Denver is no film capital like Los Angeles or New York City, and we like it that way. But, as the Starz Film Festival makes its annual home in the Mile High City, it’s easy to see that much of the talent is homegrown. Every year we’re awed by films that are written, directed, and produced by current and former Coloradans, along with the lineup of feature-length and short films that showcase Colorado as a backdrop. Here are a few stand-outs:

Ex-Girlfriends: Alexander Poe is a triple threat in his new flick, Ex-Girlfriends. The Denver native wrote, directed, and starred in the comedy co-starring Dexter‘s Jennifer Carpenter. Poe and four other young New Yorkers try to untie a romantic knot when he finds out two of his ex-girlfriends—one of whom he’s trying to win back—are dating the same guy, at the same time. Stay after the Saturday screening to chime in during a live Q&A with Poe following the film. Watch it: Saturday, November 10, 5 p.m., Denver Film Center.

My Amityville Horror: A 2002 graduate of Gateway High School in Aurora, Andrea Adams signed on to produce My Amityville Horror, a documentary featuring Daniel Lutz, who claims that his family was haunted in a house where six members of the DeFeo family were murdered. Lutz recounts the events of his childhood and explains the trials of growing up as “the Amityville Horror kid.” The hauntings are widely thought to be a hoax, but Lutz’s accounts are hard to judge. Adams says people should be aware that this film is not a horror film, but rather, a look at the life and personality of Daniel Lutz. Watch it: Friday, November 9, 9:45 p.m. or Sunday, November 11, 4:30 p.m., both at the Denver Film Center.

Saving Face: The golden statue landed in Colorado when local director Daniel Junge explored the brutal epidemic of acid assaults on Pakistani women. The Academy Award–winning documentary highlights the bravery of these women as they fight to make sure future generations are not similarly victimized. Watch it: Saturday, November 10, 2:30 p.m., Denver Pavilions.

Check out these other films and shorts that are Colorado-connected. Find screening times here:

  • The Aviation Cocktail (Pictured)
  • Bay of All Saints
  • The Life and Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus
  • Bidder 70
  • 0300 – 0430
  • Anything Helps
  • Bring With You A Heart
  • Eternal Return
  • Ghosts of Yesterday
  • Lunchbox Express
  • Meta-Romantic
  • Mounted & Stuffed
  • Open
  • Periapsis
  • Return to the World of Dance
  • Self Defense
  • Twombley

—Image courtesy of the Starz Denver Film Festival

Follow editorial assistant Lindsey R. McKissick on Twitter at @LindseyRMcK.