Film on the Rocks went out with a bang this summer.
The Denver Film Society and Arts & Venues Denver wrapped up Denver’s favorite summer film festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with a screening of Awesome: I F**in’ Shot That!
Director Nathaniel Hörnblowér created this concert film of the Beastie Boys by handing out 50 camcorders to audience members at a sold out concert at Madison Square Garden in 2004. The audience members were instructed to keep the camcorders rolling at all times.
The result is a unique collage of footage giving the audience a 360 degree view of the concert – from the mosh pits in the front row to the nosebleed seats in the back; from celebrities in the audience to impromptu visits to the men’s room.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and also screened at film festivals across the globe, including South by Southwest, the Copenhagen Film Festival and the Era New Horizons Film Festival in Poland.
The night at Red Rocks was a tribute to the Beastie Boys and the late Adam Yauch, better known as MCA, who passed away earlier this year on May 4.
School of Rock, a performance-based music school for youth, was the opening act for the show. Playing some of the Beastie Boys’ greatest hits, the young rock stars had the crowd jamming and ready for the virtual concert before the film even started. The opening act also included a stand-up performance by a local comedian.
It was a successful summer at Red Rocks for the Denver Film Society. With more than 63,000 people attending last year’s films, there’s no doubt that Film on the Rocks is growing in popularity. This summer’s films drew large crowds by playing cult favorites such as Office Space, The Notebook, Wayne’s World, Anchorman, and Spirited Away.
Although the summer is over, we do have more to look forward to from the Denver Film Society this year. They’ve already started their “Castles in the Sky” series which celebrates the magic of the famed Japanese animation house, Studio Ghibli.
Although we don’t know the Denver Film Society’s plans for next year’s Film on the Rocks just yet, one thing is certain: if it’s anything like this summer, it will be memorable for any fan of a good movie.