Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is an annual non-fiction film festival held in

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...

each February. The event showcases

documentary films A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

from around the world. The festival first began in 2003 as a seven-day event. It is now a ten-day event. The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is the largest cinema event in Montana. The festival presents an average of 150 non-fiction films annually at the historic Wilma Theater, The Top Hat, The Roxy Theater, and Crystal Theater in downtown Missoula. BSDFF hosts DocShop an industry-focused feature of the festival that offers documentary

filmmakers Filmmaking (film production) is the process by which a Film, motion picture is #Production, produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, starting with an initial story, idea, or commission. It then continues through scr ...

opportunities for networking, discussion, and professional development. The schedule includes workshops, Work-In-Progress presentations, panels, and the annual Big Sky Pitch session. DocShop's participants have included:

HBO Documentary Films Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television, premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office busi ...

Participant Media Participant Media, LLC is an American Film industry, film production company founded in 2004 by Jeffrey Skoll, dedicated to entertainment intended to spur social change. The company finances and co-produces film and television content, as well as ...

BBC Storyville ''Storyville'' is a documentary strand presented by the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the ...

CNN Films CNN Films is a motion picture division of CNN under Warner Bros. Pictures. originally launched in 2012. Its first film, ''Girl Rising'' premiered in spring 2013 in the United States. History On October 8, 2012, CNN announced the creation of CNN ...

ITVS ITVS (Independent Television Service) is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries on public television through distribution by PBS and American Public Television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly seri ...

, POV,

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

Tribeca Film Institute The Tribeca Film Institute (TFI) is a year-round non-profit arts organization founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff, based in New York. The Tribeca Film Institute was created in 2003 in the wake of September 11, 2001. TFI ta ...

, Sundance Doc Fund,

Chicken & Egg Pictures Chicken & Egg Pictures is a US based film organization that supports women and gender-nonconforming nonfiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change. Founded in 2005, by Julie Parker Benello, Judith Helfand and ...

, The Fledgling Fund and

Catapult Film Fund A catapult is a ballistics, ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release ...

. Recent award winners at the festival have included ''

Last of the Elephant Men ''Last of the Elephant Men'' is a Canadian documentary film, which was released in 2015."Documentary explores Asian tribe's bond with elephants". ''Victoria Times-Colonist'', July 9, 2015. Directed by Arnaud Bouquet and Daniel Ferguson, the film p ...

'' (Daniel Ferguson, Arnaud Bouquet), ''Siblings are Forever'' (Frode Fimland), '' A World Not Ours'' ( Mahdi Fleifel), ''

Blood Brother Blood brother can refer to two or more men not related by birth who have sworn loyalty to each other. This is in modern times usually done in a ceremony, known as a blood oath, where each person makes a small cut, usually on a finger, hand or ...

'' (Steve Hoover), '' Slomo'' (Joshua Izenberg), ''

Chasing Ice ''Chasing Ice'' is a 2012 documentary film about the efforts of nature photographer James Balog and his Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) to publicize the effects of climate change. The film was directed by Jeff Orlowski. It was released in the United Stat ...

'' (Jeff Orlowski), '' This Way Of Life'' (Thomas Burstyn), '' Last Train Home'' (Lixin Fan), and ''

Gasland ''Gasland'' is a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States where natural gas drilling activity was a concern and, specifically, on hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), a method ...

'' (Josh Fox), ''

Rough Aunties ''Rough Aunties'' is a 2008 documentary film directed by Kim Longinotto about a group of 5 women of Operation Bobbi Bear who protect and care for abused, neglected and forgotten children in Durban, South Africa. It won the Grand Jury Prize in t ...

'' (Kim Longinotto), '' Sweetgrass'' (Ilisa Barbash & Lucien Castaing-Taylor), '' Jimmy Rosenberg: The Father, The Son, and the Talent'' (Jeroen Berkvens), ''

Favela Rising ''Favela Rising'' is a 2005 documentary film by American directors Jeff Zimbalist and Matt Mochary. It was produced by Sidetrack Films and VOY Pictures. It debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 24, 2005, where it won the award for ''Be ...

'' (Jeff Zimbalist), ''

The Cats of Mirikitani ''The Cats of Mirikitani'' is a 2006 documentary film. Synopsis In 2001, Japanese American painter Jimmy Mirikitani (born Tsutomu Mirikitani), over 80 years old, was living on the streets of lower Manhattan. Filmmaker Linda Hattendorf took an int ...

'', (Linda Hattendorf), ''

Citizen King Citizen King was an American music group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose style was a mix of hip-hop, soul, and punk. They are best known for their top 40 hit "Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out)", which peaked at on the ''Billboard'' Hot ...

'' (Orlando Bagwell & W. Noland Walker), and '' Horns and Halos'', (Michael Galinsky & Suki Hawley). Special retrospective programs have included:

Agi Orsi Silver iodide is an inorganic compound with the formula Ag I. The compound is a bright yellow solid, but samples almost always contain impurities of metallic silver that give a gray coloration. The silver contamination arises because AgI is hig ...

Barbara Kopple Barbara Kopple (born July 30, 1946) is an American film director known primarily for her documentary work. She has won two Academy Awards, the first in 1977 for ''Harlan County, USA'', about a Kentucky miners' strike, /sup> and the second in ...

Brendan Canty Brendan John Canty (born March 9, 1966, in Teaneck, New Jersey) is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi. In 2007, ''Stylus Magazine'' ranked Canty at #29 on the list of "50 Gre ...

Caveh Zahedi Caveh Zahedi (; born April 29, 1960) is an American film director and actor. Early years Zahedi was born in Washington, D.C., to Iranian immigrant parents. He studied philosophy at Yale University. Upon graduation, Zahedi moved to Paris, Fran ...

Christoph Green Christoph is a male given name and surname. It is a German variant of Christopher. Notable people with the given name Christoph * Christoph Bach (1613–1661), German musician * Christoph Büchel (born 1966), Swiss artist * Christoph Dientzenho ...

Chuck Workman Chuck Workman is a documentary filmmaker from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. His 1986 film ''Precious Images'' won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film; his work has also been nominated for Emmy Awards, Sundance Film Festival awards, ...

, Dana & Hart Perry,

Doug Pray Doug Pray is an American documentary film director, cinematographer, and editor who often explores unique subcultures in his films. His work includes '' Surfwise'' (2008), a portrait of the nomadic, 11-member Doc Paskowitz family (often referred ...

Jerry Blumenthal Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * Jerry (film), ''Jerry'' (film), a 200 ...

Joe Berlinger Joseph Berlinger (born October 30, 1961) is an American documentary filmmaker and producer. Particularly focused on true crime documentaries, Berlinger's films and docu-series draw attention to social justice issues in the US and abroad in such ...

, John Cohen,

Kartemquin Films Kartemquin Films is a four-time Oscar-nominated 501(c)3 non-profit production company located in Chicago, Illinois, that produces a wide range of documentary films. It is the documentary filmmaking home of acclaimed producers such as Gordon Quinn ( ...

Les Blank Les Blank (November 27, 1935 – April 7, 2013) was an American documentary filmmaker best known for his portraits of American traditional musicians. Life and career Leslie Harrod Blank Jr. was born November 27, 1935 in Tampa, Florida. He atten ...

Lucy Walker (director) Lucy Walker is an English film director. She has directed the documentaries '' Devil's Playground'' (2002), ''Blindsight'' (2006), '' Waste Land'' (2010), ''Countdown to Zero'' (2010), and '' The Crash Reel'' (2013). She has also directed the ...

Maysles Brothers Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films i ...

Ondi Timoner Ondi Doane Timoner is an American filmmaker and the founder and chief executive officer of Interloper Films, a full-service production company located in Pasadena, California. Timoner is a two-time recipient of the Sundance Film Festival's ...

Robert B. Weide Robert B. Weide (born June 20, 1959) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. He has directed a number of documentaries and was the principal director and an executive producer of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' for the show's first five ye ...

Ron Mann Ronald Mann (born June 13, 1958), credited professionally as Ron Mann, is a Canadian documentary film director. His work includes the films ''Imagine the Sound'' (1981); ''Comic Book Confidential'' (1988); ''Grass'' (1999) and ''Go Further'' ( ...

Sam Green Sam Green is an American documentary filmmaker. His most recent projects are “live documentaries” in which he narrates a film in-person while musicians perform a live soundtrack. His 2018 project ''A Thousand Thoughts'' features a live score ...

Stanley Nelson Stanley Earl Nelson Jr. (born June 7, 1951) is an American documentary filmmaker and a MacArthur Fellow known as a director, writer and producer of documentaries examining African-American history and experiences. He is a recipient of the 2013 N ...

, and Steve James. Special guests have included Indy Rock legends

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James McNew ...

Grant Hart Grantzberg Vernon Hart (March 18, 1961 – September 13, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the punk rock band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1988, he released his first solo album '' ...

, and

Lydia Loveless Lydia Loveless (born September 4, 1990; as Lydia Ankrom) is an American alternative country singer-songwriter from Columbus, Ohio. Her music combines pop music, classic country, honky tonk, and punk rock. Early life Loveless was born in Cos ...

. Comedians

Tig Notaro Mathilde O'Callaghan "Tig" Notaro (born March 24, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actress. She is known for her deadpan comedy. Her acclaimed album ''Live'' was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Be ...

and Chris Fairbanks. Films shown at the 2022 event included Dear Mr. Brody, The Balcony Movie,

Oyate ''Oyate'' is a 2022 American documentary film directed by Brandon Jackson and Emil Benjamin. The film follows Indigenous activists and politicians as they shed light on the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. ''Oyate'' had its world premiere at Big ...

, One road to Quartzsite and After Antarctica.

References

External links

Official website

Article in withoutabox
Documentary film festivals in the United States Film festivals in Montana Culture of Missoula, Montana 2003 establishments in Montana Tourist attractions in Missoula, Montana Film festivals established in 2003 {{US-film-festival-stub