Big Sky Documentary Film Festival lights up Missoula Feb. 17-26
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (BSDFF) lights up Missoula Feb. 17-26 with an inspiring program of non-fiction films, special events, multimedia exhibits and educational programs. Now in its 14th year, the annual documentary film festival presents more than 200 of the best nonfiction films from every corner of the globe.
The festival hosts hundreds of filmmakers and offers a variety of events at venues including The Wilma, the Roxy Theater, The Silver and the Hellgate Elks Lodge.
Opening night on Friday, Feb. 17, includes a free screening at The Wilma, in partnership with HBO, of “Bright Lights.” The film profiles Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds – poignantly, the two big-screen icons died in late December, within a day of each other. This intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty, in all its eccentricity, sets the stage for a compelling festival and storytelling adventure.
In addition to screenings, BSDFF hosts the Big Sky DocShop, a five-day filmmakers’ forum that includes panels, workshops, and the popular Big Sky Pitch for works in progress. This year’s DocShop will include panels and workshops with ITVS, The Atlantic, ESPN Films, The Film Collaborative, New York Times Video, and the Tribeca Film Institute, among other industry experts, as well as master classes with the 2017 BSDFF retrospective artists.
Each year BSDFF presents retrospective programming that spotlights a body of work by a celebrated and accomplished filmmaker. This year, the festival has invited Academy Award winner Daniel Junge, whose work includes “They Killed Sister Dorothy,” a SXSW grand jury and audience award-winner, and “Saving Face,” the 2012 winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary Short.
In the most expansive retrospective program ever offered at Big Sky, the festival welcomes Montreal-based EyeSteelFilm headed by founder Daniel Cross. The film collective has branched out to make films on diverse, compelling topics around the globe and is home to a community of committed documentary filmmakers, several of whom will attend.
Official selections and the festival schedule are available at www.bigskyfilmfest.org.