The Starz Denver Film Festival opened Thursday night with considerable hoopla and some backslaps for departing fest artistic director and founder Ron Henderson, who has helmed the celluloid monster for its 30-year run.
Said Henderson of his impending retirement at a champagne reception: “The bottom line is I go to the movies every day, travel to exotic locales looking for good movies and hang out with the likes of Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightly and Cate Blanchett. And you just get bored.”
Also walking the red carpet Thursday night: legendary director Norman Jewison, who tonight will receive the Mayor’s Career Achievement Award, before a screening of his award-winning “In the Heat of the Night.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been honored by a mayor,” Jewison said.
He was especially pleased that the fest found new prints of “Heat” and “Moonstruck” to screen this week. And he was looking forward to seeing “Juno” at the fest’s Saturday night gala. “I’ve heard it’s delightful,” he said.
Take it from me – it is.
Society editor Joanne Davidson writes more about the film festival’s opening night at and has red carpet photos at .
The business. Denver’s two young movie stars, 10-year-old Chris O’Neil (“The Last Mimzy”) and 13-year-old AnnaSophia Robb (“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”) met last week when they were judges at Red Robin’s burger-recipe contest. When they were introduced, Chris said to
AnnaSophia, in true Hollywood fashion, “I love your work.”
Giada gets away with it. The Food Network’s “Giada’s Weekend Getaways” is skedded to air at 8:30 tonight, with Giada De Laurentiis cutting loose in Denver.
Among her whistle-stops: Zengo, The Market, Cruise Room, Sweet Basil, Bivans, Kemo Sabe – and some kayaking at Confluence Park.
Mel is back. Montecito on East Sixth Avenue will shut down Saturday night – to reopen as Mel’s Bistro and Bar. Good news for all of us who missed Mel’s Bar and Grill in Cherry Creek – and found it hard to get down south to the other Mel’s, at Orchard and Holly. In the space of seven months, we went from no Mel’s, to two Mel’s. Life is good.
City spirit. Opening date for Elway’s at the Ritz is Dec. 12. … Aaron Whitcomb, formerly with Table 6, is the new chef at Strings. … And hit Strings tonight for the First Pick Party for the HOPE bracelets that Noel Cunningham brings in from Ethiopia. … Sez who: “I have problems flown in fresh daily wherever I am.” Richard Lewis
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
