This month, two contrasting films will show at the Crawford Theater, sponsored by the Bozeman Film Festival (BFF). One, entitled Beasts of the Southern Wild, is a heart wrenching tale of a young girl living in the “bathtub” of Louisiana, and will show November 1 at 7:30 p.m. The second, a more humorous film titled Sleepwalk with Me, will follow on November 11 at 7:30 p.m. and shows the struggle of a budding comedian as he comes to terms with sleepwalking.

The BFF, a non-profit organization that sponsors film viewings in Bozeman throughout the year, strives to bring diversity to the community by hosting a variety of independent, foreign-language and documentary films that would not normally be shown at the Gallatin Valley Cinema, located in the Gallatin Valley Mall. The cinema focuses on blockbuster and 3-D movies, which can limit the variety of films shown at the theater.

Run by a board of seven, the BFF combats this by seeking “out award-winning, critically-acclaimed films that are showing in larger markets than Bozeman, but will not make it to the Gallatin Valley Cinema,” said Lisa McGrory, seven time president of the BFF.

The films are selected through a process of reviewing previews, press releases and film-reviews in addition to recommendations from outside sources.
The majority of these films are held in the 700-seat Crawford Theater, located in the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture. Occasionally, specialty films will be held at the Gallatin Valley Cinema.

Typically, films are scheduled to show on Thursday nights. McGrory must make reservations for the theater eight to ten months in advance, and still on occasion struggles with consistently booking Thursday showings as the theater is so busy.
Tickets are available for sale at the Emerson lobby one hour before screenings, or anytime at Cactus Records. Prices are $8 for general and $7 for seniors and students. BFF offers punch-cards and year-long passes as well. BFF is able to keep ticket prices low thanks to many local sponsors that underwrite the organization each year.

BFF began operation in 1978 when Montana State University English and film professors came together in an effort to bring classic and world cinema to the Bozeman community. Originally, BFF featured films four to seven nights a week at the downtown Rialto Theater. However when Carmike Theaters sold the Rialto in 2005, BFF had to relocate to the Crawford Theater and has been showing films there ever since. This change caused the group to limit their viewings to one film every two or three weeks.

After moving from the downtown theater, the BFF experienced a difficult transition, however since then, attendance numbers have steadily increased. To encourage this growth, BFF tries to be creative about attracting new audience members. For example, for the Beasts of the Southern Wild viewing, the Emerson Grill has agreed to serve Cajun food in the lobby prior to the show.

McGrory believes that there are a number of reasons for the increasing attendance rates. The diversity of films shown, the accountability the organization has developed, the focus on local films and filmmakers, and the partnerships with other Bozeman organizations all help to provide educational, creative opportunities for the community, she explained.

Since the group has moved to the Crawford Theater, some wonderful upgrades have occurred. In 2009 the group purchased a new perforated film screen, and in 2011, it donated a sound system to the theater. Also, in 2008, BFF worked with HATCHfest (a non-profit group devoted to celebrating and elevating creativity) and the Emerson to install the Ellen Theater’s old 35mm projector in the projection booth in the Crawford Theater. Prior to the installation of this projector, BFF was limited to showing films only available on Blu-ray or DVD, and many new films are only available on the 35mm during their initial showings.

“These additions have allowed us to improve the quality of the films booked and assure that we can continue to bring newer films to Bozeman,” McGrory said.

Board members and volunteers work with paid technical support staff from the Emerson to bring the films to life on the screen at the Crawford. Day-to-day operational functions for the BFF are handled by part-time employees.

In addition to showing movies, BFF enjoys bringing guest speakers to film viewings, and “has found that Bozeman is fortunate to have deep ties with many filmmakers and experts in subjects related to movies [BFF] brings [to the community]” McGrory said.

This summer, the group was able to do this during the fourth annual “Story under the Stars,” a free film series held on the lawn of the Story Mansion in August. Producer of The Horse Whisperer, Patrick Markey, introduced the film before its showing, telling personal stories of the filming and production process. Filmed here in Montana, this movie shows the healing process of a teenager and her horse after a tragic accident. McGrory described the summer series as a success, stating that they “saw its biggest night ever with “The Princess Bride.”
Go to www.bozemanfilmfestival.org or look for BFF on Facebook for more information.

Jessianne Wright is an honors student at MSU and also reports for the MSU Exponent. Photo by Carlee Breen.