fifth annual Boulder International Film Festival called a “stunning success”

Funny Man Chevy Chase received an Award of Excellence in Comedy;
Rod Lurie’s “Nothing But the Truth” named Best Feature Film;
“Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country” wins Grand Prize

Boulder, Colo. (February 16, 2009) — This past weekend, award-winning films, world-renowned filmmakers and film aficionados descended upon Boulder, Colo. for the fifth annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF). An audience of more than 14,300 attended the 2009 Festival, a nine percent increase in attendance from 2008. Increased attendance and ticket sales coupled with high-profile films have helped to establish BIFF as one of the premier international film festivals.

Five screenings sold out during this year’s Festival, including the short documentaries “School of Thought” and “Come Back to Sudan,” directed by Colorado native Daniel Junge; “Sari Soldiers,” an intense documentary produced by Julie Bridgham, a University of Colorado alum; “Prince of Broadway,” a film about a New York hustler and street salesman; a pre-release screening of “Sunshine Cleaning,” a dark comedy starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt; and the second of two shorts programs featuring a series of short length films, documentaries and animations.

"We have always strived to provide audiences with memorable experiences and powerful independent films, and this year’s Festival was no exception,” said Robin Beeck, BIFF’s executive director. “The 2009 Festival was a stunning success made possible by BIFF’s unique combination of accomplished filmmakers, cinema lovers, sponsors and volunteers, and we thank them all for their important contributions.”

Audiences enjoyed more than 55 films from 28 countries at this year’s Festival, as well as a variety of panel discussions, workshops and parties.

Festival Highlights Included:

• BIFF’s Opening Night Party featured a screening of Director Rod Lurie’s “Nothing But the Truth,” which parallels the jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller. Lurie, who also directed “The Contender” and “Resurrecting the Champ,” participated in a Q&A following the film.
  
  
• A record crowd gathered on Saturday, Feb. 13 to see a pre-release screening of “Sunshine Cleaning,” a dramedy about two sisters so desperate to change their lives they start their own crime scene clean-up business. The film starred Colorado native and Academy Award nominee Amy Adams.
  
  
• Audiences packed the Boulder Theater Saturday, Feb. 14 for BIFF’s Red Carpet Valentine’s Gala to see original Saturday Night Live cast member and National Lampoon star Chevy Chase receive an Award of Excellence in Comedy following a retrospective of his work. Event attendees will not soon forget Chase’s hilarious Q&A with Ron Bostwick, BIFF executive producer. The event was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 2009 Festival.
  
  
• As part of BIFF’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony, the Festival screened “Burma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country,” a powerful documentary about the “Saffron Revolution,” during which 10,000 Buddhist monks risked death and torture to protest a cruel military dictatorship. After the screening, audiences were invited to attend a captivating Q&A with Burmese Princess, author and human rights activist Inge Sargent.

2009 Boulder International Film Festival Award Winners:

Best New Filmmaker: Sean Baker
Best Student Film: “In the Dark”
Best Dramatic Comedy: “Sunshine Cleaning”
Best Music Documentary: “Anvil: The Story of Anvil”
Best Colorado Film: “They Killed Sister Dorothy”
Best Animation: “Sita Sings the Blues”
Best Environmental Film: “American Outrage”
Best Short Film: “Tag”
Best Short Documentary: “Smile Pinki”
Best Feature Documentary: “Pirate for the Sea”
Best Feature Film: “Nothing But the Truth”
Grand Prize: “Burma VJ: Reporting From a Closed Country”