The oldest running movie theatre west of the Mississippi River will host its first ever film festival September 15 – 17, 2006 in Estes Park, Colorado.

The Estes Park Film Festival will take place at the Historic Park Theatre, which is located in the popular mountain town of Estes Park, Colorado. It will showcase some of the latest independent feature length films, documentaries, and short films. In addition to the films, the festival will serve as a fundraising event to help renovate and restore The Historic Park Theatre to its original cinematic elegance.

The Historic Park Theatre was originally built in 1913 as a silent movie house, and in 1926, theatre owner, Ralph Gwynn added the landmark 80 foot tower to represent the love of his life who left him standing at the alter. The Stanger family of Estes Park has operated the theatre since 1968, and in 1985 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unfortunately in recent years this elegant theatre has fallen into a state of disrepair. Theatre owner Sharon Stanger Seeley hopes the Estes Park Film Festival will raise enough money and awareness to save this theatre so it can be enjoyed by future generations.

To celebrate this glorious theatre, festival organizer and founder, Sean Doherty, will premier a documentary about the theatre at the Estes Park Film Festival. The story of the Historic Park Theatre and the mission to save it will be told by the Stanger family and many of the employees who were there during the theatre’s early years. Highlights of the festival will also include a documentary called “Preserve Me a Seat” about historic movie theatres in America and the people that are trying to save them. “Brats: Our Journey Home” is the first documentary about growing up as a military brat, and “Self Medicated” is a feature-length film based on a true story about an out of control youth who is sent against his will to a corrupt psychiatric hospital.

As Festival Organizer Sean Doherty recently stated, “Historic movie theatres like this one are a part of our American culture and history. My hope is that this film festival will bring awareness to theatres like this one so that we don’t just toss them aside”.