The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 13th annual Vail film festival took place April 7–10, 2016 in Vail, Colorado.
The festival was founded by Sean Cross and Scott Cross. The Cross brothers serve as co-chairmen and co-directors of the festival, with Megen Musegades serving as associate director, under the auspices of the Colorado Film Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting independent film.
The Vail Film Festival is the sister festival of the Los Cabos International Film Festival, also co-founded by Scott Cross, and Sean Cross.
Held in the largest ski resort in the United States, the festival draws attendees and filmmakers from across the United States and around the world. Since inception, the festival has drawn more than 150,000 attendees and over 3000 filmmakers, including high-profile celebrities and international media attention.
In 2007, MovieMaker Magazine rated the Vail film festival as one of the top 10 best destination film festivals in the world. It is also the only one to have partnered with Bono's Product Red initiative, whereby the festival donates 25% of pass sales to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.
Films screened at the festival have included Slow West, starring Michael Fassbender, Enemy, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Before Sunset, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, and the directorial debuts of David Duchovny (House of D), Luke Wilson, (The Wendell Baker Story) and Tiffany Thiessen. The festival has also screened a number of studio films, including Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.