In the ten years that she served as the Denver Film Society’s Director of Memberships before retiring in 2016, Eileen O’Brien is known for her dedication, compassion, and generosity. Through her hard work and commitment to Denver Film, she built a diverse community around her love of independent film and helped establish Denver Film’s place in our community’s artistic landscape.

In 2008, Eileen’s passion for sharing film prompted her to work directly with others on the founding of the Young Filmmakers Workshops, courses that cultivate the next generation of filmmakers and cinephiles. What began as a series of summer courses has grown into ten summer camps, as well as numerous year-round workshops. YFW provides students with a creative outlet, as more than three dozen YFW alumni work for film companies such as Pixar.

Throughout her tenure, Eileen worked diligently to ensure that all students could cultivate their passion for film regardless of their socioeconomic background by helping to provide scholarships. At least 25 percent of all YFW students are granted a scholarship. Even in retirement, Eileen continues to support the hopes and dreams of all the participants in our Young Filmmakers Workshops. We established this scholarship endowment in her name to provide an annual $850 scholarship to a deserving young filmmaker.