Fourth Annual Durango Film Festival Slated for March 6-14

This year's fourth annual Durango Film Festival, March 6-14 in historic downtown Durango will feature local and international independent features, documentaries, animation, short films, regional films and children's films, including 33 World Premiers.

Gus Van Sant's Elephant, the winner of the prestigious Palme d' Or and Best Director Award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival will be shown as well as the winner of the Documentary Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, Born into Brothels. Maryann DeLeo will feature her Academy Award Nominated Documentary, Chernobyl Heart. Fans will have an opportunity to meet Stephen Simon, producer of Somewhere in Time and What Dreams May Come.

Festivities will begin on Friday, March 5th with the Opening Gala, which will showcase a "Stepping Back in Time" program featuring the classic Buster Keaton silent film "The General" and a live performance by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.

More than 120 independent films, features, documentaries, animation, short films and children's films will be screened over the next nine days, March 6-14, beginning at 9 a.m. until midnight.