Freshman” are screening earlier on Saturday, also at the Sie FilmCenter.
“In This Our Life” features East High alumna Hattie McDaniel, who attended the school from 1908 to 1910.
She plays Minerva Clay, and through the role, challenges racial stereotypes.
According to her biographer Jill Watts, this role might have been "one of the most significant black female roles of the era.”
McDaniel was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2010. She died in 1952.
The film is screening at noon, followed by “The Freshman,” also starring East alum Harold Lloyd at 3 p.m.
Lloyd was a giant in the silent film industry, with “The Freshman” often slated as his best work. It’s about a college freshman struggling to make friends.
If you go
Tickets for "Angel Power!" on Friday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., cost $25 for general admission, $10 for faculty and staff, and $1.50 for students. Alumni blocs of 10 people are available for $200.
Tickets for "In This Our Life" and "The Freshman" screenings on Saturday, Sept. 27, at noon and 3 p.m., respectively, both cost $15.
Tickets for the "Jackie Brown" screening and Q&A on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m., cost $25. VIP tickets cost $100 and include a reception with Pam Grier and other guests before the screening.
More information about the East High Film Festival can be found here.
