Mark this date in ink. Friday, April 17, was the first day two locally shot and produced films screened publicly on the same date outside of a film festival. Monty Miranda’s zippy, award-winning comedy, “Skills Like This,” opened Friday at the Starz FilmCenter. Jamin Winans’ fantasy-inflected “Ink” began its sixth week at the same venue — thanks in part to fans like Alex Teitz. She’s seen the movie five times. “I’m considering seeing it again tonight, and will be seeing it at Starfest this weekend,” she wrote in an e-mail Wednesday. Starfest is the annual confab of fab sci-fi and fantasy fans. “Last film I saw this many times in a theater was ‘Star Wars’ in 1977.” In early April, Teitz put up a fansite for “Ink.” — Lisa Kennedy
MUSIC
Monolith Festival: Still the one
Despite the rumors that the Monolith Festival is dead, the two-day music event at Red Rocks Amphitheatre will return Sept. 12-13, according to festival director Josh Baker.
The indie music festival has endured plenty to get here, including two years of far-from-full crowds and nonexistent profits. The event’s promotional partner in 2007 and 2008, AEG Live, is no longer involved.
But Baker says he’s excited about the changes ahead. “It’s certainly a lot more work for us this year,” Baker said. “But we do it because we have fun.”
Some of Baker’s goals for 2009: Lowering ticket prices, switching from Ticketmaster to Front Gate Tickets (thus lowering service charges) and creating a cohesive brand that will define the festival. Future Monoliths will resemble its second year (Justice, Cut Copy, Does It Offend You, Yeah) more than its first outing (Flaming Lips, Decemberists, Kings of Leon, Spoon).
“Indie, dance, hip-hop — and equal parts of each of those,” Baker said. Ricardo Baca
THEATER
Get “Wicked” today
How “Wicked” is Denver?
Consider that when the touring company comes through town this fall, Denver will be the first city to host a third engagement of the Broadway smash.
No doubt, “Wicked” is popular here. The show set records for Denver Center Attractions in 2005 and 2007 and is probably the only title to ever sell out two years before curtain.
No word yet on the actors. The current road cast is likely to be switched up before Denver, according to the DCA’s Genevieve Miller.
The deets: Oct. 7 through Nov. 15. Tickets on sale today at 10 a.m. via , 303-893-4100, the Helen Bonfils Theatre or King Soopers. Ray Mark Rinaldi
TELEVISION
Another TV pro exits the scene
In the latest unkind cut in local TV news, Vicki Hildner, award-winning longtime producer at KCNC-Channel 4, was let go last week.
She won a Peabody Award and 40 Emmys in more than two decades at the station. Among Hildner’s best work was “Erin’s Life,” a year-long series that chronicled the recovery of a young woman critically injured in a car accident in April 1990.
Hildner also won kudos for series about the Yellowstone fire, Romanian adoptions and the Denver Zoo’s popular polar-bear pair, Klondike and Snow.
The station’s unsentimental send-off: “CBS4 has not renewed Vicki Hildner’s contract. Every year we look at how we do business and work to streamline operations.” Joanne Ostrow
