A scene from "Rolling Papers": La Rambla's most photographed site is the giant Montevideo sign that sits beachside in the Uruguay capitol. (Zachary Armstrong, Special to The Cannabist)

‘Rolling Papers,’ a documentary on pot journalists, will debut at SXSW Film

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By The Cannabist Staff

The documentary film “Rolling Papers” — which follows Denver Post and Cannabist journalists, critics and columnists as they cover Colorado’s first year of legal marijuana sales — will have its world premiere at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, the fest announced Tuesday.

Director Mitch Dickman’s feature-length film follows reporters inside The Post’s newsroom as well as freelancers for the newspaper’s online marijuana news and culture vertical The Cannabist. The film will screen multiple times during SXSW Film, which runs March 13-21.

UPDATE: We just learned “Rolling Papers” will screen three times during SXSW: It will premiere at 9:30 p.m. March 15 at the Vimeo Theater, 201 Trinity St. It will also show at 7:30 p.m. March 17 at Alamo Lamar B (1120 S. Lamar Blvd.) and at 2:15 p.m. March 21 at the Stateside Theatre (719 Congress Ave.). More on the screenings here.

“It’s insane,” Dickman said on Tuesday, ” and it’s something that we dreamed about last year — that it would be crazy if we could get the film done in time to premiere at a major festival like this. South by couldn’t be a better home for this film and this story.”

Jake Browne Cannabist pot critic
Cannabist marijuana critic Jake Browne in “Rolling Papers” (Zachary Armstrong)

What should viewers expect to see in “Rolling Papers”? We’re not sure, since we’ve not yet seen the film, but some possibilities:

Intensive reporting on a massive CBD series with Post staff writer John Ingold. Marijuana shopping with pot critic Jake Browne. A work trip to Montevideo, Uruguay, with marijuana editor Ricardo Baca to learn more about their legal pot infrastructure. Roaming the Cannabis Cup with pot critic Ry Prichard. At home with Cannabist parenting columnist Brittany Driver, and her son and husband.

From the SXSW brief: “In 2014, recreational marijuana sales began in Colorado. With all eyes on ground zero of the green rush, The Denver Post appointed the world’s first marijuana editor. Pot is legal, journalism is ignited and The Cannabist is covering it as it unfolds.”

Keep an eye on the “Rolling Papers” website for more information on SXSW screenings and other news.