Montana Film Festival
features film by Tobacco Valley artists
October 1st-4th, 2015 the Roxy Theater in Missoula will host the first annual Montana Film Festival.
The festival's schedule presents a lineup of new and acclaimed independent films, recent festival hits and includes four made-in-Montana movie premieres. It's an exciting, diverse schedule and we're especially looking forward to ”Love Like Gold” by Kier Atherton and Skye Bennett, both who hail from our Tobacco Valley.
Special film events at the Festival will introduce audiences to filmmakers, spark conversation, and expose the creative workings of film making. At a live table read, festival goers will experience a screenplay go from words on a page to a movie for the ears. The festival has also partnered with Tell Us Something to host “Reel Stories,” a night of film-inspired storytelling by great Montana filmmakers. Some of the films will offer a Q&A with their director(s) at the showing...check the schedule to see whether or not this applies to your films of interest.
“Love Like Gold,” co-written, directed, and produced by Kier Atherton and Skye Bennett will be featured Saturday at 6:00pm and Sunday at 3:30pm. (Ticket info and Sales.) Although they have both moved away, they maintain strong connections to the Tobacco Valley and tapped into the artistic talent of a lot of friends from here (see list at the end of this article) to create their first full-feature collaborative film. If you're familiar with the Valley you may recognize Eureka's National Hotel, the Weydemeyer Ranch, the Rendezvous Parade, and a few of the actors as you are watching the film or trailer. Kier and Skye have also worked together on a short film, “Lester Leaps,” with director, Mike Steinberg.
When asked about what inspires him as a filmmaker, Kier says that the inspiration comes from life - the people, places, and ideas he encounters. He used to think he'd have to travel to somewhere such as New York or LA which made his desire to make movies seem like a faraway dream. Once he realized that the stories could come from the land he knew so well and the collaborators would be friends “the ideas have been flowing.”
"'Love Like Gold' is a story of Gage (Brick Patrick) and Lola (Alexandra Henrikson). Gage, a wayward ranch hand in search of something different in his life, and Lola, a singer who wants to get away from the bad choices and hardships that have fallen on her. When these two meet they can't tell if they should trust each other to fall in love and start clean, or if there is no hope left for love and try to run away like they always have."
“Love Like Gold - everything else is just pretend.”
Contact the Roxy Theater @406-728-9380 with questions about the Montana Film Festival. Montana Film Festival Schedule and Ticket Sales.
Tobacco Valley (T.V.) Participants in “Love Like Gold:”
- Skye Bennett - Producer, Writer, etc
- Kier Atherton - Director, Writer, etc
- Abe Quilling - Art Director
- Laffrey Witbrod - Assistant Camera and Gaffer
- Christine Quilling – T.V. Production Coordinator
- Yosha Delong & Pom Collins were both T.V. Associate Producers.
- Gary Henderson - 2nd unit camera
- Chance Cole - actor & production assistant
- David Shaffer - actor & production assistant
- Michael Atherton - musical consultant
- Locations included the National Hotel, the Weydemeyer ranch, and the Rendezvous Parade.
About the Author: Alice B Elrod is a longtime promoter, supporter and contributor to our community. I love living in this glorious valley. There are so many people here who ardently strive to help out and it's a pleasure to pitch in when I can. Writing for visitNWmontana gives me a chance to know more about our community lets me invest some creative time in getting the word out about how wonderful it is to call this place home. I also have the privilege to be involved in the community by working with the Creative Arts Council, Recycle Eureka and through my chiropractic practice, Elrod Chiropractic.
