Five tracks. Ten days.

Track A

The Left Hand Series

Honoring Chief Nowoo³ (pronounced Nuh-woth) "Niwot," the Left Hand Series features filmmakers from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and other Indigenous nations. For the Southern Arapaho, the Boulder Valley was home — this track is a homecoming. Presented in partnership with the First Peoples Festival, Estes Park. Opening ceremony with Cheyenne and Arapaho drums, song, and dance.

Track B

New Neighbors Showcase

Stories from Colorado's diverse diaspora communities — documentaries and narratives focusing on the first-generation experience in the Mountain West. Presented in partnership with Colorado Diasporic Film Festival and Alianza NORCO. Lunch and dinner served by Native- and immigrant-owned vendors from across the Front Range.

Track C

Colorado Spotlight

A dedicated platform for Colorado filmmakers whose work might otherwise get squeezed out during a busy January. Curated with the Mountain Media Arts Collective, with emphasis on BIPOC filmmakers and stories rooted in the land, identity, and community of the Mountain West. Pay-what-you-can admission.

Track D

Environmental Track

Water rights in the West, regenerative agriculture, wildfire recovery, and the ecology of the Front Range. Niwot sits within the Boulder County Open Space system — this track uses that proximity. "Guided Film Walks" pair short environmental films with guided walks through nearby trails (weather permitting).

Track E

Youth Track

Short films (15 minutes or under) by middle and high school students from across the Boulder Valley region — St. Vrain Valley, Boulder Valley, and surrounding school districts — many produced in hands-on smartphone filmmaker workshops held before the festival. The Left Hand Scholarship is awarded to the winning young filmmaker by audience vote and jury deliberation.