Monday, November 5, 2012
Three other highlights from Denver Film Festival opening weekend: Quartet, Sister, and Casting By
Quartet was the Big Night film on Saturday. Like the opening night film, The Last Quartet it deals with serious music (I prefer the term ‘serious’ to the term ‘classical’ music).
Beecham House is a very opulent ‘retirement’ home for musicians and other performers. Each year, the residents put on a gala: it is a bit like the Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland musicals – ‘let’s get a barn and put on a show!’ In this case the barn looks a bit like the manor house in Downton Abbey and ‘kids’ are replaced by superannuated performers. But just as I found those old Rooney/Garland movies entertaining so too did I enjoy Quartet. Tom Courtney, Maggie Smith, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins play retired opera singers who in their professional past had performed Verdi’s Quartet together. Maggie Smith, just before the gala, herself retires to Beecham House. It is proposed that they reunite to again perform Quartet at the gala.
Of course, nothing is that simple: there are numerous complications, not the least of which is a long unsettled love relationship between the Smith and Courtney character.
This film is enjoyable for the performances, not just of these four actors but everyone else in the film. The residents are portrayed by performers actually playing themselves. A wonderful device in the end credits is to identify the performer with ‘then’ and ‘now’ photos.
As I have noted in the past, there is a real film audience in an older demographic and this film, like Stand Up Guys, will appeal to that.
Sister is a compelling film by Ursula Meier. It is the Swiss submission for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nomination. Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) is a twelve year-old boy living in poverty in a valley below a wealthy ski resort in the Alps. He shares a tiny apartment in a rundown building with his sister, Louise (Lea Seydoux), who is clearly much older – perhaps in her mid- to late-twenties. She is also rarely there, given to quitting jobs, taking off with men for days at a time or on drunken binges. It is Simon who seems to be holding things together, keeping the rent paid and buying food. He does this by stealing what he can (and he is very good) at the ski resort and selling it.
This is a sad but unsentimental film and both Klein and Seydoux are remarkable with performances that are unsettling. Watch the trailer.
Casting By is a documentary by Tom Donohue. It focuses on casting directors, particularly Marion Dougherty and the process (and how it has changed) of casting motion pictures.
Dougherty, who started in live television in New York in the fifties, really changed the way movies were cast. In the old Studio System, contract players were assigned roles in motion pictures based on their type. Dougherty, working primarily with New York stage actors changed that. Her success in casting such successful television series as Naked City and Route 66 eventually brought her to motion pictures and eventually Hollywood.
The documentary features directors who talk about the serious collaborative role that casting directors, like Daugherty, but also many that she mentored including Juliet Taylor and Wally Nicita, play in successfully finding exactly the right actor for the role.
The documentary also notes that the vast majority of casting directors are women; Dougherty said that the reason so many women ended up doing casting is because it didn’t pay very well – men wouldn’t do it.
I was actually cast by Daugherty and Wally Nicita in Escape From Alcatraz, so it had special meaning for me. As scenes in the Doc featured Marion surrounded by hundreds of actor photos, I realized that at some point, my photo was among those.
This is an HBO documentary, so it should show up on HBO at some time in the future. Also, perhaps the Film Society will bring it back at some point for a regular screening at the newly named Sie Film Center on Colfax. Under any circumstance, I particularly encourage my actor friends to see this film.
Stand Up Guys
Stand Up Guys, from Lionsgate, screened at the 35th Starz Denver Film Festival Sunday and is pure entertainment. There are under lying themes of family, friendship, love, loyalty and living by a code - whatever that code may be - but in the end this is laugh-out-loud funny and entertaining.
The film stars Al Pacino (can Pacino get any scruffier looking) as Val, Christopher Walken as Doc and Alan Arkin as Hirsch, three aging ‘bad guys’ who through a series of circumstances are reunited for a night of shoot-outs, robberies, car-theft, car-chases, debauchery (Pacino’s character consumes an entire bottle of Viagra, which a brothel madam calls ‘boner pills’) and Galahad-like chivalry.
These are three terrific actors - though I am happy to see Walken play a bit understated instead of his often over the top performances, which he demonstrated in the opening night film, The Last Quartet - and they are what make this film so enjoyable. It received a very enthusiastic response from the audience when I saw it Sunday night.
Val has just been released from prison, after 28 years, for a crime he likely did not commit, but, as he says, he served his time and kept his mouth shut.
He is picked up outside the prison gate by his long-time friend, Doc, who it turns out is being pressured to kill Val. Doc has until 10 AM the following morning to accomplish this or suffer some very dire consequences. Will he? Won’t he? You have to get to the end of the picture to find out.
Val says he wants to party (he has been in prison for 28 years after all) and so they do, though Doc, somewhat reluctantly.
There is a wonderful scene in a disco (do they still call those kind of clubs discos?) in which Pacino pays the DJ to play a slow song (“oh, one of those old time songs”) and persuades an attractive young woman to dance with him. It is so reminiscent of the tango scene in Scent of a Woman as Pacino (Val) gracefully swings the young woman out onto the dance floor.
The film evolves over the next few cinematic hours as Val and Doc hook up with Hirsch (rescuing him from a nursing home), make a return trip to a brothel, the car-theft and car chase, etc.
I had been excited when I learned that film was to play at this year’s Film Festival, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it. There is a necessary willing suspension of disbelief with this film but don’t worry about making sense of any seeming unrealities, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Stand Up Guys is not scheduled for another screening at the Film Festival however it will open nationwide in January of 2013. It had its premiere at the Chicago Film Festival a couple of weeks ago and is slated for an Oscar qualifying run in Los Angeles and Manhattan in December.
The film stars Al Pacino (can Pacino get any scruffier looking) as Val, Christopher Walken as Doc and Alan Arkin as Hirsch, three aging ‘bad guys’ who through a series of circumstances are reunited for a night of shoot-outs, robberies, car-theft, car-chases, debauchery (Pacino’s character consumes an entire bottle of Viagra, which a brothel madam calls ‘boner pills’) and Galahad-like chivalry.
These are three terrific actors - though I am happy to see Walken play a bit understated instead of his often over the top performances, which he demonstrated in the opening night film, The Last Quartet - and they are what make this film so enjoyable. It received a very enthusiastic response from the audience when I saw it Sunday night.
Val has just been released from prison, after 28 years, for a crime he likely did not commit, but, as he says, he served his time and kept his mouth shut.
He is picked up outside the prison gate by his long-time friend, Doc, who it turns out is being pressured to kill Val. Doc has until 10 AM the following morning to accomplish this or suffer some very dire consequences. Will he? Won’t he? You have to get to the end of the picture to find out.
Val says he wants to party (he has been in prison for 28 years after all) and so they do, though Doc, somewhat reluctantly.
There is a wonderful scene in a disco (do they still call those kind of clubs discos?) in which Pacino pays the DJ to play a slow song (“oh, one of those old time songs”) and persuades an attractive young woman to dance with him. It is so reminiscent of the tango scene in Scent of a Woman as Pacino (Val) gracefully swings the young woman out onto the dance floor.
The film evolves over the next few cinematic hours as Val and Doc hook up with Hirsch (rescuing him from a nursing home), make a return trip to a brothel, the car-theft and car chase, etc.
I had been excited when I learned that film was to play at this year’s Film Festival, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it. There is a necessary willing suspension of disbelief with this film but don’t worry about making sense of any seeming unrealities, just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Stand Up Guys is not scheduled for another screening at the Film Festival however it will open nationwide in January of 2013. It had its premiere at the Chicago Film Festival a couple of weeks ago and is slated for an Oscar qualifying run in Los Angeles and Manhattan in December.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Film Festival Day 2
Friday for me was mixed. I saw one terrific film (Shadow Dancer), one so-so film, and had one film I really wanted to see cancelled.
Last night at L2 the screening of The Sapphires was cancelled due to a projector failure. This was not a great way to start the festival and I know Britta Erickson, the Festival Director, was very frustrated, though it was not her fault or the fault of any one at the Film Society. The projector had been tested in the afternoon and worked fine, but when it came time to screen Sapphires at 6:30 PM it was kaput. The crew worked for nearly an hour to fix the problem but it was beyond repair.
Though disappointed, the crowd in the Theatre was pretty good-natured and endured the delay and then cancellation with equanimity. The Good news is that a new screening of the film has been arranged for closing Sunday night.
I will say, that L2 is not a great venue for film particularly when compared to the wonderful Film Center facility and the Pavilions, where other Festival films are screening. Let me also say that while I miss the hominess and am a bit nostalgic for the Tivoli facility, I don't miss those terrible seats. It really had become careworn. Pavilions so far is working out quite well and is much more comfortable than Tivoli.
My first screening yesterday afternoon was Argentinian Lesson. It is actually a Polish documentary, and while visually quite good, I found it only so-so.
Of course the big news from the Film Society is the $2.5 Million donation from the Anna and John Sie foundation to allow the purchase of the Film Society's home on Colfax. John and Anna have been strong supporters of the Festival and the Society. I was particularly pleased to hear John say, in acknowledging the current and earlier support, that he really would like to see Denver become a center of film making not just film screening.
Kudos John and Anna.
Last night at L2 the screening of The Sapphires was cancelled due to a projector failure. This was not a great way to start the festival and I know Britta Erickson, the Festival Director, was very frustrated, though it was not her fault or the fault of any one at the Film Society. The projector had been tested in the afternoon and worked fine, but when it came time to screen Sapphires at 6:30 PM it was kaput. The crew worked for nearly an hour to fix the problem but it was beyond repair.
Though disappointed, the crowd in the Theatre was pretty good-natured and endured the delay and then cancellation with equanimity. The Good news is that a new screening of the film has been arranged for closing Sunday night.
I will say, that L2 is not a great venue for film particularly when compared to the wonderful Film Center facility and the Pavilions, where other Festival films are screening. Let me also say that while I miss the hominess and am a bit nostalgic for the Tivoli facility, I don't miss those terrible seats. It really had become careworn. Pavilions so far is working out quite well and is much more comfortable than Tivoli.
My first screening yesterday afternoon was Argentinian Lesson. It is actually a Polish documentary, and while visually quite good, I found it only so-so.
Of course the big news from the Film Society is the $2.5 Million donation from the Anna and John Sie foundation to allow the purchase of the Film Society's home on Colfax. John and Anna have been strong supporters of the Festival and the Society. I was particularly pleased to hear John say, in acknowledging the current and earlier support, that he really would like to see Denver become a center of film making not just film screening.
Kudos John and Anna.
Shadow Dancer
A young girl sits at a table stringing beads. Her dad had given her some money to 'buy herself some sweets', but she sent her younger brother off for 'the sweets' instead so she could remain with her beads. It alls feels very normal, quiet, unhurried.
As we watch the girl, we catch a momentary glimpse in the background of her brother out on the street as he goes for the candy, then of a man who might be following him – it is just a flash; we are not even sure what we might have seen.
The unhurried pace and sense of normalcy are actually quite disturbing; the lack of a frantic pace or overt foreboding create an air of even more intense disquiet. We sense that something bad is going to happen, we just don't know what or when .- we are literally waiting for the shoe to drop.
Shadow Dancer which screened last night at the Starz Denver Film Festival is a riveting thriller, that is permeated with a sense of disquiet: a sense created by long unbroken takes, often with little or no dialogue; the story unfolding in silence createing a tension that is unsettling.
After a prologue, the film opens with with a woman in riding on the London Underground. It is 1993. The woman, whose eyes constantly dart to those around her and her surroundings, grips the large purse she carries on her shoulder. She changes trains a few times.
There it is again, the sense that something bad is about to happen. Is there a bomb in her purse? Is she a terrorist? The tension builds without anything being said. Tight closeups of her expressionless face actually intensify the tension.
Andrea Riseborough, in a remarkable performance, plays the woman, Collette. She is the now grown adult of the child we had seen in the prologue. She is from a Catholic family in Belfast. Her two brothers are IRA terrorists. She lives with her mother and her young son. We don't know anything about the father of her son.
Collette finally drops her purse in a stairwell as she flees the Underground. We are now certain she is a terrorist and we wait for the bomb to explode, but it doesn't. Instead, Collette is arrested and taken to a secret location. There, though she resists for a long time, she is finally recruited to be a 'spy' on the activities of her brothers and others in the IRA in Belfast. The safety and well-being of her son, some unresolved feelings of guilt and anger all combine to persuade her. Her recruitment is done by Mac, played by Clive Owen. He will be her secret contact.
As the story unfolds there is also a sense that not all is as it appears to be; relationships are complicated and not always straightforward; is there anyone who can be trusted? This is certainly true among the IRA, but it also my be true of the police.
This film takes us back the time of 'The Troubles' where for the most part there don't seem to be any good guys. The bloody extremes of the IRA; the heavy-handed equally extreme measures of the British in Northern Ireland; the foolhardy bravado of 'Up the Rebels' create an environment in which violence and death are everyday occurances; where an eye for and eye, a kill for a killing rule.
The film is based on the novel (1998) of the same name by Tom Bradby, who also wrote the screenplay. Bradby has written five other novels and is the Political Editor for ITN news in the UK.
James Marsh, who heretofore was a documentarian (Man on a Wire, which screened at last years Festival) directs and is responsible for the intensity and edge of the film.
I can't say enough about Riseborough's performance. Understated seems almost an understatement. She does more with less than almost any other actor I can think of. Actually all the performances are good. Brid Brennan as the mother gives an equally understated performance. She is imbued with a sadness that is just there, understated, but there; she has lived a lifetime of the misery associated with 'The Troubles'. Aiden Gillen as Gerry and Domnhall Gleeson as Connor, Collette's two brothers are quite good.
This is great storytelling, with wonderful ensemble work and in particular a standout performance by Riseborough.
The film is not scheduled to screen again at the Festival, but may turn up in the future. I highly recommend it.
As we watch the girl, we catch a momentary glimpse in the background of her brother out on the street as he goes for the candy, then of a man who might be following him – it is just a flash; we are not even sure what we might have seen.
The unhurried pace and sense of normalcy are actually quite disturbing; the lack of a frantic pace or overt foreboding create an air of even more intense disquiet. We sense that something bad is going to happen, we just don't know what or when .- we are literally waiting for the shoe to drop.
Shadow Dancer which screened last night at the Starz Denver Film Festival is a riveting thriller, that is permeated with a sense of disquiet: a sense created by long unbroken takes, often with little or no dialogue; the story unfolding in silence createing a tension that is unsettling.
After a prologue, the film opens with with a woman in riding on the London Underground. It is 1993. The woman, whose eyes constantly dart to those around her and her surroundings, grips the large purse she carries on her shoulder. She changes trains a few times.
There it is again, the sense that something bad is about to happen. Is there a bomb in her purse? Is she a terrorist? The tension builds without anything being said. Tight closeups of her expressionless face actually intensify the tension.
Andrea Riseborough, in a remarkable performance, plays the woman, Collette. She is the now grown adult of the child we had seen in the prologue. She is from a Catholic family in Belfast. Her two brothers are IRA terrorists. She lives with her mother and her young son. We don't know anything about the father of her son.
Collette finally drops her purse in a stairwell as she flees the Underground. We are now certain she is a terrorist and we wait for the bomb to explode, but it doesn't. Instead, Collette is arrested and taken to a secret location. There, though she resists for a long time, she is finally recruited to be a 'spy' on the activities of her brothers and others in the IRA in Belfast. The safety and well-being of her son, some unresolved feelings of guilt and anger all combine to persuade her. Her recruitment is done by Mac, played by Clive Owen. He will be her secret contact.
As the story unfolds there is also a sense that not all is as it appears to be; relationships are complicated and not always straightforward; is there anyone who can be trusted? This is certainly true among the IRA, but it also my be true of the police.
This film takes us back the time of 'The Troubles' where for the most part there don't seem to be any good guys. The bloody extremes of the IRA; the heavy-handed equally extreme measures of the British in Northern Ireland; the foolhardy bravado of 'Up the Rebels' create an environment in which violence and death are everyday occurances; where an eye for and eye, a kill for a killing rule.
The film is based on the novel (1998) of the same name by Tom Bradby, who also wrote the screenplay. Bradby has written five other novels and is the Political Editor for ITN news in the UK.
James Marsh, who heretofore was a documentarian (Man on a Wire, which screened at last years Festival) directs and is responsible for the intensity and edge of the film.
I can't say enough about Riseborough's performance. Understated seems almost an understatement. She does more with less than almost any other actor I can think of. Actually all the performances are good. Brid Brennan as the mother gives an equally understated performance. She is imbued with a sadness that is just there, understated, but there; she has lived a lifetime of the misery associated with 'The Troubles'. Aiden Gillen as Gerry and Domnhall Gleeson as Connor, Collette's two brothers are quite good.
This is great storytelling, with wonderful ensemble work and in particular a standout performance by Riseborough.
The film is not scheduled to screen again at the Festival, but may turn up in the future. I highly recommend it.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Star Wars - the future with Disney?
By now you undoubtedly know that Lucasfilm has been sold to Disney – Luke Skywalker and Mickey Mouse together under the same roof, or maybe Donald Duck and Yoda, Darth Vader and Maleficent, how about Minnie Mouse and Princess Leia – okay, I will stop now.
The Hollywood Reporter and other news outlets reporting on the $4.05 Billion sale indicate that Disney plans future Star Wars films with the first coming in 2015. The also report that Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chair of Lucasfilm will be President of Lucas under Disney. That suggests continuity, but of course that remains to be seen. The real question: Is Star Wars, Star Wars without George Lucas?
Reportedly, Kennedy and Lucas have already been working on the new (Episode VII) Star Wars but what does that mean now and as the project further develops? Exactly how much involvement will Lucas have?
There are some who will hope that it means less involvement. There are fans of Star Wars, who see all the movies but complain about what Lucas has done since the original films. There is even a documentary about these disgruntled fans titled The People vs George Lucas. The documentary suggests that Lucas has betrayed his original masterwork; that The Phantom Menace should carry a health warning.
EOnline reports that other than having written the treatment his involvement will be minimal.
They further suggest that the film and subsequent ones will be much more of an original and may be based on stories from a series of books, The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn.
Future Star Wars films are not the only thing of interest in this sale. The previous six films were distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, which has announced plans to release 3D versions of at least some of those films. Will this deal complicate that?
Of course, Star Wars is not the only franchise Lucasfilm owns, there is that other very lucrative Indiana Jones. Future versions, if any are even contemplated, of that are likely to be complicated because a sequel rights/distribution deal with Paramount.
One other possibility, I suppose we could have American Graffiti, the Final Days in which we catch up with all the characters as they get shipped off to the nursing home.
The Hollywood Reporter and other news outlets reporting on the $4.05 Billion sale indicate that Disney plans future Star Wars films with the first coming in 2015. The also report that Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chair of Lucasfilm will be President of Lucas under Disney. That suggests continuity, but of course that remains to be seen. The real question: Is Star Wars, Star Wars without George Lucas?
Reportedly, Kennedy and Lucas have already been working on the new (Episode VII) Star Wars but what does that mean now and as the project further develops? Exactly how much involvement will Lucas have?
There are some who will hope that it means less involvement. There are fans of Star Wars, who see all the movies but complain about what Lucas has done since the original films. There is even a documentary about these disgruntled fans titled The People vs George Lucas. The documentary suggests that Lucas has betrayed his original masterwork; that The Phantom Menace should carry a health warning.
EOnline reports that other than having written the treatment his involvement will be minimal.
They further suggest that the film and subsequent ones will be much more of an original and may be based on stories from a series of books, The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn.
Future Star Wars films are not the only thing of interest in this sale. The previous six films were distributed by Twentieth Century Fox, which has announced plans to release 3D versions of at least some of those films. Will this deal complicate that?
Of course, Star Wars is not the only franchise Lucasfilm owns, there is that other very lucrative Indiana Jones. Future versions, if any are even contemplated, of that are likely to be complicated because a sequel rights/distribution deal with Paramount.
One other possibility, I suppose we could have American Graffiti, the Final Days in which we catch up with all the characters as they get shipped off to the nursing home.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Denver Arts Week
Tomorrow marks the official start of Denver Arts Week, November 2 - 10, a celebration of Denver’s vibrant arts and culture scene sponsored by Visit Denver and Arts and Venues Denver. And there is plenty to see and do: theatre, music, film opera, museums and visual arts, dance, the list goes on. The week is really more than a week - eight days unless you count the opening and closing of the Starz Denver Film Festival which begins tonight and goes through November 11.
- Important to note, that the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts released a study, Wednesday, of the significant economic impact of the Arts and Culture. See a related blog post.
A highlight of the week is the opening of the McNichols Civic Center Building. Saturday, November 3 from 11 AM to 6 PM will feature free live performances throughout the day with everything from Flamenco Dance to a roots music performance to Dawson Wallace Dance. Also, Tom Noel, Dr. Colorado, will give two hour-long historical tours of the building: one at 11:30 and another at 1:45 PM.
Visiting McNichols will also allow you to view the art installations on the first, second and third floors.
The Colorado Symphony will have two specialty performances:
FAURÉ REQUIEM, Friday November 3 – Sunday November 4. The program will include Jack in the Box by Erik Satie, the Violin Concerto No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns, and two pieces by Gbriel Fauré: Requiem and Pavane.
THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND WITH HILARY KOLE, Saturday, November 10. Vocalist Hilary Kole plays Bond Girl as the orchestra performs the iconic music of James Bond, including “Live and Let Die” and “For Your Eyes Only”.
Music related, The American Guild of Organists & Historic Denver, Inc conduct a Saturday Stroll on November 10, to see the organs housed in Denver’s Historic Buildings. is a fun and informative tour of organs housed in
“Becoming Van Gogh” continues at the Denver Art Museum.
The Clyfford Still Museum is offering free admission all day Saturday, November 3 and extended hours - open until 10 PM - all Denver Arts Week. The free admission on Saturday includes access to the special exhibition, Vincent/Clyfford - as well as screenings of the documentary STILL and free tours at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m.
There is lots more, so take advantage of this time to see something you haven’t, hear something you haven’t, do something you haven’t. There are galleries and museums and theatre productions that I can’t even begin to mention. We have a wonderful arts and cultural environment in Denver – experience it this next week. Oh, but don’t stop then. This is a year-round Arts environment.
For more information
or Arts and Venues Denver.
- Important to note, that the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts released a study, Wednesday, of the significant economic impact of the Arts and Culture. See a related blog post.
A highlight of the week is the opening of the McNichols Civic Center Building. Saturday, November 3 from 11 AM to 6 PM will feature free live performances throughout the day with everything from Flamenco Dance to a roots music performance to Dawson Wallace Dance. Also, Tom Noel, Dr. Colorado, will give two hour-long historical tours of the building: one at 11:30 and another at 1:45 PM.
Visiting McNichols will also allow you to view the art installations on the first, second and third floors.
The Colorado Symphony will have two specialty performances:
FAURÉ REQUIEM, Friday November 3 – Sunday November 4. The program will include Jack in the Box by Erik Satie, the Violin Concerto No. 3 by Camille Saint-Saëns, and two pieces by Gbriel Fauré: Requiem and Pavane.
THE MUSIC OF JAMES BOND WITH HILARY KOLE, Saturday, November 10. Vocalist Hilary Kole plays Bond Girl as the orchestra performs the iconic music of James Bond, including “Live and Let Die” and “For Your Eyes Only”.
Music related, The American Guild of Organists & Historic Denver, Inc conduct a Saturday Stroll on November 10, to see the organs housed in Denver’s Historic Buildings. is a fun and informative tour of organs housed in
“Becoming Van Gogh” continues at the Denver Art Museum.
The Clyfford Still Museum is offering free admission all day Saturday, November 3 and extended hours - open until 10 PM - all Denver Arts Week. The free admission on Saturday includes access to the special exhibition, Vincent/Clyfford - as well as screenings of the documentary STILL and free tours at 5:30, 6:30, and 7:30 p.m.
There is lots more, so take advantage of this time to see something you haven’t, hear something you haven’t, do something you haven’t. There are galleries and museums and theatre productions that I can’t even begin to mention. We have a wonderful arts and cultural environment in Denver – experience it this next week. Oh, but don’t stop then. This is a year-round Arts environment.
For more information
or Arts and Venues Denver.
The Economic impact of the Arts
The arts generated $1.76 Billion in economic activity in 2011 according to the 2012 Economic Activity Study of Metro Denver conducted by the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts (CBCA). That figure is up 18.4% from 2009. It would appear that arts economic activity is rebounding from the recession that began in 2008.
The arts and culture are a signifcant economic engine. The study notes that the $1.76 Billion includes $527 Million in 'new' money. 'New' money are dollars that otherwise would not have been spent in the Denver area.
The Arts also create jobs. Arts jobs increased by 7% over 2009 to a total of 9,354.
This activity ripples throughout the metro area economy. As our overall economy improves, hug an artist.
With Denver Arts Week beginning tomorrow, it is important to reflect on the fact that not only do the arts feed our souls, they feed our economy as well.
More information on the study and the CBCA.
The arts and culture are a signifcant economic engine. The study notes that the $1.76 Billion includes $527 Million in 'new' money. 'New' money are dollars that otherwise would not have been spent in the Denver area.
The Arts also create jobs. Arts jobs increased by 7% over 2009 to a total of 9,354.
This activity ripples throughout the metro area economy. As our overall economy improves, hug an artist.
With Denver Arts Week beginning tomorrow, it is important to reflect on the fact that not only do the arts feed our souls, they feed our economy as well.
More information on the study and the CBCA.
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