Current Events

Boulder resident Jennifer Olson loved the years she spent in the restaurant business ” the food, the chefs, the kitchen camaraderie. And as a photographer, and with a family history of farming, she had an appreciation for the look of food. Deciding to devote herself to photography, Olson didn’t leave the restaurant scene behind. Her new book, “Colorado Organic,” features sumptuous photos of the state’s leading innovators, both chefs and farmers, on the fresh and local front. Among those profiled: Chefs Ryan Hardy of the Little Nell, and Mark Fischer of Carbondale’s SIX89 and Phat Thai. The next step in Olson’s food chain is a series of dinners at each of the spots in the book. SIX89 is up on Wednesday, May 13; on the menu are beef short ribs with blue cheese grits, sticky toffee pudding, wines from Delta County’s Jack Rabbit Hill ” and a signed copy of Olson’s book.

Cadillac Sky says their music takes as much from Radiohead and the Beatles as it does form Bill Monroe. The cover image on “Trouble,” the 2007 release by Trampled by Turtles, features an astronaut and an enormous radar dish. Clearly the two bands are signaling that their take on string-band music looks forward. But beyond imagery and catchy descriptions, both are well-rooted in bluegrass. Cadillac Sky, a quintet from Texas, plays Belly Up on Thursday, May 14; the Minnesota quartet Trampled by Turtles follows the next night.

With the Wheeler Opera House shuttered for an offseason sprucing up, smaller films are in short supply. That’s one reason to jump to see the Spanish-language, Mexican-set “Sin Nombre” at the Isis in Aspen. Another is that the film has earned huge accolades ” including awards for best direction and best cinematography at the Sundance Festival ” and announces the arrival of a talented filmmaker in the 31-year-old Californian, Cary Fukunaga. And “Sin Nombre” ” unlike, say, “Wolverine” and “Hannah Montana” ” addresses vital issues of the moment, the desperation of Mexicans to reach the supposed promised land over their northern border, and gang violence run amok.

Along with being founder of Carbondale’s 5Point Film Festival, Julie Kennedy is a mom. And part of the festival’s mission is to pass along values of respect and balance. So it is fitting that 5Point closes on Mother’s Day with a focus on family and women. Festival events on Sunday, May 10, include the panel discussion A Women’s Wilderness: Forging Paths and Pushing Limits, and the family-oriented World Community, Culture and Connection: Tales of Mountain Life.