On the small plane leaving Colorado about 24 hours ago, I was pondering the Telluride Film Festival. With five years of the event under my belt, I can honestly say its my favorite film festival.

The nature of my role at indieWIRE means that at larger fests I'm continuously processing the experience, trying to figure out how best to convey the fest in our writing and photography, while never having enough time to properly connect with people.

In Telluride, I find that I watch and talk about movies differently. With due respect to my friends and colleagues in the industry, Telluride generally lacks the innate spin cycle built into the bigger fests. I have the opportunity to walk into a movie with fewer expectations and walk out into a discussion with old and new friends.

I've formed strong bonds with folks I've met in Telluride over the years and the annual trip back sometimes feels a bit like a reunion. I feel fortunate to be able to attend and leaving the intimacy of the Telluride environment is always bittersweet, marking the end of summer. Thankfully, yesterday's flight was bright, blue and clear, offering stunning views of the Colorado landscape. As I mentioned in an email last night, It is hard imagine my summer (or my cinematic life, for that matter) without Telluride being a part of it. The fest is a top notch event with an eclectic program that always offers me a chance to discover something or someone new.
[iphone photo by eugene hernandez]

Some personal Telluride photos are on Facebook and iPOP pix are at indieWIRE.com.