On Thursday, September 26th, Fort Collins buzzed with excitement as Bike Fort Collins (BFC) hosted another thrilling edition of the Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) at The Lyric Cinema!
The Bicycle Film Festival boasts a remarkable history, rooted in a personal and transformative story. In 2001, Brendt Barbur, the festival’s founder, turned a traumatic event into a global celebration. After being struck by a bus while riding his bike in New York City, Barbur sought to turn his negative experience into a force for good. Determined to highlight the beauty and culture surrounding bicycles, he launched the BFF as a platform that blends music, art, and film to showcase the bike’s role in society.
Since its inception, the Bicycle Film Festival has become a driving force behind the urban bike movement, a movement that has reshaped cities and communities around the globe. Over the past two decades, the BFF has inspired millions, holding events in over 90 cities worldwide and attracting more than one million attendees. Its influence on cycling culture has made it one of the most impactful and culturally significant forces of the last decade.
The film program, hand-selected for Fort Collins, featured award-winning shorts for lovers of pro cycling, gravel biking, mountain biking, youth culture, and more – the film took the audience on a journey worldwide. Featuring stories about:
- DeAngelo Washington’s baseball career was his ticket out of public housing, but after suffering a life changing injury, he discovered a predominantly white sport he never thought of: mountain biking.
- Paracyclist Meg Fisher set out to be the first paracyclist to complete in two of the world’s toughest bike courses back-to-back: Leadville Trail 100 MTB and SBT GRVL’s Black Course.
- Seven years after an oak tree came crashing down on top of 65 year old David Lawrence while on a bike ride, he embarks on his first-ever bikepacking trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains and a second chance at life.
- Beau Marksohn, aka the Dad Bod Cyclist, uses the bicycle to heal from childhood abuse and reflect how that impacted his relationship with his body as an adult
- A relationship in 3 minutes
- And more…The night began with Mike Moses taking the stage, energizing the crowd and highlighting the vital work that Bike Fort Collins does within the community. He also extended heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors, KUNC and Colorado Sound.
The proceeds from this unforgettable evening will directly support BFC’s mission of promoting More Bikes, Safe Streets. And our programs including our Bicycle Advocacy initiatives, Active Living efforts, and our ability to deliver Safe Routes to School instruction to over 7,000 students annually within the Poudre School District.
We can’t wait to bring an even bigger and more exciting Bicycle Film Festival back to Fort Collins in 2025! Stay tuned for more adventures on two wheels!