Women+Film Festival brings small stories to big screen

There are many features that make lm festivals special events for attendees, but one that keeps me returning every year is the opportunity to catch lms on the big screen you might not be able to any other time. And providing that very experience to audiences is one of the top priorities of the 2023 Women+Film Festival

“So many lms, including a lot of independent lms, just don’t have the same budgets as major studio projects. So, we’re excited to bring smaller lms to local audiences so they can be seen,” said Ambriehl Turrentine, Denver Film programming manager. “ is year we’re looking to connect with viewers who may not be as familiar with the lm world and work we do at Denver Film.” is year’s festival runs from April 13 through April 16 at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver. e festival will screen 11 full-length movies, as well as short lms, and Denver Film ensured that special events aimed at drawing in more of a crowd are included as part of the lineup.

One of the most exciting events is a marketplace, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. on April 15 in the Sie lobby. According to provided information, shoppers will be able to peruse “gifts, artwork, crafts and novelties from local, woman-owned businesses.” ere will also be live question and answer sessions with lmmakers following showings of “ e Disappearance of Shere Hite” on April 15 at and “Girl Talk” on April 16.

“We’ll also have a discussion after ‘Plan C’ on Friday, which will feature the director and representatives from

Spring

FROM PAGE 14 loading the iNaturalist app and using it to take photos of the nature around you. We encourage you to get outside, feel the sun on your face and contribute to science while you’re out there.

Denver Botanic Gardens Citizen Science projects: botanicgardens.org/ science-research/citizen-science-

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Clarke Reader into local a

Planned Parenthood,” Turrentine said. “We always look for was to tap into the local lm community, and this lm is a great opportunity to do

As far as lms to get excited about, there’s also festival opener “Judy Blume Forever,” which will be shown before its streaming debut. With a lm version of Blume’s immortal, “Are You ere God? It’s Me, Margaret” coming later in the month, this is a great opportunity to learn more about the wonderful author.

No matter what audiences see, Turrentine hopes people come away with something new to explore.

“I don’t want people to be intimidated by any of the lms or the festival. At the end of the day, it’s another form of entertainment,” she said.

“ ey provide the chance to connect — with a story, someone in the audience or a lmmaker.”

Full festival details and tickets can be found at www.denver lm.org.

Take a trip to world of the beyond with Paranormal Cirque

Most of us probably have a pretty good idea of what a circus performance will look like. at’s not how Cirque Italia does things, and “Paranormal Cirque,” its latest production, proves that and then some. Described in provided information as an “innovative horror story” for a mature audience, the show aims to take audiences on a thrilling and sexy ride that programs Denver EcoFlora project: inaturalist. org/projects/denver-eco ora-project Denver Botanic Gardens City Nature Challenge information: DenverBoulder Metro City Nature Challenge: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/ city-nature-challenge-2023-denverboulder-metro

Jennifer Neale is the director of research and conservation for the Denver Botanic Gardens

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• Keep it polite: No name calling or “mudslinging.” combines theatre, circus and cabaret. e show will be staged under a big top tent at the Denver Premium Outlets parking lot, 13801 Grant St. in ornton, from April 20 through April 23. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. ursday and Friday, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday and 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

All the information and tickets van be found at http://www.paranormalcirque.com/tickets.

Samantha Bee, Your Favorite Woman, comes to Denver

Canada’s Samantha Bee is, quiet simply, one of the funniest people on the planet. It’s a total bummer her talk show, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” was cancelled last year, as the world could really use her whip-smart take on the day’s events right now.

Fortunately, Bee is doing a national tour and she’ll be bringing “Your Favorite Woman” to the Paramount eatre, 1621 Glenarm Place in Denver at 7 p.m. April 15. I’m not even a little doubtful that it will be one of the year’s funniest and most thoughtprovoking evenings, so secure tickets by visiting https://www.ticketmaster. com.

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — Dawes at the Ogden Theatre ere’s not a lot of folk rock bands making the rounds on the music scene anymore, which is too bad. e genre was at its peak at the same time some of the century’s best music was being written. ankfully, there are still a few laborers working in the eld of this particular genre, and one of the best is Dawes. e Los Angeles based group not only excel in the kind of music pioneered by e Byrds and CSNY, but over their career they’ve added alt-rock elements, which keeps the sound from growing stale. Last year’s “Misadventures of a Doomscroller,” is their most experimental and far-ranging release to date. Dawes will be performing at e Ogden eatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, at 8 p.m. April 19. I saw them perform at the Arvada Center last summer and can personally attest to the quality of live performance attendees are in for. Get tickets at https://www.ticketmaster.com.

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail. com.

Warm Hearts Warm Babies serves hospitals, agencies across Colorado

BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Surrounded by colorful fabric patterns, handmade baby items and frequent laughter, volunteers of the Warm Hearts Warm Babies nonpro t went to work on a Friday morning to put together layettes for organizations who need them.

e nonpro t has a list of roughly 40 agencies it delivers items to throughout Colorado, said Kathleen Williams, the nonpro t’s grant coordinator. e list includes the Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Platte Valley Medical Center and Denver Medical Center.

“Warm Hearts is totally made up of volunteers,” said Sandi Powis, president of the board of directors. “Everyone’s volunteering with their heart and skills to make things for newborn (babies), preemies to help them get a good start in this world.”

Volunteers sew, knit, crochet and quilt items such as bibs, burp pads, jackets, hats and blankets. e items are assembled into a layette, which is a collection of clothing and accessories for newborn infants.

Each layette contains a quilt, two receiving blankets, bibs, burp pads, clothing and a goodie bag containing items such as a bottle, some diapers and a small toy. ese items are delivered in a handmade tote bag.

“All these items are made with love,” Powis said. “We don’t connect to the individuals personally. We deliver the layettes to hospitals, birthing centers, food banks — anyone that can help us help the newborn.” e nonpro t also o ers items for the neonatal intensive care units at hospitals in Colorado, such as positioning roles that are used to help support the infants.

A number of the mothers who receive these items are experiencing homelessness, sometimes living in shelters or in their cars, Williams said.

“We also provide clothing for babies that don’t survive, from tiny little babies to full-term babies,” Williams said. “We have clothing for them that we hand out at the hospitals.”

Included in those burial layettes is a cloth-made envelope intended for the parents to hold important items and memories, Powis said.

“It’s sad, but it’s so important,” Powis said. “And to know that a mom wouldn’t have to go out, or send her mom or her sister to go out and nd things for her precious one that has passed — that it can be given to them and that’s not a worry for them.”

How it began

e nonpro t’s origin dates back to 1996, when a woman named Victoria Swain gave birth to a stillborn infant, according to the nonpro t’s website. e hospital she was at could not provide a blanket or clothes for her infant, prompt- ing Swain to look into how she could help donate these types of items.

After recruiting some volunteers and spending a few years working through a di erent organization called Newborns in Need, in 2000, Swain and the other board members decided to create their own nonpro t: Warm Hearts Warm Babies.

Powis estimated the nonpro t currently has about 200 volunteers and 12 work groups throughout the state including in Arvada, Brighton, Littleton and ornton.

Powis is part of the work group in Conifer, where she lives. She joined the organization roughly six years ago.

“I’ve been doing things for babies for many years, donating to other groups, but they were all missing something. ere was no social connection with anyone else making things,” Powis said. “I found that they had a local organization up here in Conifer and it was like, that’s it — that’s one I can link up with. I can meet people right here in our community.”

Williams learned about the nonpro t through a quilt show, as representatives of the organization had a table at the event. Living in Aurora at the time, she initially joined the Aurora group. Since then, she has moved to Colorado Springs

SEE IN NEED, P17