He's more Montana than L.A.

And that's exactly how actor/producer Huntley Ritter likes it

Sitting in the back patio of the Garden Bar in Bigfork, Huntley Ritter doesn't look much like a movie star.

His boots are scuffed and his shirt slightly wrinkled.

Only Ritter's camera-ready smile and slightly familiar face distinguish him from others spending the afternoon at the bar.

He may look familiar from one of his roles in 11 Hollywood movies, including "Bring It On" and "We Are Marshall," or perhaps his hunting and fishing television show aptly named "The Huntley Way."

But make no mistake, Ritter isn't a Hollywood-type looking for a Wild West vacation. He is a full-time Flathead Valley resident who worries like the rest of us about new subdivisions and the impending fire season.

Raised in Atlanta, Ritter said his "love affair" with Montana began at the age of 15 when he came for a fly-fishing trip.

At 19, he bought a home in the Yaak. He lived in Bozeman for a short time before moving to the Flathead Valley.

Now at 30, the actor, writer and producer splits his time between his Montana homes and the occasional business trip to Los Angeles.

"I'm not from Hollywood. I just happen to do business there," he insists. "I do long-distance business there."

Two years ago Ritter found a way to incorporate his love of Montana and his passion for the entertainment industry. With the help of a few buddies from around the state, he launched a Montana-based production company called Stafford Films.

With a corporate office in L.A., Stafford Films' home base is in Montana. The business partners are scattered from Bozeman to Missoula and from Butte to the Flathead Valley.

Ritter's goal is to bring movie and television projects to Montana, creating a positive relationship for everyone.

He said the film-making industry is one the of the state's greatest renewable resources.

"It brings in so much money but it doesn't take anything away," Ritter said. "We can all benefit from it."

In terms of scenery, Montana has plenty to offer on majestic and pristine. But Ritter also believes Montana's cities have a lot to be proud of.

"The Flathead Valley has so much to offer. It has good resources and good people," Ritter said. "Every movie filmed in Montana doesn't have to be 'Lonesome Dove' or 'Legends of the Fall.'"

Ritter's business partner Brian Skuletich, a native of Butte, agreed, touting cities such as Butte for their architectural appeal.

Skuletich, the senior vice president of production at Stafford Films, said that bringing films to the Big Sky is beneficial to both the residents of Montana as well as the film-makers.

When a movie crew comes to a community, so does its money. Legislation offering tax breaks encourages production companies to spend their money in Montana.

This year the Montana Legislature passed legislation to improve the Big Sky on the Big Screen Act. The act now provides film companies larger tax incentives on production expenditures acquired while on location in Montana and encourages large scale productions by getting rid of the caps on credits.

Now production companies are eligible to receive a 14 percent rebate on all Montana labor hired for film production and a 9 percent rebate on all production-related Montana expenditures including lodging, fuel and equipment rental.

Ritter said that in the time that he lived in Montana he has become quite protective of the land.

He said, "It's very important to us not to jeopardize the things that make people love Montana."

According to Ritter the best part about having movies filmed in the state is that once the filming is over, the crews all go back home.

"It's like, 'Welcome. Thank you for your money. Now it's time to go,'" he said. "Plus they don't really like the cold."

But being a Montana-based company in a Hollywood-based industry does have it's drawbacks.

The majority of Ritter's work is done via his Blackberry mobile phone and many nights he falls asleep with his laptop in bed. Occasional trips to L.A. are also required.

But for Ritter every hardship is worth it. For an avid outdoorsman like himself, living and working in Montana is a dream come true.

One of Stafford Films' latest projects allows Ritter to indulge his passion for the outdoors. The reality-based hunting and fishing television show, "The Huntley Way," is shown on the Versus channel, and follows Ritter across the county on his outdoor adventures.

Stafford Films currently has one television show on the air, four in the works and several films in production.

Next month, Ritter will again appear on the big screen in the film "September Dawn." In theaters Aug. 24, the movie gives an account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a mysterious and widely disputed tragedy where 100 men, women and children were killed Sept. 11, 1857, while traveling through Utah.

The film, which also stars Jon Voight, will be shown in Kalispell theaters.

Reporter Amy May may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at amay@dailyinterlake.com