5:30 pm Alice Scope Talk @ Union Hall

1750 Wewatta St, Unit 144

Denver, CO 80202

8:00 pm Opening Screening @ the Sie Film Center

2510 East Colfax Ave

Denver, CO 80206

(Maps below)

Union Hall Door 5:30 pm Event 6:00 pm

We will begin our evening with a talk by Alice Scope on the topic of Building Inclusive Communities with Decentralized Technology in conversation with Esther Hz.

Scope is a Ukrainian art curator and the Program Director at Vellum LA, a women-led new media art gallery based in Los Angeles. Alice's passion is to create speculative worlds through gaming, XR, blockchain, and performance. She explores topics such as Posthumanism, potential future adaptations, and authenticity in machines.

Esther Hz is a multidisciplinary artist and arts professional. She is the current Chief Curator of Union Hall and recently managed an international artist residency, youth program, podcast, and exhibition space as Associate Director at PlatteForum. Her passion for supporting emerging artists and composing out-of-the-box opportunities and events shines through in her work. She has mentored young artists at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver through the Creator's Studio and Failure Lab programs and girls at Resilience Rising. Currently, she also works as an Executive Assistant at Black Ball Projects, a small arts nonprofit based in New York City, and maintains her studio practice at XDenver. A past resident artist at Redline Contemporary Art Center, she curated several experimental art events and has become well-known for installation and performance, setting up interactive creative experiences for the viewer.

** Special note/Please read: There is a Colorado Rockies game begining at 6:40 pm. Please give yourself extra time to park in the downtown area, or plan on using public transportation. We have scheduled the talk early to avoid the height of the traffic.

Union Hall is located inside The Coloradan at 1750 Wewatta Street in Suite 144 on the first floor. From the outside, there are two entrances to the building - one on Wewatta Street between 17th and 18th St, and one just above 17th Street next to the sweetgreen. Both entrances are equipped with power assist doors, and all public areas are wheelchair accessible. You can find wayfinding signage that will lead you to Union Hall in the interior of the building.

Metered street parking is available and there is a parking garage in the building (entrance on 18th and Wewatta). Public transportation options are of course available as well.

Sie Social Hour 8:00 pm Screening 9:00 pm

Afterward, we will meet at the bar at the Sie Film Center for a social hour before viewing the opening night screening, curated by our Executive Director and Curator, Sharifa Lafon.

For the opening night program, you’ll experience a glimpse into the films featured throughout the festival. This sampler captures the essence of our theme, Welcome to the Here and Now, showcasing the very best of our innovative and boundary-pushing selections, fostering a conversation about the medium and trends over the last two years.

Learn more about our opening night screening: Welcome to the Here and Now

Union Hall

Sie Film Center