Denver Silent Film Festival: Sept 23 to 25, 2011

Silence is golden; but the "Silents are Golden" at the upcoming Denver Silent Film Festival. The festival will run its inaugural program this fall, September 23, 24, and 25, 2011. It's a non-profit venture co-hosted with the University of Colorado Denver's College of Arts & Media.

The Opening Night Gala is Friday, September 23 at the Helen Bonfils Theatre at the Performing Arts complex in the Crescent Lobby. Go all out, gear up in 1920s fashion and step back in time. The lobby will be transformed into an "elegant silver and white Speakeasy," according to the presenters will specially mixed prohibition-era booze. Tickets to the Gala tote a $150 price tag, but include the opening screenings of Charlie Chaplin's "The Immigrant" and "The Kid," the icon's first feature length film.

Chaplin's the man, but I'm very tempted by the Saturday 4:00 p.m. screening of F.W. Murnau's horror landmark, "Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror," at the King Center on Auraria Campus. It will feature live musical accompaniment from acclaimed pianist, Donald Sosin. Other films will be accompanied by live music from local pianist Hank Troy and from The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, a local Louisville quintet that specializes in live scores of silent films.

A festival pass for the weekend is $35 ($20 students) or individual screenings are $10 ($5 students.). Also screening on Saturday is the 1925 Italian classic "Cyrano de Bergerac." The final Sunday evening screening at 7:00 p.m. will be Josef von Sternberg's "Underworld," which is regarded as the first gangster film. There is also a program of newly produced silent films created by Students screening Sunday afternoon. This is followed by a collection of short comedy classics from Buster Keaton, Roscoe Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin.

All screenings, except the Opening Night Gala, are at The King Center on the Auraria Campus Downtown at 855 Lawrence Way. Ticket info and all that jazz is available on their website. Originally published on www.milehighcinema.com.