The whole shebang -- here is your Offiicial BIFF 2012 starting gun!

We honor Martin Sheen live in person on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18 at the Boulder Theater.

The 8th Annual Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF), voted “one of the coolest film festivals in the world” by MovieMaker magazine, is already making headlines with a star-studded lineup of celebrity guests and today is rolling out its captivating and thought-provoking program. The Festival takes place in scenic Boulder, Colo., Feb. 16-19, and will bring films, filmmakers and international fans together for a four-day celebration of the fine art of filmmaking.

The Festival kicks off Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. with an Opening Night Red Carpet Gala and screening of "Darling Companion," courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics, directed by Lawrence Kasdan. "Darling Companion" tells the story of the bond between a woman and her dog, who she loves more than her husband. Kasdan and producer Anthony Bregman will be in attendance for a Q&A session after the screening.

Kevin Kline and Daine Keaton star in Lawrence Kasdan's new feature comedy, "Darling Companion," which opens the festival on Thursday, Feb. 16.

“BIFF continues to grow and prove itself as a respected, must-attend film festival with celebrities, screenings, and special events,” said Kathy Beeck, director of BIFF. “We’re confident that this year’s program offers some of the best films the industry has to offer and that the selection will resonate well with our community and attract film enthusiasts from across the country.”

Sit in on "A Conversation with William H. Macy" on Friday night, Feb. 17.

BIFF will also feature “A Conversation with William H. Macy” on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:15 p.m. and the Closing Night Film and Awards Ceremony featuring the Colorado premiere of the acclaimed new film "Chasing Ice" on Sunday, Feb. 19. Special guest Martin Sheen, critically acclaimed actor, will be honored with the “Master of Cinema Award” on the afternoon of Saturday, February 18.

Film highlights from the festival include:

“Chasing Ice”

Produced in Boulder by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Jerry Aronson and Oscar-winningproducer Paula DuPré Pesmen, this breathtakingly beautiful film follows famed National Geographic photographer James Balog as he deploys revolutionary time-lapse cameras throughout the Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.

Here's a wonderful short video from the American Geophysical Union about Balog's efforts that underlines the need to take in the information he has gathered visually -- meaning that "Chasing Ice" should be an enormous treat!



“5 Broken Cameras”
Soldiers fire into his video cameras and explode them with grenades, but it doesn’t stop Emad Burnat from documenting the courageous and chilling story of the Palestinian village of Bil’in—which famously chose nonviolent resistance against an often-brutal Israeli oppression.



“Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”
From Lasse Hallström, the director of "Chocolat" and the Simon Beaufoy, Oscar-winning screenwriter of "Slumdog Millionaire," comes this inspirational comedy of a visionary sheik with a big dream—to bring salmon fishing to the desert. Starring Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt and Kristin Scott Thomas.



The four-day festival is sponsored at the platinum level by 97.3 KBCO and Linhart PR. All-access VIP passes can be purchased for $345. All tickets for BIFF films go on sale Jan. 30, and can be purchased at www.biff1.com, or by calling (303) 786-7030. For more information, please visit www.biff1.com.