By John Wenzel | jwenzel@denverpost.com | The Denver Post

PUBLISHED: January 22, 2026

30 years of Denver Jewish film

Through Feb. 1. This week marks the start of the Denver Jewish Film Fest’s 30th event, which runs Thursday, Jan. 22, to Sunday, Feb. 1, at the Mizel Arts and Culture Center. Although it’s tightly curated compared to some sprawling film fests, the lineup always features diverse perspectives on Jewish culture, religion and the ways in which global political forces affect people on a person-to-person basis.

This year’s funny, heartbreaking, urgent and surprising titles include 40 films written or directed by Jewish people, organizers said, including the romantic “31 Candles,” the Holocaust drama “The Ring,” and the deep historical documentary “Neshoma.” Tickets: $15 for youth/seniors and $18 for adults, per screening (purchase 10 or more and save $1 per ticket). All-access passes cost $325. Visit tickets.jccdenver.org/djff for more information, including the full schedule. Screenings take place at 350 S. Dahlia St. in Denver.

Riotously funny, Denver-based comic Rory Scovel headlines this Boulder Theater this week. (Comedy Works Entertainment)

Silly, smart and lots in between

Friday. It would be easy to argue that Rory Scovel is one of the best stand-ups of the 21st century, given his high-wire experimentation and crowd work that result in gut-busting laughs and premises that stick with you long after the show. Silly, smart and happily grazing in between, the nimble, 45-year-old comic is set to appear on the ABC pilot “Do You Want Kids?” with Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), having written for and/or starred in numerous small and big-screen titles over the last decade-plus.

Before that, however, he headlines the Boulder Theater on Friday, Jan. 23, following in the footsteps of contemporary comic greats there such as Maria Bamford, Patton Oswalt and Kyle Kinane. The recent-ish Denver transplant, who pops up on local showcases with other Colorado heavy-hitters like Ben Roy and Adam Cayton-Holland, performs at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 at 2032 14th St. in Boulder. Tickets: $56.34-138.05 via axs.com.

Also funny this weekend is the great-looking The Sickest Comedy Show, which focuses on comics living with chronic illness and/or disabilities — “and why spaces like this matter now more than ever,” according to producers and hosts/stand-ups Gabby Gutierrez-Reed and Helen Driesen. Featuring comedy from Hayden Kristal, Tairee Dillard, Miriam Moreno and Ryan Ergo, the show takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Dude IDK Studios, 2801 N. Downing St. in Denver. Tickets are $15 via multipass.com/sickestcomedy.

The virtual reality experience "Horizon of Khufu" brings visitors inside ancient Egypt in this promotional photo illustration. (Provided by Horizon of Khufu)

Ancient Egypt in VR

Open now. The Denver version of the “Horizon of Khufu” virtual-reality installation might just be the ideal introduction to the technology — provided you’ve never tried it — but also a creative departure from the shoot-’em-ups and puzzle games most headsets offer on console and PC. The 3D, immersive show “combines historical accuracy, immersive technology, and cinematic storytelling to bring visitors face-to-face with one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World,” organizers wrote.

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The 45-minute show, with guidance by a “virtual Egyptologist,” opened last month and continues through February at York Street Yards, Suite 1168, 3863 N. Steele St. in Denver. Tickets: $23-$27 via horizonkheopsexperience.com/denver. The venue is wheelchair accessible. No children under the age of 10 will be admitted. Call 303-328-0016 or visit yorkstyards.com for more information.

Large sculptures tower over visitors near downtown Breckenridge at the International Snow Sculpture Championships. The sculptures are carved by hand from 25-ton blocks of snow. (Aaron Dodds, provided by Go Breck)

Snow sculptures in Breck

Through Feb. 3. With snow totals looking up (as of this week, anyway), Breckenridge is barreling back into its 35th Annual International Snow Sculpture Championships, running Saturday, Jan. 24, to Tuesday, Feb. 3. The competition features 12 teams “from around the globe carving 25-ton blocks of snow into temporary works of art,” producers said in a statement. “Over 94 hours of carving — armed with only hand tools — artists work day and night to create sculptures that wow spectators before melting back into the winter landscape.”

Spectators, of course, get all the cool visuals of snow-animals, modern art and more creative artworks — and none of the work. The artists will set up along the Riverwalk in downtown Breckenridge; strolling the sites is free. Watch the artists work this week, or head up for the awards and viewings on Jan. 28, with lots more to do along the main drag in town. Visit gobreck.com/plan-your-visit to go carless and take advantage of free public transportation.