Aspen Film: An update, and a look ahead

On behalf of the board of Aspen Film, I wish to share an update on where we stand and where we are headed as an organization. 

Aspen Film is on the up and up having just wrapped an incredibly successful Film Festival. The Filmfest exemplified the organization’s longstanding commitment to uniting our community through the transformative power of cinema. The event welcomed both locals and visitors, fostering meaningful conversations and memorable shared experiences rooted in empathy and creativity. In a time when art and connection are more vital than ever, Aspen Film continues to serve as a cultural cornerstone, bringing people together and ensuring that the impact of great storytelling reverberates well beyond the festival itself.

Over the last six months, we have experienced a tremendous outpouring of community support, particularly around the preservation of the Isis Theatre. We have a healthy, fully committed board united around our mission: to serve the community, uphold our nonprofit work in film and education, and ensure that the Isis remains a theater.

Our vision for the Isis Theatre includes keeping the street-level, large theater intact for first-run film releases, the Aspen Film festivals, special programming, and events that benefit the wider community. We are encouraged that the Mayor and City Council share the desire to preserve the Isis as a community space, and we look forward to productive dialogue that leads to a collaborative, win-win outcome for Aspen.

Looking ahead, we want to clarify that there is a clear separation between Aspen Film’s operations and the specific capital campaign for the Isis Theatre. Details on next steps of the preservation of the Isis will be shared soon.

There are many ways the community can continue to support our efforts:

• Become a member
• Double your impact through Aspen Film’s matching funds program
• Make a pledge in support of the Isis Theatre
• Attend screenings, year-round programs, festivals, and community events

We are also proud of recent successes that reflect the vitality of Aspen Film: a record number of submissions for Shortfest, the enthusiastic response to ‘Cinema Under the Stars’, and the continued expansion of our Aspen Film Educates programming, which for more than 25 years has brought films, film studies, camps, and workshops to students, educators, and families across the valley. Education and community engagement remain cornerstones of our mission.

As we work toward a future that both preserves and enriches Aspen’s cultural legacy for generations to come, we are grateful for the commitment to and growing support of Aspen Film and the preservation of the Isis Theatre. Together, we can ensure that film and the Isis Theatre remain integral parts of the Aspen community that we all cherish, which the entire board and staff members believe is achievable with your support.

The Board of Aspen Film

Aspen