Last Updated 5/2/2022
2022 Game and Virtual Reality Development
Game and virtual reality (VR) Developers will discuss game and VR development. Some of the top emerging technologies in the entertainment industry today will be discussed including virtual reality and eSports. This panel will present current projects being working on and will include an extended Q&A session. Meet game developers, play games, ask questions, win prizes and more.
501st Mountain Garrison
In celebration of 45 years of Star Wars, the success of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett series, and the upcoming Kenobi series, the 501st Mountain Garrison will be presenting the Star Wars Experience at StarFest. Come and join us for this momentous occasion of one of the most influential science fiction sagas in our generation.
The Ancient Art of Tablet Weaving
Tablet Weaving is a 3500 year old technique of weaving bands with cards. Lynelle will be discussing the basics of what is needed, and will demonstrate on one of her looms. If you need a cool trim or band for your costume, this is an easy way to make them.
Anyone’s Game
It’s the clash of clashes! A spinning bracket tournament of fictional characters in an absurd variety of unexpected challenges. Can Gandalf the Grey beat John Rambo in quilting? Will Luigi win a prom crown before Wednesday Addams? Each character and each contest is randomly drawn, so no one knows what may happen. As for the winner, who can say? It’s Anyone’s Game!
Apollo 11 Moon Landing Experience
The greatest achievement of engineering and science in human history … and you missed it! Here’s your chance to experience what it was like for the 8 days from July 16-24, 1969 while three astronauts did what cultures around the Earth had dreamed of for millennia – travel to the Moon and back.
Apollo 17: 50th Anniversary of Man’s Greatest Flight
This panel will discuss mankind’s greatest flight and achievement in the history of mankind: Apollo 17’s moon landing 50 years ago this December. Tim A. Miller, an Apollo Missions expert, met all three Apollo 17 astronauts three months after they went to the moon. Astronauts Cernan and Schmidt walked on the moon while Evans circled it. Mr Miller will share all aspects of the last mission to the moon, like fixing the rover (moon buggy, only the last three Apollo missions had a rover), discovering orange soil, seeing boulders bigger than houses, scientific experiments, etc. The panelist is writing a book about Apollo 17 called Apollo 17: Mans Greatest Flight, due out in November. He also did previous StarFest panels on Apollo 11 and 13. A Q&A will end the panel. So come and experience man’s greatest flight ever, Apollo 17.
Ask a Dungeon Master
Bring your questions about being a dungeon master for your Dungeons & Dragons game. Our Expert DMs are here to help with any question related to table top RPGs! We’ll explore aspects of game preparation, world building, running smooth adventures and dealing with issues that come up at the table. Hosted by the guys behind DiceTowerTheatre.com and GamesMastery.com as well as Jesse Jerdak.
Automata: Simple Machines Mimicking Life
This program investigates the basic mechanisms of vintage automata, explores their progression from giant machinations in medieval towers to miniature curiosities in royal parlors, and demonstrates their inspiration for the industrial revolution and modern computing and robotics.
Battlestar Galactica Trivia
Test your trivia knowledge of all things Battlestar Galactica!
Based on a “True” Story
The reality behind some of Hollywood’s biggest paranormal films and the claims that they were “Based on a True Story”.
Commercial Space – A Development Whose Time Has Come
Current and future commercial space endeavors by private enterprise with and separate from governments. A presentation of the Denver Space Society Chapter of the National Space Society.
Create a Character: Dnd 5e
Let’s create some Dungeons and Dragons characters! If you have ever felt intimidated creating a character, this panel is for you. Bring your pencil and imagination!
DIY Stunt Driving and Explosives in Film
Zachary Helm has over a decade of experience in stunt driving and pyrotechnics for underground films, and this class will go over some of the basics of safely achieving high impact special effects, explosions and chases for your film.
Expanding Your Cosplay Universe
Take your costuming passion to the next level with community involvement, charitable events and even professionally. Learn the techniques of portfolio usage, online presentations, and marketing techniques from 15-year cosplayer and former award-winning Art Director, Kurt Weinreich Jr. of NinjaSith Creatives.
Foam, Felt and Fabric: Puppet Panel with Kristin Dalleske
Join Kristin as she discusses the ins and outs of puppet fabrication, puppeteering and her experiences working on the Netflix series, The Dark Crystal Age of Resistance, and the upcoming film, Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls. The panel will also include a Q&A.
From Fan to Guest: A 30-year Look Back at StarFest
Mark Streed, contributor to the Dice Tower, has been attending StarFest for a long time. From attending as a fan in 1986, to being a guest multiple times in recent years, he has a unique perspective of StarFest to share.
Ghosts of Colorado
A look into some classic Colorado haunts, the history, urban legends and our investigations at them.
Karaoke Test of Bravery
Come sing karaoke with your StarFest family.
Let’s Make a World
Together we’ll go on a world-building journey. Using tables, charts, and methods from The Promethean Blog, as well as a set of dice, to create our own worlds together! We’ll populate these with creatures and civilizations, all (mostly) randomly derived. Take-home worksheets let you continue to develop your creations, and make new ones with these tools whenever you want. Lets make a world together!
Make a No-Sew Plushie
Come make a fun stuffed animal! We will make, stuff, and finish a cuddly companion, a whale or a dinosaur. You take your new friend with you! If you can tie a knot, you can make an animal! $15 materials fee per person. Children under age 7 must have adult companion.
Making It: Adventures in Sci-Fi Television
Join Assistant Editor Brian Santistevan (Star Trek: Picard / Star Trek: Discovery) as he shares his experience going from staffing StarFest to working on shows such as Star Trek: Picard and Westworld. Learn what an Assistant Editor does and what it takes to make science fiction in Hollywood.
Meet the CMOD
Meet the Stormbringer, a local Battlestar Galactica chapter. Part of the Colonial Ministry of Defense.
MileHiCon Challenge Panel
Think you know what’s the Best Science Fiction Show ever? Come argue your case at the MileHiCon Challenge Panel! Members of the audience take the stage and defend their choice of show against each other, and let the audience applause decide the winner.
Motherland: Fort Salem: An alternate history about the Salem witches
Motherland: Fort Salem is a TV show on the Freeform Channel. It tells a different history about the Salem Witches. In this alternate universe, they become a pillar of society.
MST3K: 1999
For two seasons sci-fi fans watched the brilliant scientists, doctors, and pilots of Space: 1999 struggle to survive space warps, space brains, and, yes, even some cannibals! We shouldn’t make fun of the brave men and women of Moonbase Alpha who were blasted into outer space, should we?! They did their best, but, yeah, of course we’re gonna make fun of them! Join Nerd Alert News as we riff an episode of one of Gerry Anderson’s finest accomplishments MST3K-style! Even if you’ve never seen Space: 1999, join us for some snarky fun!
Navigating a Con with Small Children, Disabilities, or Handicaps
Get the most positive experience from a con with your family. Even if your children are small or have medical issues. Even if you have disabilities, you can still have an amazing time.
Outpost LIVE!
Join the cast and crew of Outpost: A Star Trek Fan Production and help create a special mini-episode of the award-winning audio drama series! Lend your voice to a new adventure in this fan-produced show, and, time permitting, get to hear your work as a finished piece of work. The show you create here at StarFest will become part of the show’s regularly released episodes!
A Pink Wake
In the last 2 years, our geek community lost some of its members. We are celebrating their lives, and we want you to celebrate with us. If you lost a love one, bring their stories and photos to share with us.
Psychology of Crazy Jane from Doom Patrol
This panel is great for people who are fans of Doom Patrol and/or interested in psychology. Coming to this panel you will learn how accurate a depiction of Crazy Jane is of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) by discussing how people with DID act and how they organize each part of self in their own mind. I will talk about the causes and treatments of DID and how a person lives with the disorder. I love to answer people’s questions related to this topic so please come with them and have an open mind because DID is a type of disorder that is unlike many others.
R2D2 Builders Introduction Q&A
R2-D2 and other robot builders’ information and interactive discussions with close up look into members’ R2 build’s . We will include 3D-printed robots and other custom made parts and robots.
Presented by Denver Astromech Builders Club.
Selfies From The Underworld : A Native American’s Record of the Supernatural
Join the stars of Haunted Hospitals, Paranormal 911, Paranormal Nightshift and other Discovery + and Travel Channel programs for a spooky, fun panel on all things that go bump in the night!
Why has paranormal phenomena fascinated and frightened us for so many centuries? From ghost stories to reality shows and horror movies, our interest in the existence of a spirit world is something shared by civilizations throughout the ages.
This intriguing field has been studied extensively for over 15 years by Christopher Allen Brewer (Scariest Night Of My Life, Most Terrifying Places in America, author of Selfies From the Underworld ) and James Manda (Paranormal Nightshift, My Ghost Story), who are collectively known as FUTURE GHOST.
Showcasing a startling collection of spirit photography and audio recordings from several well-known haunts, Christopher and James are currently featured on several Discovery + and Travel Channel programs. Interviewed by the Denver Post and filmed by 2-time Pulitzer Prize winner Craig Walker, Christopher had early exposure to the existence of a spirit world as an Oglala Sioux. In 2004 he met James, who was living down the street from an area where a 737 crashed, a spot known to locals for its haunted history.
This panel presents their findings from their 15 years as explorers of the unknown in paranormal hotspots in and around Denver, features behind-the-scenes trivia on the paranormal programs they’ve filmed, as well as an examination of the book. For budding ghost hunters to anyone who simply likes a good shiver down their spine, join FUTURE GHOST for a very supernaturally-stimulating panel!
Star Trek vs Star Wars
This panel will discuss the greatest ongoing sci-fi debate of which one is better: Star Trek or Star Wars? The presentation will contrast and compare the two sci-fi adventures in various ways, including which had the better specials effects, space gadgets, story line, characters and music. Which made the most money? Which affected us more socially and culturally? Which was more realistic? In the end, the audience’s final vote about which is the best will speak for itself. Then we’ll conclude with a costume contest and a Yoda singsong.
Stargate Bootcamp – Abridged!
Do you have what it takes to be trained as a Stargate team member? Find out with us! We’ll be doing a quick introduction to what a Stargate team member needs to know: The Cheyenne Mountain facility, tactics & weaponry, basic first aid, alien technology & science, and uniforms & equipment. Younger attendees welcome for this training session, and you just might win a prize for participating!
Supernatual Trivia
How well do you know supernatural? Let’s find out with YES OR NO trivia! We will play three rounds with contestants from our audience. CONFETTI IT’S A PARADE!
Time Travel Theories
Time travel in science fiction series: Is it worth your time?
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
Spaceships and exoplanets around the sun, the real Star Trek and Star Wars revealed. Ella will present an eye popping PowerPoint presentation of spaceships seen around the sun captured in NASA coronagraph space telescopes along with recent updates on exoplanets.
Starfleet Academy 2022
20th Anniversary Celebration
Starfleet Academy opened its first branch campus at StarFest on April 20, 2002 and has included nearly 70 separate classes over the years filled with creativity, performances, and even a little science now and then. The classes have been led by Vulcans, Romulans, Andorians and others, including Stevl, Jackson Fahrquar, T’Nea Kelly, Victoria Windsor, Ambassador Indra Ivari, and even Gwen Demarco, all portrayed by Bruce and Patricia Phillips. This year our four classes will be a chance to look back, relive, and celebrate a great StarFest tradition.
Starfleet Academy – A Retrospective
We will revisit several of the courses and presentations from the many Academy classes, drawing from classes such as “Technology 302: Transporters, Replicators and Other Malfunctions”, “Astronomy 204: Stars and Star Charts: Full of Hot Air and Gas (And We Don’t Mean Your Commanding Officer)”, and “Interspecies Relationships 235: Love and Friendship Under the Stars – Literally” Join us as we kick off our 20th Anniversary Celebration.
Starfleet Engineering – Hands On Training
Over the years students have had the opportunity to build starships and space stations, design uniforms, and even create aliens species. In this class we will revisit some of these opportunities in a fun, creative experience.
Jedi, SHIELD, and All the Other Academies – A Retrospective
Several times over the years, Starfleet Academy has been replaced with opportunities to have fun and play and learn in other fan worlds including Star Wars, Marvel, and even Steampunk, with superheroes, . Join us as we revisit some of the activities and presentations from all those other academies.
Starfleet Academy – the Party
Join us as we celebrate the fun and friendships of the last 20 years. It’s been an amazing run. Celebrate with us as we say farewell to Starfleet Academy – StarFest Branch Campus.
Are you still taking panel applications?
Yes, please contact Susan Anderson at luvsnow@comcast.net with your proposal.