FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver Film Media Contacts:
Marty Schechter: marty@schechterpr.com
Keith Garcia: keith@denverfilm.org
DENVER – Nov. 21, 2024 – Denver Film today announced a special retrospective celebrating the expansive career of Denzel Washington. Just in time for the release of his latest role as Macrinus in Gladiator II, the tribute series, entitled DENZ-EMBER, will screen 10 films from the career of the multi-award winning actor which started in 1977 and continues to this day in Ridley’s Scott’s highly anticipated “swords and sandals” action epic. The films will screen exclusively at Denver Film’s year-round home the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax, throughout December and will conclude with a secret, four-film marathon starring Washington, “but you won’t know which films are included until the credits roll,” said Sie FilmCenter Artistic Director, Keith Garcia.
“With two Oscars under his belt across 60-plus roles, Denzel Washington has proven himself to be an acting legend of our time and we thought now was the moment to celebrate that legacy,” said Garcia. “We may never see a caliber of acting again as we do with Denzel’s career so far and with his latest role in Gladiator II as an anchor on one side, we’re rolling out a selection of some of his best roles – and the decisions were not easy – that embody his smooth ability to transform characters into his own, play opposite some of the other greatest acting talents of our time with ease, and collaborate with the greatest filmmakers to create iconic cinema that makes history and entertains at the same time.”
The full schedule and tickets are on sale now at denverfilm.org. Ticket prices range from $12 – $14 for General Admission with deeper discounts available to Denver Film Members. Tickets for the secret four-film marathon are $30 for general admission and $25 for members.
MALCOLM X
Director: Spike Lee
Sunday, December 1, 11 a.m.
Spike Lee’s biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader Malcolm X (portrayed in a career best role by Denzel Washington), from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.
TRAINING DAY
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Wednesday, December 4, 7 p.m.
A rookie cop (Ethan Hawke) spends his first day as a Los Angeles narcotics officer with a rogue detective (Denzel Washington) who isn’t what he appears to be. He’s just got one day to prove himself and he’s a little anxious. He should be. Today is going to be the toughest of his life.
VIRTUOSITY
Director: Brett Leonard
Friday & Saturday, December 6 & 7, 9:30 p.m.
When a virtual reality simulation (Russell Crowe) created using the personalities of multiple serial killers manages to escape into the real world, an ex-cop (Denzel Washington) is tasked with stopping its reign of terror.
MISSISSIPPI MASALA
Director: Mira Nair
Saturday, December 7, 12 p.m.
Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda by the dictatorship of Idi Amin, twentysomething Mina (Sarita Choudhury) finds herself helping to run a motel in the faraway land of Mississippi. It’s there that a passionate romance with the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius (Denzel Washington) challenges the prejudices of their conservative families and exposes the rifts between the region’s Indian and African American communities.
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS
Director: Carl Franklin
Sunday, December 8, 12 p.m.
In late 1940s Los Angeles, Easy Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is an unemployed black World War II veteran with few job prospects. At a bar, Easy meets DeWitt Albright (Tom Sizemore), a mysterious white man looking for someone to investigate the disappearance of a missing white woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals), who he suspects is hiding out in one of the city’s black jazz clubs. Strapped for money and facing house payments, Easy takes the job, but soon finds himself in over his head.
INSIDE MAN
Director: Spike Lee
Wednesday, December 11, 7 p.m.
A tough detective (Denzel Washington) matches wits with a cunning bank robber (Clive Owen), as a tense hostage crisis is unfolding. Into the volatile situation comes a woman named Madaline (Jodie Foster), a mysterious power broker who has a hidden agenda and threatens to push a tense situation past the breaking point.
FALLEN
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Friday & Saturday, December 13 & 14, 9:30 p.m.
After witnessing the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), whom he put behind bars, police detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington), and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), are soon investigating another murderer whose mode of operation is eerily similar to Reese’s. In the course of the investigation, Hobbes meets theology professor Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), who introduces him to the world of the occult and the possibility that an evil spirit is behind the killings.
PHILADELPHIA
Director: Jonathan Demme
Saturday, December 14, 12 p.m.
When a man with HIV (Tom Hanks in an Academy Award winning performance) is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small-time lawyer (Denzel Washington) as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
FENCES
Director: Denzel Washington
Sunday, December 15, 12 p.m.
Troy Maxson (Denzel Washington) makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son’s (Jovan Adepo) chance to meet a college football recruiter. Based on the play by August Wilson.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Saturday, December 21, 12 p.m.
In this Shakespearean farce, Hero (Kate Beckinsale) and her groom-to-be, Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard), team up with Claudio’s commanding officer, Don Pedro (Denzel Washington), the week before their wedding to hatch a matchmaking scheme. Their targets are sharp-witted duo Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Beatrice (Emma Thompson) — a tough task indeed, considering their corresponding distaste for love and each other. Meanwhile, meddling Don John (Keanu Reeves) plots to ruin the wedding.
DENZ-EMBER SECRET 4-FILM MARATHON
Sunday, December 22, 11 a.m.
Our massive DENZ-EMBER retrospective – a salute to Denzel Washington, one of our greatest living actors – comes to a close in deserving epic fashion with a secret four-film marathon of films that won’t reveal themselves until the lights go down. We’ve already played 11 of his best roles (including his newest in Gladiator II) which only leaves 54 roles left to choose from Which films could populate the secret four? Which decade? Which co-stars and directors? You’ll have to attend to find out!
Marathon facts:
About Denver Film
Denver Film has been transforming and entertaining the Colorado community through the power of diverse voices in film since 1978. Operating as the region’s only membership-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit film institution, Denver Film has grown into a signature cultural organization in the West, screening international and independent movies found nowhere else in the region.
Serving more than 100,000 patrons annually through 600-plus screenings that include year-round programming at Denver Film’s flagship home the Sie (pronounced SEE) FilmCenter, the annual Denver Film Festival celebration, the iconic Film on the Rocks program at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and Spotlight Festivals including CinemaQ, Women+Film, and the Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival. Spotlights highlight underrepresented communities and foster inclusivity. Denver Film works to build resilience across all of its programming and events by amplifying diverse voices, promoting equity, and fostering community connections.
For more information or to explore the full suite of Denver Film programming, events, and ticketing visit: denverfilm.org.
