We've only taken the same route to Telluride twice. This year we had planned, and booked the California Zephyr (Amtrak) from San Francisco to Grand Junction, Co - then make the drive from Grand Junction to Telluride, about a 2 hour trek. But, as I was jamming from meeting to meeting the day before we were set to depart, I got a call from Amtrak saying the train was cancelled - an issue in Missouri - with the tracks in Missouri. Missouri? WTF? So the scramble to find a way to get to Telluride the next day consumed the rest of the afternoon - the result - San Jose to Denver then a 7 hour drive to Telluride. So at 10am we boarded the plane in San Jose, landed in Denver at 1:30, left luggage on the curb at the Budget pickup, backtracked to get it, fiddled with the AC on the Chevy Tahoe (more boat than SUV) and we were finally off.
The drive, once past Denver, was spectacular. The terrain along the path changes dramatically, from plains, to mountains, back to plains, to mesa to an almost martian like landscape south of Grand Junction. Weaving through Glenwood Canyon was like threading your way through Ansel Adams photographs, only in color. It was truly beautiful, for what I could see of it as I was driving and the sightseeing was done with some peril for the largely sleeping family in the car. We finally pulled into Telluride at 10PM and were happy to have made it in one piece without taking out one single deer, bear, marmot, squirrel or anything along the way (other than about 100,000,000 insects).
This year we are staying at the Franz Klammer lodge in Mountain Village, above the town of Telluride. You take Gondolas to get in to the Telluride below (my son's favorite thing to do) but there is much to do in Mountain Village (hiking, restaurants, biking, hiking and more hiking). I prefer staying in town, cause you're really in the thick of it then, and access to the theatres is a bit easier, but the staff and the accommodations at the lodge are top notch, there's a pool, a hot tub and it's next to the Chuck Jones Theatre - love it.
So back to the festival. When I tell my friends about going every year to TFF there is this idea that it is pomp and circumstance, flashing cameras etc. etc. That is definitely not the case here. The festival starts tomorrow, Friday, and they don't publish the films being screened until then. At our first festival that seemed strange, but it is something that keeps the festival the way it is. Getting that program on Friday and figuring out what you want to see is one of my wife's favorite things about coming here. She picks 'em and she has picked some gems and only a dog or two - and there are rarely any dogs.
Though the glitz is absent (thankfully) there are big names walking around town, just not the paparazzi - it's a low key, high energy, authentic festival for true film lovers. There is an accessibility here that doesn't exist in most other places. One film festival I went to on my tour for Delta Rising was one of the most amazing, swanky, flashbulb experiences of my life - but no one went to the films. I sat in 200 seat theaters alone, or with only the popcorn guy or ticket taker. This festival is about the films and the craft and to top it off it is set in this stunning slice of heaven. It is also run by a large number of staff and volunteers, all of whom know what they are doing, are extremely helpful as they work their tails off to make the experience truly one of the best around.
I'm looking forward to the films we'll see, the people we will meet and the scenery that surrounds this magical spot. I'll post my thoughts and comments on the films we see and other tidbits as we go along the day. The festival runs from Friday to Monday - more info at www.telluridefilmfestival.org .
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