Free screening set for documentary about Polson family’s theater business

A new documentary “A Theatre Near You,” which profiles a Polson family who own and operate an independent chain of movie theaters in eight Montana and Idaho towns, will be screened Dec. 27.

Howard Pickerill and his wife Ayron have owned and operated Polson Theatres Inc. for 52 years. Howard Pickerill began his career under the glow of the big screen as an usher at a Polson movie theater about 70 years ago. Daughter Becky Dupuis and her husband Gary Dupuis joined the family business in 2013, taking over the day-to-day operations.

In an era of online streaming, Polson Theatres continues to draw audiences to the big screen. 

“It is a business of faith. You have to have the faith. Otherwise, it just don’t work. That’s all there is to it,” Howard Pickerill said.

This is a sentiment director David King could relate to as an independent filmmaker. Although the filmmaker initially suggested making the documentary, he wasn’t sure if he had the time to pursue the idea.

“It takes months to plan, shoot, and then edit a project of this nature. I wasn’t sure I was up to tackling this one,” he said.

After further consideration, he and his producing partner and wife Jessica thought there might be “something there.” David King soon approached the Pickerills and Dupuis’ and proposed moving forward with creating the hour-long documentary film about the professional and personal side of owning a movie theater business and the family legacy behind it. 

“If you’ve lived in this region for a while, you’ll likely see people you know in this film. And, if you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of an independent theater chain, ‘A Theatre Near You’ will provide a fun glimpse into that unique showbiz world and the people behind it,” David King said.

The free screening will begin at 11 a.m. at Showboat Stadium 6, 416 Main St., Polson. The concession stand will be open to purchase refreshments. Following the show, people will have an opportunity to visit with the Kings and people featured in the documentary who will be in attendance. 

David King is also the director of “Baked by Grace,” and “Burgers, Fries & Family Ties,” which documents other Polson businesses. 

“None of these three films were made with financial compensation. We have paid work, which is a wonderful thing. Then there are what we call ‘passion projects’ and those are the ones that engage our minds and hearts on a more visceral level. They represent stories that few people could afford to tell if they had to pay people like us to tell them, but they’re very personal pieces that are moving, heartwarming, and worth telling. We’re grateful to be in a position that enables us to allocate the time and resources to breathe life into these kinds of more intimate, earthy stories,” he said.