FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Film Media Contacts:
Ambriehl Turrentine: ambriehl@denverfilm.org
Marty Schechter: marty@schechterpr.com
DENVER – April 25, 2023 – Denver Film and Denver Arts & Venues today announced the lineup for the 24th edition of Film on the Rocks, the annual summer series featuring live performances and beloved films under the stars at the iconic Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre. Tickets for the five-event season go on sale April 28 at 10 a.m. at denverfilm.org. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $35 for VIP reserved seating. Group sales are also available by contacting Russel Brewer at russel@denverfilm.org.
“Red Rocks consistently delivers some of the best and most memorable entertainment experiences you can have under the stars,” said Denver Film CEO, Kevin Smith. “From the adventures of Indiana Jones, to space villains and superheroes, the return of Maverick, to the musical romance and comedy of Mamma Mia, our 2023 summer lineup will bring it all together for our audiences while also showcasing some amazing local musicians, talent and entertainers.”
The season kicks off Monday, June 12 with a presentation of the exhilarating 1981 fantasy adventure Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and continues through Monday, August 21 with a presentation and 40th anniversary celebration of the epic space opera Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. In between, the schedule delivers beloved films Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Top Gun: Maverick, and Mamma Mia!
Gates open at 6:30 p.m. with pre-show entertainment taking the stage at 7 p.m., followed by the film presentation at 8:30 p.m. Each show will be emceed by local comedian, actor and event host Janae Burris. Pre-show entertainment includes performances by Pathfinder, power pop/garage rock project The Mañanas, multi-instrumentalist soul artist Aquile, modern rock/rap band Rocket Surgeons, and indie songwriter Claire Heywood.
INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Director: Steven Spielberg
Monday, June 12, 8:30 p.m.
Before the newest Indy adventure hits theaters this summer, revisit the original and best chapter of this epic saga. Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), a renowned archeologist and expert in the occult, is hired by the U.S. Government to find the ark of the covenant, which is believed to still hold the Ten Commandments. Unfortunately, Hitler’s agents are also after the ark, leading Indy and his ex-flame Marion (Karen Allen) to escape from various close scrapes in a globetrotting quest to beat the Nazis to the ark and possibly save the world.
Featuring pre-show performances by Pathfinder & The Mañanas
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
Director: Ryan Coogler
Monday, June 19, 8:30 p.m.
In Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (including Florence Kasumba) fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.
Featuring a pre-show performance by Aquile
TOP GUN: MAVERICK
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Monday, July 10, 8:30 p.m.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Featuring a pre-show performance by Rocket Surgeons
MAMMA MIA!
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Monday, July 24, 8:30 p.m.
ABBA fans unite and get ready to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the ultimate romantic-comedy musical! Donna (Meryl Streep), an independent hotelier in the Greek islands, is preparing for her daughter’s wedding with the help of two old friends. Meanwhile Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited bride, has a plan. She secretly invites three men from her mother’s past (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård) in hope of meeting her real father and having him escort her down the aisle on her big day.
Featuring a pre-show performance by Claire Heywood
STAR WARS: EPISODE VI – RETURN OF THE JEDI
Director: Richard Marquand
Monday, Aug. 21, 8:30 p.m.
Following the events of Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) returns to battle Jabba the Hut and Darth Vader in an effort to save his comrades in the Rebel Alliance and triumph over the Galactic Empire. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) reaffirm their love and team with Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), the Ewoks and the androids C-3PO and R2-D2 to aid in the disruption of the Dark Side and their hopeful defeat of the evil emperor.
40th Anniversary!
Members of the press interested in covering Film on the Rocks may contact Ambriehl Turrentine at ambriehl@denverfilm.org or Marty Schechter at marty@schechterpr.com.
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Founded in 1978, Denver Film is a membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution that produces film events throughout the year, including the award-winning Denver Film Festival and the popular, summertime series Film on the Rocks. With a vision to cultivate community and transform lives through film, Denver Film provides opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences.
The permanent home of Denver Film, the Sie FilmCenter is Denver’s only year-round cinematheque, presenting a weekly-changing calendar of first-run exclusives and arthouse revivals both domestic and foreign, narrative and documentary – over 600 per year, all shown in their original language and format. Denver Film’s one-of-a-kind programs annually reach more than 200,000 film lovers and film lovers-in-training.
Arts & Venues enriches and advances Denver’s quality of life and economic vitality through the advancement of arts, cultural, and entertainment opportunities for all.
Arts & Venues is the City and County of Denver agency responsible for operating some of the region’s most renowned facilities, including Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Denver Performing Arts Complex, Colorado Convention Center, Denver Coliseum and McNichols Civic Center Building. Arts & Venues also oversees the Denver Public Art program, Urban Arts Fund, P.S. You Are Here, SCFD Tier III granting process, Denver Music Advancement Fund, Arts Education Fund, implementation of Denver’s Cultural Plan, and other entertainment and cultural events such as the Five Points Jazz Festival. Denver Arts & Venues is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all our programs, initiatives and decision-making processes.
