Julian Rubinstein’s award-winning documentary “The Holly,” which was named outstanding documentary feature at the 45th annual Denver Film Festival last month, has secured a North American distribution deal that will make it available in homes starting Feb. 3.

Additionally, Gravitas Ventures said the film will be released in theaters in at least three cities. Given that Denver Film has been a fiscal sponsor of the film, which drew robust audiences and interest at the Denver Film Festival, it would make sense for it to have a run at the home of Denver Film, the Sie Film Center.

“We’re hopeful and optimistic that will be the case,” said Denver Film spokesman Marty Schecter.

In the meantime, the film will be available on demand through major cable carriers such as Comcast at a price estimated at $9.99.

“The Holly” investigates the city of Denver’s anti-gang efforts through the lens of a shocking 2013 shooting involving a community activist named Terrance Roberts.

It’s all centered around the Holly neighborhood, which was the hub of Denver’s Civil Rights movement and eventually became the home of Denver’s first Bloods street gang and a target of undercover police operations. In the doc, Roberts’ shooting case offers a window into the political machinations of urban development and the city’s anti-gang activity.

“Even though the film is set in Denver, we believe the story will resonate nationwide, and we know it will further dialogue in order to enact social change,” Bill Guentzler, Gravitas Ventures’ Senior Director of Acquisitions, told Variety.

What’s next? Pure speculation, but ever since Adam McKay (“Don’t Look Up”) joined on as an executive producer, there has been speculation that he has designs on turning the epic story into a narrative series along the lines of “The Wire.” I mean, you start with an anti-hero facing life in prison for shooting someone five times at his own peace rally — and he is now running to be Denver’s next mayor.

“We are just back from screening the film in Durham (N.C.), where a theater full of Black people, including community leaders working on anti-violence efforts there, told us the same thing is happening to them, and that the film and conversation that followed empowered them to stand up against abuses of power there,” Rubinstein said.

“We’ve already seen the total lack of interest in this story by our own mayor and police chief. At least, beginning Feb 3, the public will be equipped to hold them accountable. And the echo chamber of falsehoods about this project can come to an end. So it’s a relief that soon people can decide for themselves what to think about what this film reveals and what it says about how power operates in America today.”

Denver Center shows going on sale

The Denver Center will put all remaining shows on its 2022-23 Broadway season up for sale to the public on Dec. 15. The newly available shows include “SIX,” “Company,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Wicked” and others. The Michael Jackson musical “MJ,” which centers on the making of the 1992 “Dangerous” Tour, will only be available for sale from Dec. 15-Jan. 3. Information at denvercenter.org.

Fire shuts down downtown theater, restaurant

A downtown Dumpster fire on Thanksgiving night has shut down both the fledgling Jester’s Palace comedy theater, located in one the most storied venues in Denver cultural history, as well as the popular Los Cabos Puro Peruvian restaurant below it.

Connor Hall and Paul Twarowski reopened the shuttered Bovine Metropolis Theater at 1527 Champa St. a year ago for comedy, music, magic and more. Long-timers know that sacred space as the longtime home to the Changing Scene theater.

Friends of the theater said authorities believe the fire started in a back-alley dumpster, possibly by someone trying to stay warm. But it quickly spread to the back part of the theater, causing heavy damage to the theater and even more so to the restaurant below it. To make matters worse, there is now a possible asbestos excavation issue.

That good news is that because both businesses were closed for the holiday, the Jester’s Palace owners happened to be onsite, smelled smoke and called for help before the entire building burned.

No word on when or whether either business will reopen. Messages to both went unreturned Wednesday. Things don’t look good for the restaurant, though. It’s is listed as “temporarily closed” online, but its phone number has been disconnected.

Update on state arts office job

The next leader of the state’s arts-funding agency, which is called Colorado Creative Industries, will not be known for a while. The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) will soon open the position up for additional applications, and interviews will continue into early 2023, said Communications Manager Alissa Johnson. The application period to replace Margaret Hunt was originally scheduled to expire in mid-September.

In the interim, CCI Deputy Director Christine Costello will continue to serve as interim CCI Director. Additionally, newly named OEDIT Executive Director Eve Lieberman will also oversee all CCI business effective Jan. 1. And because Lieberman will work closely with the new CCI Director, “we have extended the timeline in order for Eve to be a part of the hiring process and decision,” Johnson said.

Powell returns to direct ‘A Christmas Carol’

Anthony Powell, the new director of the DCPA Theatre Company’s annual “A Christmas Carol” offering, has some of the deepest Denver Center roots of all. As an actor, Powell has appeared in five seasonal stagings of the Dickens classic going back to 1992. Powell becomes only the fourth director to helm the show in its 27 incarnations at the Denver Center.

Powell likens his role as a director to that of a train conductor keeping a locomotive on a track that it has been riding for many, many miles. And it is a train, Powell added with a laugh, that one should not get in the way of.  Powell did not set out to make big changes to the show.

“I don’t think audiences will be shocked,” he said. But regular visitors will be at least somewhat surprised, he admitted, because they will be seeing only a handful of familiar faces in recurring roles.

“The good news is that almost everybody is going to be new to this production,” Powell said. “And the not-as-good news is that almost everybody is going to be new to this production.” The Christmas classic runs through Dec. 24.

Powell’s day job is as artistic director of the popular Stories on Stage live storytelling series, which is presenting its annual holiday program, “Making Merry,” Dec. 17 at the Nomad Playhouse in Boulder, and Dec. 18 at the King Center on the Auraria campus. One of the featured performers will be Jamie Horton, who was the longest-tenured Denver Center actor before leaving to become a professor at Dartmouth in 2006.

Briefly …

Sarah Silverman will bring her “Grow Some Lips” comedy tour to Comedy Works Downtown on Jan. 20 and 21. If any tickets remain after an insider presale ends at 10 p.m. today (Dec. 8), they will be available at comedyworks.com …

You can have a pretty big helping of “Beauty and the Beast” this holiday season. Not only is the musical being performed through Dec. 31 at the Arvada Center, a 30th anniversary celebration of the show’s legacy will air Dec. 15 on ABC stations. This is not a live performance of the musical itself. R&B singer H.E.R. “will lead audiences through the world of Belle” with musical performances from the show that are said to both pay homage to the beloved original, and bring it up to date. The special, directed by Hamish Hamilton, will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios, but what you see on ABC will be taped. If you miss it on Thursday, it will be available on Disney+ the next day.