Ever since Telluride's Sheridan Opera House hosted the festival's first feature 30 years ago, it has been this attitude, this unshakable, unpretentious appreciation for cinema, that sets Telluride apart from other big film fetes. The festival may have grown to occupy eight theaters (most of them cozily indoors), but it still attracts those who love moviemaking above moneymaking, remaining delightfully devoid of photo-snapping paparazzi and snobby industry soirees. Not that the four-day lineup isn't consistently impressive: Sling Blade, Bowling for Columbine, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon were all unveiled here, and Peter O'Toole, Clint Eastwood, and Meryl Streep are among the past honorees. But at the lung-humbling altitude of 8,750 feet, even celebrities dress in denim and wait in line, sparking conversations with that friendly Telluride greeting: "What good films have you seen?"

Thanks to this low-key atmosphere, cash-strapped cineasts can partake, too. Those who choose not to spring for the $325 or $650 passes can supplement free outdoor screenings and seminars with $20 individual tickets or a $25 Late Show Ticket that buys access to the last movie four nights running at The Max theater. And, of course, Telluride's greatest show doesn't cost a penny: a montage of sky-shattering sunsets, thundering waterfalls, and mountains so monumental they look like a Cecil B. DeMille set. Entranced by the beauty, you may just zip up your parka and refuse to leave.