Missoula Current

For ten days each February, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival lights up Missoula with a long list of non-fiction films, special events, multimedia exhibits and educational programs.

This year - and in partnership with HBO - the festival will open on Friday, Feb. 17, with a free screening of “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.”

“We're thrilled to partner with HBO once again for a marvelous opening night film,” says festival director Rachel Gregg. "Bright Lights gives us a rare peek into the normal lives of two very different yet intertwined Hollywood starlets, a truly human story that will have you laughing in one moment and tug at your heartstrings in the next. We can’t wait to share it with Missoula.”

Now in its 14th year, the annual festival will present more than 150 of the best nonfiction films from every corner of the globe. The festival hosts hundreds of filmmakers and offers a variety of events across Missoula, with screenings at four historic locations.

In addition to the screenings, the festival hosts the Big Sky DocShop, a five-day filmmaker’s forum that includes panels, workshops, and the popular Big Sky Pitch for works in progress.

The 2017 DocShop filmmaker’s forum will focus the many aspects of short film, from conception to distributing. It also includes panels and workshops with industry experts from Vice, ITVS, The Atlantic, ESPN, Film Collaborative, and Tribeca Film Institute.

Gregg said official selections and festival schedule will be announced mid-January. Sales for tickets and passes, as well as DocShop registration, open in late January.

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