Copyright Boulder Daily Camera
The Boulder County Film Commission’s Fall Schmoozer drew more than 300 filmmakers, photographers, designers and digital professionals to the historic Dickens Opera House in Longmont on Tuesday evening for an event that combined networking, community and the launch of Boulder County’s first-ever Creative Directory. The new directory, developed by Boulder County Film Commissioner Bruce Borowsky, with support from the Boulder Chamber, features more than 200 Boulder County businesses and creatives across film, photography, web design and various other creative industries. The 76-page, full-color glossy directory features specialists in everything from aerial drone videographers to film equipment rentals and scriptwriters to talent agencies. According to a press release from the Boulder Chamber, it will serve to connect the creative community to businesspeople looking to hire creative professionals. It is available both online and in print and it also features stories highlighting some of the filmmakers and people who help power Boulder County’s creative scene. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a number of years and hadn’t been able to figure out the best way to make it happen,” Borowsky said. “With the support of the Boulder Chamber, I was finally able to make it happen.” Borowsky said the directory addresses a long-standing problem: When local businesses search online for creative services, they often end up hiring firms in Denver because those companies dominate search results. “People don’t have to look elsewhere,” he said. “We have everything right here. It’s very important to not only shop local but to work with local creative talent.” Printed copies of the directory debuted at Tuesday’s event, with hundreds of copies distributed to attendees. Additional copies are available for free at the Boulder Chamber, located at 2440 Pearl St., Boulder, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The digital version can be found at the Boulder County Film Commission’s website at bouldercountyfilmcommission.com. For Borowsky, who spent a decade on the Boulder Chamber’s board of directors and served as its chair before taking on the role of film commissioner, the directory reflects an intentional link between Boulder’s creative and business communities, he said. “Usually, the arts and business are very separate,” he said. “I can bring those two things together in a way that typically isn’t done.” The event also featured remarks from Boulder-based filmmaker and Academy Award-nominated producer Paula DuPré Pesman (“Porcelain War”), who is now the managing director of the Sundance Film Festival in its relocation to Boulder, and New York-based Jeff Levine, Sundance’s head of audience experience and development, both of whom represented the Sundance Institute in an official capacity. Their participation signaled the growing collaboration between the Boulder County Film Commission and Sundance organizers ahead of the festival’s relocation to Boulder in 2027. The Film Commission often holds various networking events, or “schmoozers,” every year. And on Tuesday evening in Longmont, as usual, this Fall Schmoozer lived up to its name, as it featured lots of…schmoozing. Between speeches, guests mingled over drinks and compared projects, filling the room with a creative buzz and sounds of creatives getting genuinely jazzed over film jargon and camera rigs. “No matter how good the presentations are at these events, people truly just can’t wait to get back to networking,” Borowsky said. “A lot of creative people work alone in their basements or living rooms, so these events give them a chance to meet others doing similar work and make connections that lead to real projects.” At the schmoozer, Film Commission staff also presented its annual Lifetime Achievement Award, this year honoring the late Brad Gilbert, founder of the multimedia production house People Productions in Boulder. Gilbert’s ex-wife and caretaker, along with their son Miles, accepted the award on his behalf. Gilbert died at age 65 in October of 2024 after a long battle with a brain disease, according to his obituary. At the 2024 Fall Schmoozer, filmmaker and retired University of Colorado Boulder film instructor Jerry Aronson (“The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg”) won the award. Looking ahead, Borowsky said the Film Commission plans to host its next schmoozer in February, following the Sundance Film Festival’s last iteration in Utah before it packs up for Boulder’s 2027 run. The festival is held annually in January. Sundance is already planning two major Boulder events for 2026, Borowsky said, including the inaugural Boulder Creative Expo, a trade show designed to connect local creatives with the business community. “The next time a business needs a photographer or someone to make a video about their company, they’ll already have met them,” Borowsky said. “It’s all about community. That’s really what this work comes down to.”
