Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Announces 2008 Selections
Official selections for the 2008 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival are now on-line at bigsky.bside.com.
From February 14th to 20th, 2008, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival celebrates its 5th year by showcasing 98 films from 40 countries. The official selections represent a broad array of filmmaking styles, formats and production dates, from classics to World Premieres. The 2008 films were selected from nearly 1000 submissions from across the globe.
Since 2004 the festival has grown into a premier international venue for exhibition of innovative, contemporary and classic non-fiction cinema. Screenings are held in the historic Wilma Theater in scenic downtown Missoula, Montana. BSDFF has built a reputation for its programming excellence and is the largest event of its kind in the American West.
The event includes three competitions.
o Documentary Feature Competition - The award for Best Documentary Feature will be given to one film 50 minutes or longer in length. A cash award of $1000 will be presented by IndiePix.
o Documentary Short Competition - The award for Best Documentary Short will be given to one film up to 50 minutes in length.
o Big Sky Award Competition - The Big Sky Award will be given to one film of any length with significant content pertaining to the American West.
The 2008 jury includes distinguished filmmakers, industry professionals and academics. The jury members will present the awards at a reception and press conference on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. Competition films will be announced next week.
Each year BSDFF recognizes the work of important filmmakers by highlighting their contribution to documentary arts in the Big Sky Retrospective Series. The 2008 series will present the work of Hart Perry and Dana Heinz Perry. This distinguished filmmaking duo continues to make exciting new work today and will be two of this year’s BSDFF Judges. Their latest work, SEX: The Revolution!, will have its World Premiere at Big Sky this year.
Q & A sessions with filmmakers follow most screenings. This year over President’s Day Weekend, Big Sky offers three panel discussions that are free and open to the public.
The Opening Night Film, The Gates, presented by HBO Documentary Films, will feature the latest work from legendary documentarian, Albert Maysles. Missoula audiences will enjoy free public admission for this special Valentines Day screening, courtesy of HBO. Co-director Antonio Ferrara will be in attendance.
Passes are now available for sale on-line at www.bigskyfilmfest.org and will also be sold at the box office at the Wilma Theatre during the week of the festival.
Sunday 20 Jan 2008 | Paul | Film Festivals and Events
