The Movies That Made Us is a 90 minute compilation reel that highlights the top films that have been featured in the Denver International Film Festival over the past 30 years. Each clip ranges from 60 seconds to five minutes, starting off with Woody Allen’s colorful introduction in Manhattan. A clip of Shelley Duvall in Nashville follows, and as it ends, still photography from the opening of the festival slowly fades onto the screen.
The black and white photos (many can be seen around the Tivoli) are broken up into decades. We go from actors like Jeff Goldblum and Dennis Hopper appearing in the 80s, to famous critics who have covered the festival, such as Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin. There are also featured filmmakers, gala events, and red carpets.
You have to have a great appreciation for the festival to be able to sit through this one; and if you do, it’s quite a delight. I had seen most of films that they showed clips from, but the one’s that I had missed are now on my to do list. Caught up in the nostalgia, some of my audience couldn’t help clapping at the screen when a familiar event was shown.