You’ve heard of famous last words. Boulder film buff Kathy Beeck’s famous first words were: “How hard can this be?”

That was 18 years ago, when Beeck and her sister, Robin, first imagined an international film festival for Boulder that has since grown into a four-day celebration of cinema that attracts more than 20,000 film enthusiasts to Boulder and Longmont each year.

Turns out, “It was damn hard,” Kathy Beeck said with a laugh. She likens launching the Boulder International Film Festival to a hiking trip she took with her dad up 14,267-foot Torreys Peak. “It was a much bigger undertaking than we thought,” she said. “We were basically climbing hand over fist. But at a certain point, you can’t turn around and go back down. There is nothing you can do but go forward.”

The Boulder International Film Festival goes forward this week with nearly 60 films playing in six venues. Beeck likens the vibe of the fest to a community call to action befitting Boulder’s historically progressive roots. Robin Beeck and her curation team sifted through 1,000 submissions looking for great storytelling, outdoor adventures and opportunities to act on social and environmental injustices.

“We believe in the power of film to change the world, and our call-to-action program is an example of what I am talking about,” Beeck said. “We don’t just show you a topical film and say, ‘Well, thanks for coming.’ We have discussions afterward and talk about it. We identify action items so people can go out and make a difference.”

One example is a powerful documentary called “Refuge.” It’s about a U.S. military veteran and KKK member who reviled Muslims after 9/11, but he confronts his hate when he forms an unexpected bond with a Muslim doctor and refugee from a neighboring town. “It is just the most inspiring and heartwarming documentary and both of the subjects are going to be here in person to talk about it, along with members of the local Multicultural Mosaic Foundation,” Beeck said. Watch the trailer.

The opening-night film is “The Duke,” starring Oscar winners Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren. It’s the story of a taxi driver who steals Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery in 1961. Mirren plays the thief’s wife. “It’s a delightful film featuring two of our industry’s most talented actors,” said Beeck. The closing-night screening is “Juniper,” starring Charlotte Rampling as an alcoholic woman reconnecting with her estranged grandson.

The BIFF is unique in that it reserves one venue just for outdoor adventure films. “Exposure,” for example, is about an international group of women who skied to the North Pole. BIFF also brings many of its best films 15 miles down the road to the neighboring Stewart Auditorium at the Longmont Museum. “Our festival really strikes a chord with the people of Longmont,” Beeck said. “Last year, we were not able to include our Longmont venue because of COVID, and boy, did we get quite an outcry. We are so happy to be back in Longmont this year because they just eat it up.”

In addition to panels, parties, workshops, and a singer/songwriter showcase featuring Otis Taylor and Rebecca Folsom, the 2022 fest also features two high-profile guest stars. 

Javier Bardem, the Oscar-nominated co-star of the Lucille Ball film “Being the Ricardos,” will receive the BIFF’s Outstanding Performer of the Year Award and give a live interview to the Hollywood Reporter for its “Awards Chatter” podcast at 12:30 p.m. Saturday (March 5) at the Boulder Theater.

Long before the tragedy on the “Rust” film set in New Mexico embroiled Alec Baldwin in a wrongful-death lawsuit, he had agreed to serve as the festival’s first-ever Special Guest Programmer. At 6 p.m. Saturday March 5 at the Boulder Theater, Baldwin will discuss his three film selections: “Julia,” “Dr. Strangelove” and “The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers.”

It’s unlikely that the “Rust” tragedy will come up in the conversation. But, “I can’t tell you right now that that is NOT going to come up,” Beeck said. Baldwin said in a statement: “I am quite excited about returning to the Boulder International Film Festival, which I last attended in 2010. I think Boulder is a great town, and I know they have a wonderful festival.”

To have grown BIFF to the adult age of 18 blows Beeck away. “But it’s really the community’s festival,” she said. “Sure, my sister and I have worked very hard to get to this point, but it just could not have been done without the support of this entire community. Robin and I have just been guiding it along the way – and it’s been a great ride.”

Boulder International Film Festival

• March 3-6
• In six venues around Boulder and Longmont, and online
• For tickets and more information, go to biff1.com‘