When the 48th Denver Film Festival convenes in November, it will not include screenings at the AMC 9+10, ending a three-year arrangement in an increasingly trickier moviegoing landscape.

Attendance at movie theaters is presently being described as hovering somewhere between abysmal and apocalyptic after brutal first-quarter numbers showed that box-office revenue is down 11% compared to the same period last year.

So you’d think megaplexes like the AMC would welcome 10 pre-winter days when the Denver Film Festival brings out movie lovers in large numbers. But instead, AMC hiked its rental fee for 2025, and in the process priced itself out of the festival. According to a report that Denver Film would not confirm, AMC was wanting up to three times more than in previous years, which made Denver Film’s decision not only responsible but obvious.

Instead, Denver Film plans to expand offerings at its established venues – The Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Botanic Gardens, MCA at the Holiday Theater and the Sie FilmCenter. “Another high-quality venue is available to us as well – and could be added based on specific programming decisions and needs,” Denver Film said in a statement provided to The Denver Gazette. That statement goes on to say:

“Over the three festivals that we’ve worked with the AMC, we’ve had incremental increases in our venue rental fees. Ultimately, this year, the increase and use requirements were not a sound financial fit for the festival and therefore, it would not have been fiscally responsible for us to continue.

“As a result, we looked at a variety of options and ultimately found that the best approach for our filmmakers and audiences would be to expand both the number of days and hours across our established venues. These are all fantastic festival sites that allow us to do everything we want to do from a programming standpoint and helps us minimize any reduction in the total number of screenings across the 10 days of our festival.”

The loss of the AMC 9+10, located at 826 Albion St., will not impact film sections, red carpets, special presentations and general admission screenings, officials said, emphasizing that the venue change will have no impact on the popular “Colorado Spotlight” section or the number of Colorado filmmakers who will be showcased in November.

“We anticipate another great lineup and robust section for Colorado along with the best in film from around the globe.”

That said, it is too soon to say whether the loss of the AMC will result in fewer films or screenings overall.

“But our programming and production teams have positioned us to be able to maximize screenings across these venues,” they say.

Lynch talks ‘Sorry, Baby’

Denver-born actor John Carroll Lynch, a graduate of Regis Jesuit High School and once a member of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s acting company, dropped by the Sie FilmCenter on July 27 to talk with a nearly packed house after a screening of his latest film, “Sorry, Baby.” That’s the acclaimed feature-film debut for writer, director and star Eva Victor.

Victor gained fame for a series of online comedy videos and a recurring role on the Showtime series “Billions.” “Sorry, Baby” is a deeply personal and occasionally funny retelling of a sexual assault she experienced as a college student.

Lynch (“Fargo,” “Zodiac,” “The Founder”), has played everything from gentle to monstrous on screens large and small. He’s presently featured in the Prime crime serial “Ballard” and shows up for one heartfelt scene with Victor in “Sorry Baby” that has people buzzing. “The humanity that shines forth in this scene is beyond praise,” wrote the Christian Science Monitor.

Lynch was in town to present the Colorado Theatre Guild’s lifetime achievement award to a mentor named KQ who cast Lynch in his first play when he was a Denver 15-year-old.

Lynch was asked why he took such a small role in such a small film. Lynch is known for being nothing if not brutally honest in his conversations.

“The primary thing that moved me about both the script and the material was the fact that I grew up on entitlement and misogyny,” he said. “That’s what I was taught. That was my bread and butter. And nobody questioned it. Nobody. I certainly didn’t.

“And over the arc of my life, of my sister’s lives, of the women that I know, and the women that I cherish – I’ve seen the way in which the societal structure unconsciously damages their lives. And I’ve been part of the poison long enough. I’d rather be part of the cure. And it felt like this movie was part of the cure. So I said yes.”

“Sorry, Baby!” continues at the Sie FilmCenter through Aug. 14 (except for Aug. 8-10).

Cue up Cinema Q

Denver Film’s 17th annual CinemaQ festival will play out over the next three days at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. Friday’s opening-night film is “Twinless,” an upcoming release that follows two young men who meet in a twin bereavement support group and form an unlikely friendship.

Sunday’s closing film is “Jimpa,” an uplifting intergenerational family drama starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow that explores the complexities of parenthood, queer identity and the evolving meaning of family.

The CinemaQ Film Festival was launched in 2009 to leverage the power of film to celebrate queer voices, visions and visibility. The program includes 12 features, shorts, panels and parties.

“I’m pleased to say that my fear every year that we’ve already reached the peak of queer cinema has yet to come to fruition,” said Keith Garcia, founder of CinemaQ and artistic director of the Sie FilmCenter. “This year was very important to get it right as now is the time to be as big, bold, and visible as we possibly can and put the narrative of the queer community front and center.” 

Info and tickets at denverfilm.org.