GOVERNOR BULLOCK ANNOUNCES GRANTS TO SUPPORT FILM PRODUCTION IN MONTANA
HELENA – July 27, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Steve Bullock and Montana Department of Commerce Director Meg O’Leary today announced the award of $281,519 in Big Sky Film grants to support the production of 21 new film and multimedia projects taking place in Montana.
“There are so many talented media makers doing business and creating valuable content in Montana,” said Bullock. “They are part of a growing industry that impacts many Montana communities and I am glad we can support these efforts that showcase all our state has to offer.”
Funding was granted to five documentary film projects, two independent feature films including the next movie from Bozeman production company Oracle Film Group, one short film and more than a dozen web series projects that will provide content to be leveraged in promotional efforts of the Montana Film Office and the Montana Office of Tourism. The full list of grant recipients can be found on the Montana Film Office website: http://www.montanafilm.com/big-sky-film-grant-update/.
“Montana’s beauty and richness of character truly shine on screen,” said O’Leary. “These film grants provide opportunities for our partners to generate content that we can leverage to invite more people to visit Montana and experience this great state in person.”
Grant recipients include Montana filmmaker June Molgaard and her film “All My Relations,” a documentary following how Montana tribes in Fort Benton and Fort Peck are playing a pivotal role in the conservation of endangered species on tribal lands; Shane Scherholz’s fly fishing film “Generations” which follows three generations of Montana fly fishermen and women brought together by the natural beauty of Montana and the bond cultivated by the sport; Short film “Lester Leaps In” from Montana Mafia Productions, which tells the story of overcoming obstacles to achieve happiness through the eyes of a 1970s Montana sawmill foreman; and Fin and Fur Films’ documentary film “Unbranded”, which also received funding to take the film to festivals in New York, Washington, Toronto, and Colorado, where it received the coveted audience award from Telluride Mountainfilm Festival.
The Big Sky Film Grant is a $1 million grant program that offers funding to resident filmmakers, filmmakers looking to shoot in-state, in-state production companies, and filmmakers taking Montana-made films to internationally juried film festivals. Administered through the Montana Department of Commerce, the grant provides funding for Montana-centric content that shows the state in an indelible light and can be used for promoting Montana as a travel and filmmaking destination.
For more information or to apply for the grant, visit http://www.montanafilm.com/incentive-packages/big-sky-film-grant/. For questions regarding film permitting, locations, or productions in Montana, contact the Montana Film Office at montanafilm (at) mt (dot) gov or 1 (800) 553-4563.
CONTACTS
Mike Wessler, Deputy Communications Director, Governor’s Office, 444-9725
Ronja Abel, Communications Director, Department of Commerce, 841-2557
