Ouray International Film Festival

09/04/2026

Thanks for the love Film Festival Alliance!

09/01/2026

We are thrilled to announce Colleen Thurston as our seventh and final facilitator for the upcoming Ouray Film Sabbatical (Jan 7-10)!

A frequent collaborator of OIFF where she served as Scholar-in-Residence in 2023, Colleen is a Choctaw filmmaker, educator and film curator from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Grounding her filmmaking practice in place-based narratives and Indigenous world views, her work has screened at international film festivals and broadcast nationwide. She has created film and video work for the Smithsonian Channel, Vox, and museums, public television, and federal and tribal organizations and been supported by Firelight Media, the Sundance Institute, Patagonia, the Ford Foundation, the Redford Center, Creative Capital and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.

In addition to her work with Native Lens, Colleen is a programmer for Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, MountainFilm and Indian Territory Film Festival. She has curated film programs for institutions such as the Momentary (Bentonville, AR), the Smithsonian’s Native Cinema Showcase (Santa Fe, NM), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.), UCLA Film and Television Archives and Vidiots (Los Angeles, CA) and numerous film festivals. Deeply committed to the next generation of filmmakers, Colleen has held positions as Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas and the University of Oklahoma, teaching documentary production and film studies. She resides in Tulsa in the Cherokee Nation where she spends her free time watching movies, gardening, tap dancing, and learning the Choctaw language.

Applications to the Sabbatical are open through October 5.

08/28/2026

Dreaming of cooler weather?

A look back at last year’s Sabbatical. We can’t promise snow, but we can promise a good time ❄️

The 2027 Sabbatical takes place January 7–10. Applications are open through October 5.

08/18/2026

Please consider voting for our proposed SXSW panel “Real Talk About Real Help: Rethinking Artist Support in Film!” This panel would bring together Alexandria Bombach, Colleen Thurston, Imani Davis, and Jake Abell to talk about artist support programs that are changing the way we help folks in our industry. Community voting is an essential part of the panel selection process, so please consider clicking on the heart next to our panel proposal description linked in bio (you’ll need to create a quick free account with SXSW to vote). Voting ends August 23!

PANEL DESCRIPTION: In this new, precarious landscape for independent film, filmmakers are increasingly susceptible to burnout, and marginalized communities are especially vulnerable. Sustainability seems out of reach. This panel will dig into programs that are tangibly helping to provide bespoke support to those who need it most. Our speakers will discuss how they have come to rethink what artist support can look like with programs like the Ouray Film Sabbatical, PROOF Film Festival, the Santa Fe Filmmaker Residency, and Native Lens.

Link in bio to vote ❤️

08/17/2026

just missing everyone 💙 2026 sabbatical

08/16/2026

Learn more about this year's Ouray Film Sabbatical via No Film School! Applications are open through October 5!

Ouray Film Sabbatical opens 2027 applications, announces facilitators.

06/23/2026

Thanks for the love 🙏 Article linked in bio.

06/22/2026

Cinema is our favorite way to bring people together. We love you all and can’t wait to see you again.

2026 award winners:

Film in Action - The Ross Brothers

Director’s Spotlight - Erica Tremblay

Excellence in Screenwriting - Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith

Grand Jury Prize - We Were Here, Pranav Bhasin

Student Jury Prize - Downbeat, Danny Madden

Short of the Week Award- We Buy Gold, David Huang & Albie Smith 

Best Narrative Short - Long’s Long Lost & Mini Mart, Julian Doan

Best Documentary Short- The Boys and the Bees, Arielle C. Knight 

Best Director- Carter Amelia Davis, Homemade Gatorade 

Audience Choice- Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird), Anna Fitch & Banker White

Filmmaker to Watch- Nathan Xia, Flavor of the Month 

Best Performance- Ayla Xuân Chi, triptrap

Best Screenplay- I’m Sorry, William Lancaster

Best Editing- Born Secret, Adam Conversano 

Best Cinematagraphy - I Saw You in the Flood, Dan Chang

06/22/2026

Talking about movies, Shorts Block D, and Shorts Block E.

06/20/2026

Day 3 is underway