Denver Film and Colorado Dragon Boat are once again partnering to present the 11th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, March 20-22 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., Denver.
The three-day all Asian and Asian American Film Festival is programmed with the theme “Threads of Connection” celebrating individuals, organizations and films that highlight the rich cultures and experiences of AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) communities, with art and fashion as key pillars of the program. Founded in 2016, this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival continues its seventh-year partnership with Denver Film.
Tickets and passes for the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival are available at DenverFilm.org. Festival passes are $75 for Denver Film members/$85 for non-members. Individual film tickets are $13 for Denver Film members/$16 for non-members.
Denver7 is a proud partner of the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival.
The Festival’s Opening Night on Friday, March 20 features the presentation of The Girl Who Stole Time, an action-packed animated time travel fantasy that reflects on memory and youth. The Festival will conclude on Sunday, March 22 with a presentation of Forge, a comedic thriller following two siblings recruited by a disgraced millionaire to forge long-lost art masterpieces. Receptions will take place directly before both the opening and closing screenings.
“This year’s theme, Threads of Connection, is a celebration of how film, fashion and art bring us together across cultures and generations,” said Colorado Dragon Boat Executive Director Sara Moore. “As Colorado’s only all Asian and Asian American film festival, we’re proud to create a space that’s not just about watching films, but about showing up for one another. We do this through delicious food (including Reel Bites: a Culinary Experience), special receptions, performances, an Asian marketplace, meaningful community conversations, local filmmaker showcases and more. And for the first time ever, we will be hosting a fashion show. Definitely a must see! This Festival is vibrant, welcoming, and deeply rooted in connection, and we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone.”
In addition to a diverse film lineup, this year’s Festival includes two creative conversations featuring local community members and a special conversation with representatives from the Denver Art Museum following the Saturday, March 21 11:15 a.m. screening of LOOT: A Story of Crime and Redemption. The panel will include Denver Art Museum Director of Provenance Research Renée Albiston, as well as Provenance Research Fellow Mac Coyle.
On Saturday, March 21 from 10:00-11 a.m., the Festival will host its first of two Community Conversations, Art & Ancestry. Through personal stories and honest dialogue, local AANHPI artists Ratha Sok, Sangeeta Reddy, and Shohini Ghosh will reflect on how they came to see art as a form of self-expression, how their heritage informs their artistry, and how they reclaim agency in artistic spaces that often seek to define them. The conversation will be moderated by Japanese Arts Network Founder Courtney Ozaki-Durgin.
On Sunday, March 22 from 4:30-5:30 p.m., the Festival will host its second conversation, Cultural Threads - AANHPI Voices in Fashion. Moderated by Richi Ramos, the conversation invites audiences into a dynamic discussion on the intersection of fashion, heritage, and storytelling. Featuring local designers and artists making waves in the AANHPI creative space, including Anu Kochar, Gaby Oshiro and Shiela DeForest, this program celebrates style as a powerful medium for culture and connection. A live fashion show will take place at 6:00 p.m. in the Sie FilmCenter’s Henderson-Withey following the conversation.
The Festival will also feature live Q&As with filmmakers immediately following the presentations of the Local Short Film Showcase on Saturday, March 21 at 1:45 p.m. and the Emerging Artists Showcase on Sunday, March 22 at 10 a.m. Both showcase screenings, in addition to the screening of LOOT: A Story of Crime and Redemption, will have pay-what-you-can structures, with tickets available for $5 minimum/$16 suggested.
Other highlights include: The Cultural Corner Marketplace featuring gifts, artwork, crafts and novelties from local AANHPI-owned businesses on Saturday, March 21 from 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. in the Sie FilmCenter’s lobby, with marketplace vendors such as HKCOShop, Colorado Cocoa Pod, KapKapCo, Koco Food Truck, Sweet Thu-th Desserts, Kindred Roots Collection, Little Well Studio, Paper Art Design by Tracy, Hannah’s Ceramics Studio, Art by Bala, and Lola Severina. The Festival also presents a Centerpiece screening of the Japanese sports biopic Climbing for Life on Saturday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m., as well as the Reel Bites culinary experience and reception in partnership with Mile High Asian Food Week on Sunday, March 22 at 11:30 a.m. in the Sie FilmCenter lobby, featuring culinary vendors Die Die Must Try, Riceboxx Denver, Kids Table, Saigon Noodle Club by PKR, Paborito, Now Pho, Dhakai Sweets LLC and Mukja. Tickets for Reel Bites are $15 for Denver Film Members/$25 Non-member.
About Denver Film
Denver Film has been working to transform and entertain the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film since 1978. Serving more than 160,000 patrons annually through 600-plus screenings that include year-round programming at Denver Film's flagship home the Sie FilmCenter, the annual Denver Film Festival celebration, the Film on the Rocks program at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Spotlight Festivals including CinemaQ, Women+Film, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Spotlights highlight underrepresented communities and foster inclusivity. Denver Film works to build resilience across its programming and events by amplifying diverse voices, promoting equity, and fostering community connections. For more information visit: denverfilm.org.
About Colorado Dragon Boat
Colorado Dragon Boat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to build bridges of awareness, knowledge, and understanding between the AANHPI community and the general public through cultural education, leadership development, and athletic competition. Colorado Dragon Boat advocates for the community through its four programs: the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival, the AANHPI Emerging Leaders Program, and the new Riverdale Regional Park Dragon Boat Regatta. For more information visit: www.cdbf.org.
This article was paid for through an in-kind partnership.
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