Colorado has played a leading role in many films. The state’s western landscapes can be seen in movies like The Hateful Eight and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Then there’s the famous scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in which Paul Newman and Robert Redford leap off the edge of a cliff into the rushing river below. That scene was filmed near Durango, above the Animas River.
Robert Redford famously spent a lot of time in Boulder. And actors like Don Cheadle and Pam Grier have all come from Colorado.
This summer, the first-ever Colorado 150 Film Festival will celebrate these movies and actors with screenings of 150 films being shown in 35 independent theaters across the state. It’s also a celebration of the state’s 150th anniversary on Aug. 1.
One of the festival’s organizers, Rob DuRay, spoke with Erin O’Toole about the festival and where Colorado’s film industry might go from here.
The Colorado 150 Film Festival begins this weekend and continues through November. View the full lineup of films and venues.
2026 marks a major birthday for Colorado, which became a state on Aug. 1, 1876. In honor of the 150th anniversary, KUNC News is exploring some of the most fascinating – and sometimes overlooked – stories from Colorado history.
