The film industry is facing an unexpectedly slow recovery from the pandemic, with box office revenues still significantly below pre-pandemic levels. The country has lost thousands of theatre screens, including in Denver, where the historic Esquire and Chez Artiste shuttered in 2024.

Meanwhile, independent cinema is bucking the trend. Denver’s only independent movie theatre, the SIE Film Center, has not just survived but surpassed its strong 2019 performance.

Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith says the independent cinema organization’s success lies in a strong emphasis on community engagement, curated programming, and partnerships with local organizations, because people are hungry for connection and in-person experiences. 

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NICKY REDL: The past five years haven’t been kind to the film industry. Moviegoers are slowly returning, but last year, annual box office revenue was still down by nearly a quarter compared to 2019. 

In Denver alone, two iconic Landmark movie theatres have closed just months apart: the Esquire and Chez Artiste. 

But independent cinema appears to be bucking the trend. 

The SIE Film Center on Colfax Avenue is owned by nonprofit Denver Film, and the city’s only independent movie theatre. 

Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith says their box office sales haven’t just recovered, they are doing better than before the lockdowns. 

KEVIN SMITH: I think it’s different for different types of theatres. Our theater last year, in 2025, had the best year we’ve ever had. We’ve bounced back. We’re above our pre-pandemic numbers of 2019, which was an incredible year. I think that what we’re seeing is that multiplexes are having a harder time because of the types of films, blockbuster films that are being released, and the marketing behind them, and how they’re creating those. 

But in terms of independent cinema, while it’s great to have access to so many different films at your fingertips at home, it’s also nice to have our amazing programming team pick some of the best films that maybe you don’t know exist and be able to share those screenings with someone in the theatre that maybe you don’t know. 

NICKY REDL: Kevin Smith believes a focus on community building sets Denver Film apart. Their membership program offers perks but, more importantly, a space to connect with others. 

Kevin Smith: In terms of benefits, obviously, they have early access to films. We do a lot of promo screenings. So they’re seeing movies before they’re even released, with the Denver Film Festival, they’re getting to the front of the line in almost every single way to be able to see the best films of the year. But I think one of the unique things is that the staff that is here at the Film Center, they know a majority of the members. And so when you’re a member, it’s like you get to come in here and say hi to your friends. Um, and I think that in a communal space makes a very big difference.

NICKY REDL: Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith. Josh Eliot is one of the staff members working at the Sie Film Center box office. 

JOSH ELIOT: I actually ran a little competition with a bunch of other staff members to see who could name the most members. The box officers are the people who have to know the members by name so that we can type their membership in to give them their discounts. And so through that, I end up getting to know a lot of the members by name and by personality as well. There’s absolutely a strong sense of connection. We have very loyal, devoted members, and are very supportive and excited about all of the new things that we’re doing at the theater, all the little changes we do month to month, all of our festivals. This is very community-based, very social-based, very event-based, very festival-based. 

NICKY REDL: Josh Eliot. Denver Film also collaborates with about 150 community partners every year and screens movies at locations like Red Rocks and the Botanic Gardens. One of those partners is Colorado Dragon Boat, a celebration of Asian American heritage and culture. Together, they organize the Dragon Boat film festival each year in March. Denver Film CEO Kevin Smith says the collaboration has been a great success for both organizations.      

KEVIN SMITH: Colorado Dragon Boat is the largest dragon boat festival in the country. I believe it’s been 6 or 7 years now that we’ve partnered. The last year that they produced the festival without us, they had about 300 tickets sold. Now we have over 2000 people who come every year. So it’s grown exponentially. And for us to be able to have like the community saying, these are the types of films, these are the types of experiences, and us just be able to help facilitate making those things happen is a perfect partnership in my mind, and really the big core piece of our mission. 

NICKY REDL: Kevin Smith, CEO of Denver Film. Another community-focused event at the SIE independent cinema is the CinemaQ film festival, held from the 29^th to the 31^st of this year. The founder is SIE Film Center artistic director Keith Garcia. 

KEITH GARCIA: Cinema Q is our queer film festival, which is the only queer film festival in Colorado, and this year will be our 18th year of operating. CinemaQ started with an effort to play at least one queer film a month at the film center. And this started building an audience of its own, which at the time was very hungry for queer film. Essentially, it’s just kind of snowballed since we hit the community immediately, we got the community used to the idea that year we’d have the best selection of new queer film for that year. And, um, it’s become sort of the big, the big party that it is now.

NICKY REDL: SIE artistic director Keith Garcia. Local meetups have also noticed a growing desire for shared experiences. The Denver Cinema club started over 20 years ago as a meetup for people to watch movies together and afterwards meet for discussion over drinks. In the past year or two, the club has seen a strong influx of people of all ages. Aurora Hunt is one of the organizers of the Denver Cinema Club and also a member of the Sie FilmCenter.

AURORA HUNT: Some movies that are just meant to be communally experienced, you know, just that energy in the room and everyone experiencing the same thing. And I had the occasion to sit next to a movie the other day with my friend Dina, and she was just gasping. And it was so, it was such a different movie for having her next to me and kind of experiencing her experience along with my experience. So, in these very fractured times, these very electronic times, being in a room with people is really important, both to watch the movie and, I would say, even more importantly, to be together afterwards.

This radio story about the Denver independent cinema scene aired on KGNU’s Morning Magazine on March 27, 2026. KGNU is an independent, noncommercial community radio station serving Boulder and Denver, Colorado.

An extended audio reel highlighting Nicky Redl’s work as a reporter and host for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation across rural Australia and in international coverage from Mongolia, Timor-Leste, and the United States.

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A selection of full programs of The Rural Report, the daily regional current affairs show I produced and hosted for ABC Rural in Broken Hill, in the Australian Outback.

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In Broken Hill, the format was integrated into the daily Morning Program, while in Mackay, Queensland, it ran as a separate daily slot. Additional Mackay Rural Report programs will be posted as they become available.

Can you imagine running around a one kilometre concrete loop, one hundred times, in the same day until you clock up just on 5000 kilometres?

Sarah Barnett is an Adelaide based ultra-runner who has completed many multi-day races around the world, including the Sri Chimnoy 3,100 mile race in New York.

She ran it in 50 days and 3 hours – and was the first woman to finish.

When she is at home in Adelaide, she runs 200 kilometres a week but when competing, the numbers climb towards one thousand.

Credits

• Nicky Redl, Producer
• Georgia Power, Producer
• Ellen Fanning, Presenter

I produced this story, which involved finding the story (I run ultras, so someone in the running community pointed me in her direction), researching Sarah’s background, pre-interviewing her, and writing a brief for the presenter, a (suggested) intro and interview questions.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/the-happiness-of-the-long-distance-runner/7417932

On a point-to-point course, the 60, 85 and 100k distances take ultramarathon runners into some of the country’s most stunning scenery, through lush rainforests and along four tranquil lakes, past clear streams and gushing waterfalls. The field has become highly competitive in recent years, and attracted over 400 international runners from 38 countries in February 2016. Since Dylan Bowman’s spectacular win in 2015, the number of competitors from the USA doubled to 45.

This year, however, conditions were the most difficult in the race’s history. Parts of the course, which is usually considered fast, were turned into slippery slides by all-day rain, and more people than ever dropped down to the 60k distance. Elite runners also struggled. “It was a very tough day,” said Colorado’s Jason Schlarb. “There were places where I had to take caution. I think it slowed everybody down a bit.” Schlarb also had a collision with a log in the first 10k, bruising his left quad. “It’s not the most painful race I’ve ever had, but I’ve never had to deal with feeling poorly so early on and carrying through.”

At 103k, the course was also longer than usual. Schlarb still finished a strong sixth in 9:16:48, coming in first among the USA runners. Overall winner Jonas Buud, from Sweden, set a blistering speed on a difficult day, finishing in 8:00:53, while New Zealand’s Fiona Hayvice took out the women’s title at 10:34:26. “The times were really impressive, especially with the extra kilometers from last year’s course,” Schlarb said.

Fellow American ultramarathon runner Michael Wardian finished 15 minutes after Schlarb, in seventh place. “The top field was awesome. Jonas was the guy to beat and none of us did that. He was definitely pushing the pace early on,” Wardian said. Making it to the first aid station in second place, the 41-year-old Virginian hit a low later on and temporarily dropped out of the top 10, desperate for some calories. He finally found some CLIF Bloks on the trail – accidentally lost by New Zealand’s Vajin Armstrong, who finished fifth. “They were really good. I totally ate his leftovers. I’m not very particular to where the calories come from,” Wardian laughed.

Not making it onto the podium this year just gives him motivation to come back next year. “I love this course; I think it gives you a lot of different terrains. It forces you to challenge yourself, running fast on technical trail, getting over the roots and rocks,” Wardian observed. “Most of all, it’s the organization and volunteers and people that make it just insanely cool.”

Aid stations were stocked with fruit, sandwiches, pizza, salty snacks and energy foods. In accessible places, spectators braved the rain for hours to cheer on runners, while dozens of signs along the way featured song lyrics, poetry, uplifting mantras or just “Run, you dirty animals.” Ahead of the Star Wars-themed aid station ultramarathon runners were treated to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader lookalikes dramatically battling it out with light sabers.

Despite having become a big and international race with 1250 competitors, the Tarawera hasn’t lost the warm and familiar feel of a small race. Organizer Paul Charteris and race director Tim Day waited out until well after midnight to give even the last finishers a big hug and their wood-carved medals.

There were very few female runners from the USA this year – so that has to change. New Zealand is a long way away, but the Tarawera offers more than a race. There are many free and purchasable cultural experiences in the program, from a traditional Maori welcome, scenic boat cruise and special Maori dinner, to a run through a geyser field. February is also within the best travel time for the country. One of the world’s most beautiful one-day hikes, the Tongariro Crossing, through active volcanic landscape and past The Lord of the Rings’ Mount Doom, is just a bus ride away.

Accommodation in Rotorua ranges from basic accommodations to luxury hotels and resorts, and the town has its own airport. It’s also easy to book a four-hour bus ride with InterCity from Auckland for around USD 25. Air New Zealand has direct flights to Auckland from Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver. And for anyone who was worried – that distinct smell lingers only in the city, and not on the trails.

This article was published in UltraRunning Magazine on April 19, 2016.

Extreme sports were once considered the exclusive domain of men. Nicky Redl explores the trailblazing world of female ultrarunners.

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The sport of ultra trail running has boomed in recent years, with 80,000 ultramarathon finishes in the USA alone last year.

The races are anything longer than the conventional marathon of 42 kilometres—hence the ‘ultra’ prefix.

Often, the races span 100 miles or more. They can take over a day to run in their entirety.

They’re single-stage races, too. On hundred-mile races, cut-off times generally kick in after 30 hours.

That means participants don’t generally get time for much more rest than a sit-down or a quick nap to rest.

The famous Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc series in the European Alps attracts about 10,000 runners across various distances each year.

While the sport is still male-dominated, the number of female competitors has in recent years risen far more than the number of men.

In the USA, women now make up nearly a third of the ultramarathon field.

So what makes extreme distances so attractive to women? One way to find out is to ask a genuine ultramarathon trailblazer

Ann Trason, an American endurance runner, is a legend in the ultrarunning community. She has broken 20 world records. She’s never forgotten the first time she trained on the Western States Trail.

‘It captured something in me. I just felt it was in my blood. I can’t explain the beauty, the freedom.’

Trason started running ultramarathons in the ’80s, when women were still a much rarer sight on the trail. For her, long-distance running is a way of life.

‘My favourite runs are things where I run across the Sierras by myself,’ she says.

‘I would just do these runs and mail my clothes somewhere and spend the night, and then run back to my car a different way. That’s my favorite thing to do in the world.’

Long-distance running hasn’t always been inclusive of women. Until 1971, women were banned from the world-famous Boston Marathon.

When Kathrine Switzer ran it in 1967 after not identifying as a woman on her race registration, the race director tried to physically force her off the course.

Despite finishing the race, Switzer was disqualified because of her gender.

In the ’80s Trason found most people very supportive, although some still had difficulty getting used to female ultrarunners.

One male trail running friend told her that she didn’t have the right genes for what he termed a ‘man’s sport’. Trason would later run into him during the Western States race.

‘When I passed him, I asked him how his genes were doing,’ she chuckles.

Trason won the women’s division that year and every year she ran it thereafter—a total of 14 times.

Here’s a biological quirk: the longer the race, the better chances women seem to have at narrowing the gap to male top runners or even winning races outright.

At the Sydney marathon, the female winner is usually at least 20 minutes behind the male winner. For an ultramarathon covering four times that distance, you’d naturally assume the time difference would multiply—but that’s not always the case.

At the Western States 100, Ann Trason twice came second overall—once, she was minutes behind the male overall winner.

In the 135 Mile Badwater Ultramarathon, where competitors run in boiling temperatures of up to 50 degrees through America’s Death Valley, US competitor Pam Reed crossed the finish line ahead of the fastest men twice.

Making time to train and compete is a challenge in itself, especially when raising a family—but some competitors just get them involved.

Ana Braga-Levaggi, 56, has completed eight of the toughest 100-mile races in the USA. Her husband—a keen cyclist—provides more than moral support. ‘My husband is very involved and hands on, whether he paces me or in giving me what I need.’

It’s a family affair: her daughters time her breaks and make sure she keeps moving, and find plenty of inspiration in their mother’s achievements.

‘Ultrarunning brings us together. My perception of my mom transcends from personal chauffeur/macaroni maker into hero,’ Braga-Levaggi’s daughter Bella wrote in a college essay.

The USA is still the world’s ultrarunning hub, but the sport is growing fast in Australia, with over 100 annual ultras.

The Ultra-Trail Australia is a trail running event that attracts thousands of people to the Blue Mountains for its 100 and 50 kilometre distances each year.

One hundred miles isn’t the limit, either. Australia’s Coast to Kosciuszko ultramarathon is 240 kilometres long, from Twofold Bay in New South Wales to the summit of the country’s highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko.

Age plays less of a defining role in ultramarathons than it does for other styles of running. Meghan Arbogast holds the Western States record for women over the age of 50 and still finishes races ahead of younger competitors.

She believes older runners have some advantages in endurance sports.

‘Partly, it takes the body a long time to adapt and get that strong,’ she said at a trail running training camp on the Western States course.

‘I think we get mentally more tough the older we are.’

With age, runners can also become more patient and learn to pace themselves better over long distances.

Arbogast runs 100 miles a week and is still as fast as she was years ago.

‘There are a lot of 40 or 50-year-old women who are thinking, “She’s still doing it. I don’t have to slow down when I’m 45 or 50 or 55, I can still do this,”‘ Arbogast says.

‘That matters to me.’

Broadcast on ABC Radio National’s Life Matters on February 4, 2016, and published on ABC Online.

In a bid to honor the nearly 500-year old beer purity law and polish their product’s image, the German Brewers Federation has applied to have the law included in the United Nations’ intangible cultural heritage list.

If successful, the purity law would join a diverse list of remarkable performing arts, social practices and traditional crafts. Also on the are the Mediterranean diet, Chinese calligraphy, Argentinian Tango, Italian violin craftsmanship and poetic dueling in Cyprus.

The president of the German Brewers Federation, Hans-Georg Eils, said inclusion would be a deserved acknowledgement.

“If Germany is still regarded as the undisputed beer nation, it owes this to the beer purity law,” he said.

This article was published by The Wall Street Journal – Speakeasy on December 11, 2013.

By expanding into the market for omega-3 fatty acids used in health care, BASF is following its strategy of reducing its dependence on classical chemicals.

BASF will pay Pronova’s shareholders NOK12.50 (US$2.18), equivalent to about €515 million ($659 million), an advantageous price for a sensible acquisition, analysts said.

“Due to this acquisition BASF should become the leading producer in the fast growing market for concentrated omega-3 fatty acids and cover the entire range of the omega-3 fatty acids,” analyst Nadeshda Demidova of Equinet Bank said.

BASF has commitments for about 60% of Pronova’s share capital.

Lars Hettche at Bankhaus Metzler sees the takeover offer as a positive step, noting it doesn’t look too expensive and that Pronova’s earnings margin last year was high, at around 40%.

While one trader says the acquisition is too small to cause much of a share price reaction, he agrees that the purchase price is fairly low considering Pronova’s turnover of around €230 million last year, with after-tax profits coming in at just over €20 million.

Late last year BASF said it wanted to reduce the percentage of sales generates from classical chemicals to around 30% by 2020, thereby increasing its foothold in core industries such as agriculture, construction, consumer goods, health and nutrition, electronics, energy, resources, and transportation.

In January, board member Michael Heinz said BASF aims to expand specialty chemicals for consumer-related industries through both acquisitions and organic growth.

Peter Spengler of DZ Bank believes Wednesday’s offer fits well into this strategy. “BASF is rather focusing on technology, research and development, as well as high margins, instead of high sales,” Mr. Spengler said, with regard to the company’s acquisition choices.

This article was published by The Wall Street Journal – The Source on November 21, 2012.

The German company acquired Reebok in 2006, and has struggled to power the brand ever since. Most recently, Reebok lost out to Nike on a contract to supply products to the U.S. National Football League, is being hit by a player lockout in the National Hockey League and is continuing to sort out problems in India after “commercial irregularities” were discovered.

Reebok’s woes mean that while Adidas is competing strongly against Nike in Europe, Asia and fast-growing markets such as China and Latin America, it is losing ground in the U.S., the world’s biggest sports-apparel market. The group’s sales fell 4.7% in the U.S. in the third quarter, predominantly because of Reebok’s poor performance, compared with a 23% increase for Nike in North America in its most recent quarter.

“I don’t think the Adidas brand is losing ground to Nike, but Reebok is,” said Barclays analyst Julian Easthope.

Adidas said it now expects group sales to rise by a high single-digit rate in 2012, compared with its previous forecast for a rate approaching 10%. The company in September cut its midterm sales outlook for Reebok to €2 billion ($2.55 billion) in 2015, from €3 billion, but said it expected the Adidas brand to compensate.

The company’s shares were down Friday afternoon in Frankfurt as the lowered sales guidance took the shine off third-quarter results that otherwise beat the market’s expectations.

Adidas’ net profit rose 14% on the year in the third quarter to €344 million as sales rose 11% to €4.17 billion, buoyed by strong demand in Asia and Eastern European markets. The company benefited from its sponsorship of prominent teams and individuals at the summer Olympics in London and the European soccer championships. It said it expects net profit in 2012 to rise between 15% and 17% to between €770 million and €785 million.

Part of Reebok’s problems relate to an continuing dispute in the National Hockey League. Owners of the league’s franchises barred members of the NHL Players’ Association from playing after failing to reach a new deal on contracts, prompting the cancellation of all games since preseason started Sept. 19 up until the end of November, and the dispute is continuing. Reebok is the official outfitter to the league.

That followed the NFL’s decision that Nike would replace Reebok as the league’s exclusive maker of on-field apparel and fan gear. The terms of the five-year Nike deal weren’t disclosed, but Adidas has said the loss of the license agreement, which Reebok has held for the past decade, will result in an estimated $200 million to $250 million a year in lost revenue for Reebok.

Adidas also said problems at Reebok’s Indian unit would continue affecting results in the fourth quarter, without giving details. The company in May filed a criminal complaint against the former chief of its Indian operations and another former senior employee for alleged financial and commercial irregularities that resulted in the company taking a charge of $155 million plus a further $87 million in restructuring costs.

Several attempts to reinvent and reposition Reebok to take advantage of the U.S. market have failed to work. The latest plan is to market Reebok as a fitness-only brand. In September, Reebok marketing chief Matt O’Toole assured investors the brand’s new structure “will bring more focus and a deeper product offering and will provide better commercial opportunities as we turn the corner into 2013.”

But Reebok’s problems are deeply rooted and sales were down 6% excluding the loss of licenses and the problems in its Indian unit.

Adidas Chief Executive Herbert Hainer conceded the Reebok brand’s performance was “by no means satisfactory,” but pointed out the sales fall was an improvement from the second-quarter decline of 10%.

Mr. Hainer was more positive about the group’s prospects, predicting Adidas would increase sales, boost its profit margin and see earnings rise by a significant double-digit percentage in 2013.

This article was published by The Wall Street Journal on November 9, 2012.