Meet Jared LaCroix | Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jared LaCroix and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jared, what matters most to you?
Community matters most to us. We have a festival that fosters a diverse and vibrant community of artists and movie lovers. We also try to keep our pass prices low, and we offer a variety of passes so that barriers to the OIFF community are as low as possible. It’s our privilege to partner with students and faculty at Ouray School, which widens our festival community through educational initiatives.

What should our readers know about your business?
We bring the most innovative filmmakers from around the world to our beautiful, remote corner of the San Juan Mountains. Last year, the diversity of our visiting artists was a testimony to the community that we’ve built; Oscar-nominee Paul Raci came to receive our Lifetime Achievement Award and to screen the Colorado debut of his latest film; with support from the Telluride Foundation and an Arts in Society grant, we welcomed seven Native filmmakers who raised awareness about Native history and cinema; and we were honored to host Maria Pankova, a Ukrainian filmmaker who traveled from Europe to screen her powerful documentary “Breathing” focused on the initial months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At OIFF, we believe that investing in people is our biggest priority, so we do whatever we can to help bring artists to the festival. At many peer festivals, patrons may not get to interact with the talent behind the films; at OIFF, everyone can have an intimate experience with our global filmmaking community. The small size of the town matches the selectivity of the program, which helps us to keep a warm environment that feels like an expanded film family after each new festival.

Fortunately, we have had wonderful support from the city to help build our programming. This is also true of local institutions that provide complimentary lodging and other resources, such as Citizens State Bank, KJ Wood Distillers, and Hotel Ouray. Incredible food like Mojo’s Coffee and the Western Hotel have provided amazing services that enrich the quality of the festival experience for locals, patrons, and artists. So the community support has been essential for building up the financial and logistical base of our work in Ouray.

Lastly, we believe there is no more beautiful town in Colorado than Ouray! As film festivals go, OIFF provides a unique chance to explore the most rugged and stunningly gorgeous corner of the state while enjoying internationally celebrated cinema.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
For anyone visiting Ouray for the first time, I would jump right into the outdoor Hot Springs. It’s a gem of the city where you can soak while basking in the beauty of the mountains which surround the pool. For breakfast, go get some coffee at Mojo’s and snag some Colorado-themed swag while you’re there (or some art for sale on the walls). Take a stroll up to Cascade Falls: you can walk right up to the roaring falls where the temperature drops sharply in the cool, shaded canyon. For lunch, maybe head to the bar at the Western Hotel and have some of the cornbread with a cocktail. For something classic, you can’t go wrong with Maggie’s Kitchen for the best burger you can imagine.

If you’re into guided outdoor experiences, Ouray has great resources including Basecamp Ouray. If you’re more independent, a hike around the Perimeter Trail gets you amazing views of the city as well as the surrounding landscape. The rooftop bar at Ouray Brewery is not to be missed (and neither is the elote dip). If the Wright Opera House is screening a film or hosting an event, check it out and be sure to tour the whole space. It’s magnificently restored with so much of its nineteenth-century charm intact. Mi Mexico is a great spot for some Mexican bites, and Ouray has a great spread of dinner options from the upscale cuisine at the Brickhouse to the local Thai restaurant. Above all, check out all the amazing arts and crafts sold up and down Main Street! Ouray has a thriving artisan community, and you can see “Made in Ouray” logos proudly displayed in the windows to indicate where local art and other products are sold. In the evening, be sure to see if the Ouray County Performing Arts Guild or UpstART Theater Company are putting on anything live! And of course, we definitely suggest that you come visit in late June when the film festival is in full swing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
We’d like to thank the Wright Opera House for helping to give us a start as a festival. We’d also like to thank the City of Ouray and all of our generous sponsors and guests for the ongoing support!

Website: https://www.ourayfilmfestival.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourayfilmfest/

Facebook: facebook.com/ourayfilmfest

Image Credits
Tatiana Alexander Daniel Wilson Michiel Thomas John Lee