DENVER — The 49th Denver Film Festival opens Thursday, Oct. 22, with a screening of the “Rocky” origin story “I Play Rocky,” and an additional 150 or so titles showing through closing night on Sunday, Nov. 1.

Here are 10 of the biggest, most thematically surprising titles we recommend, which you can catch around town at venues such as the Ellie Caulkins Opera House (particularly the red carpet screenings), Sie FilmCenter, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and others. All still had tickets available as of this writing, but are trending toward sellouts well before the screenings.

Get passes, tickets to individual screenings, and see the full program and lineup of parties, panels and other events at denverfilm.org/denver-film-festival.

“Wicker”

The concept of a Wicker Man turns literal in this bizarre fable, which finds Oscar winner Olivia Colman leading a crack cast (Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki) as she commissions a Wicker Husband (Alexander Skarsgård) to keep her company. And that’s just the (weirdly alluring) premise. 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at MCA Holiday Theater

“Cheyenne”

This year includes stories about nontraditional sports with “Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing” and “The Ascent” — the latter of which follows Colorado Springs bilateral-amputee climber Mandy Horvath’s drive to crawl up to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on her hands. Also locally relevant: “Cheyenne,” about female bronc-riding athletes as they complete a rodeo circuit ending at Cheyenne Frontier Days. The Oct. 23 event has a post-film Q&A with director Taimi Arvidson, Women’s Ranch Bronc Championships co-founders Daryl and Michelle McElroy, and Cheyenne Frontier Days member Chad Matthews. 3:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at Fries Theater at the Sie FilmCenter.

“Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother”

The otherwise criminally underused Mahershala Ali gets his due here as a religious hit man and father fighting his way through the Houston underworld. Director Bassam Tariq, who was set to direct Oscar winner Ali in Marvel’s scuttled “Blade” reboot, also makes good on the prep for that movie by incorporating fluid, brutal choreography into this action thriller, playing to Ali’s many strengths as a performer. Co-star John Cho, a fest guest and recipient of the Outlaw Award, will appear in person at the screening. 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Maglione Theater at the Sie FilmCenter

“Rehearsals for a Revolution”

Director Pegah Ahangarani plumbs her archives to trace the cultural and political story of Iran over nearly five decades, employing both intimate family photos and news headlines for documentary perspective. “Political repression and enduring hope” provide bookends for her examination of Iran through relatives and mentors, programmers said, with a relevant hook as the world burns with mass resistance in the face of crushing oppression.4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Fries Theater at the Sie FilmCenter

“Watch You Rise”

Festival guest, actor and producer Indya Moore backed this highly personal documentary about sexual assault and its effect on women and the LGBTQ community, directed by Boulder filmmaker Isabella Grace Cohn and based on her own search for meaning and justice. The Oct. 24 screening features a Q&A with Cohn and executive producers Moore and Ph.D. therapist Annie Farmer, while the Oct. 31 event includes a Q&A with Cohn and film subject Susannah Carleton. Moore will also receive the fest’s Labahn Ikon Award and appear on stage on Oct. 25 at Denver Art Museum. 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, and 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Fries Theater at the Sie FilmCenter

“Ink”

Director Danny Boyle’s wide range — from “Trainspotting” and “28 Days” to “Slumdog Millionaire” — gets another workout in this story driven by conservative Australian media magnate Rupert Murdoch. Like director Alex Gibney’s landmark “Musk” documentary, this narrative feature jostles the levers of power in the media-political sphere, with Jack O’Connell as The Sun tabloid editor Larry Lamb and Guy Pearce as Murdoch, but adopts a fictionalized approach based on James Graham’s stage play of the same name. 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at H2 Maglione Theater at the Sie FilmCenter

“The Liberation”

Set in the 1980s, this mystery story finds a spiritual leader (Lily James) ensnaring mother and Holocaust survivor Rita (Carrie Coon) in an all-women’s cult, which collides with her daughters (Bella Ramsey) and Jo (Odessa Young) and provokes difficult choices. It’s based on a true story adapted from the life of director Guy Nattiv’s grandmother. Coon will be in attendance to receive the festival’s Excellence in Acting Award. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct 30, at MCA Holiday Theater

“The Odyssey”

Yes, Christopher Nolan’s epic, IMAX-shot film has been in theaters for a while now, but have you seen it with co-star (and likely best supporting actor nominee) John Leguizamo in person? The unstoppable actor, who will receive this year’s John Cassavetes Award from the fest, will appear for a pre-film Q&A. That makes another (or your first?) viewing of the film a welcome part of the fest, and one suitably booked for one of the biggest screens in Colorado. 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Sturm Infinity Theater at Denver Museum of Nature & Science

“Take Me Home”

Director Liz Sargent’s feature debut (and sister Anna Sargent’s acting debut) is the occasion for looking at the aching decisions involved in elder care, and the infuriating maze of the healthcare system. Anna plays a middle-aged Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability “who cares for her aging parents in a delicate, fragile balance of mutual support,” programmers said. The Korean American filmmaker and her sister will appear for a post-screening Q&A, with Liz Sargent set to receive the festival’s 2026 Breakthrough Director award. 3:45 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at MCA Holiday Theater

“Paper Tiger”

Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller lead this crime-drama set in a gritty 1980s New York that will be familiar to fans of Martin Scorsese and Michael Mann. Do we ever tire of Russian-mob stories? Apparently not, at least when they’re this well made and buzzed-about (and when the put-on accents are on glorious display in the trailer). 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at MCA Holiday Theater

©2026 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at denverpost.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.