Comedy writer-director Jason Reitman returns to Aspen as this year’s Director Spotlight guest of honor at the 15th annual Aspen Shortsfest, which takes place April 5 – 9 at the Wheeler Opera House and other locations. Aspen Shortsfest’s Closing Night presentation will be Reitman’s feature debut Thank You for Smoking, which has its U.S.premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. Based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed 1994 novel and hailed by Variety as “slick, stylish and sharp-witted,” Thank You for Smoking is a fiercely satirical look at today’s ”culture of spin.” It stars Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, William H. Macy, Katie Holmes, Rob Lowe, and Robert Duvall and will be released by Fox Searchlight this spring.

In addition, the festival will screen a retrospective of Reitman’s short films including two previous Aspen Shortsfest winners, In God We Trust and Consent. Widely recognized as one of the world's premiere short film and video showcases, Aspen Shortsfest will also offer its esteemed Oscar-qualifying International Competition with over $20,000 in cash prizes, panels, workshops, and dozens of filmmakers from around the world.

“Jason Reitman has been part of Aspen Shortsfest since 2000 when In God We Trust won Best Comedy,” exudes Aspen Filmfest Executive Director Laura Thielen. “Director Spotlight celebrates short filmmakers who have distinguished themselves. As enormous fans, we're honored to celebrate Jason’s talent. It's especially inspiring to see a filmmaker who makes terrific shorts not only take the leap to features but makes a splash. Jason loves to make people laugh and he does it in smart and engaging ways. We’re delighted to welcome him and his steadfast producer, Daniel Dubecki, back.”

Appealing to filmmakers and movie lovers alike, Aspen Shortsfest offers a spectacular winter setting for film discovery. The festival unspools in multiple locations including the historic Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Crystal Theatre in Carbondale, and Springs Theatre in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. A selection of Aspen Shortsfest film highlights - including winning films - will show at the Denver Film Society’s Starz Film Center the weekend of April 14-16. The complete Aspen Shortsfest program will be available online at www.aspenfilm.org in early March.

Aspen Shortsfest is a presentation of Aspen Filmfest, a non-profit arts organization, and is sponsored in part by the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Council on the Arts, and City of Aspen. Additional support of its youth education programs comes from Target, Town of Snowmass Village, and Town of Basalt. For more information on Aspen Filmfest and its year-round programs, please contact 970.925.6882 or visit www.aspenfilm.org.