Editor

44th Telluride Film Festival presented by National Film Preserve LTD., proudly announces artist and graphic designer Lance Rutter as its 2017 poster artist. Telluride Film Festival’s prestigious annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics takes place every Labor Day weekend in the picturesque town of Telluride, Colorado. The 44th edition of TFF will run September 1-4, 2017.

Lance Rutter has spent the last 30+ years of his career devoted to graphic design, working on projects in his Chicago design studio, teaching design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, serving on the national board of the AIGA, and presiding over the 2008 and 2010 Chicago International Poster Biennials, among other public design advocacy initiatives. Rutter’s own posters have been a part of international exhibitions in the U.S., France, Poland, Mexico, Japan, Hungary, China, the Slovak Republic, Bolivia, Russia, and Iran. He is currently the VP of Design for Quantifind, a tech start-up in Silicon Valley, where he is responsible for everything from the company’s branding and office space design to the design of their data analytics software.

“I don’t think it's possible to overstate how thrilled I was to be asked to create a poster for the 44th edition of the Telluride Film Festival,” said Rutter. “So many really wonderful artists have become part of this legacy, and it’s an honor to now be associated with them. After speaking with several people who have a deep love of—and long association with—Telluride, I believe there is something uniquely magical that happens there every year. While the foundation of Telluride has rightfully been a celebration of film, the Festival itself is more about the coming together of the lovers of film. From creators to admirers, it is about the people who fill, and then transform the place. The collegial atmosphere, the “realness” and accessibility of the people, their joy and warmth… those are the things that enchant Telluride—and what I hoped to express in the poster.”

“Lance’s design for this year’s poster is simply stunning,” said Telluride Film Festival executive director Julie Huntsinger. “Working with him has been a delight from start to finish. Lance is a true artist, and a true professional.”

Rutter joins a prestigious list of artists who have shared their talents with Telluride Film Festival. Past poster artists include Yann Legendre, Laurent Durieux, Christian Marclay, Dean Tavoularis, Ed Ruscha, John Mansfield, Julian Schnabel, Dottie Attie, Doug and Mike Starn, David Lance Goines, Chuck Jones, David Salle, Alexis Smith, Jim Dine, Seymour Chwast, Frederic Amat, Francesco Clemente, Dave McKean, Gary Larson, Chip Kidd, John Canemaker, Mark Stock, Laurie Anderson, William Wegman, Ralph Eggleston, Maira Kalman and Dave Eggers.

44^th Telluride Film Festival posters will be available for purchase throughout the four-day Festival, or purchase now by visiting the TFF website at www.telluridefilmfestival.org.

About Telluride Film Festival

The prestigious Telluride Film Festival ranks among the world’s best film festivals and is an annual gathering for film industry insiders, cinema enthusiasts, filmmakers and critics. TFF is considered a major launching ground for the fall season’s most talked-about films. Founded in 1974, Telluride Film Festival, presented in the beautiful mountain town of Telluride, Colorado, is a four-day international educational event celebrating the art of film. Telluride Film Festival’s long-standing commitment is to join filmmakers and film connoisseurs together to experience great cinema. The exciting schedule, kept secret until Opening Day, consists of over two dozen filmmakers presenting their newest works, special Guest Director programs, three major Tributes to guest artists, special events and remarkable treasures from the past. Telluride Film Festival is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational program. Festival headquarters are in Berkeley, CA.

About Our Sponsors

Telluride Film Festival is supported by Turner Classic Movies, EY, Amazon Studios, FilmStruck, Participant Media, ARRI, National Endowment for the Arts, Delta Air Lines, Meyer Sound, Universal Studios, Tesla, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Dolby, Criterion Collection, The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, Telluride Alpine Lodging, DELL, and New Sheridan Hotel.