Film festival starts next week in Polson
The Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) starts next week at Showboat Stadium 6 in Polson.
The film festival will be screen narrative and documentary features, shorts, animation and student films, both domestic and international, Feb. 14 -16. Audience and filmmaker discussions will cap off most screening blocks.
FLIC gets underway at 4:30 p.m. Feb.14 with a Valentine's Day themed date night dessert reception in the lobby of the Showboat Stadium 6 located at 416 Main St. FLIC screenings start at 6 p.m. on multiple screens.
At 9:30 a.m. Feb. 15, FLIC and the Polson Rotary Club will offer a free animated children’s film and egg burrito breakfast. This year’s film is Dreamworks' “Wild Robot,” rated PG. The Polson Rotary Club will serve breakfast in the cinema lobby starting at 9:15 a.m. Festival film screenings resume at 12:15 p.m. and continue into the evening. From 4:30 to 6 p.m. an informal filmmaker and attendee mixer is planned at Lake City Bakery, 49493 U.S. 93.
Notable FLIC films this year include the narrative film, “Water Girl,” by Montana-based filmmaker, Nnamdi Kanaga, in which the joys of motherhood quickly become overshadowed by agony when a mother named Nkechi discovers that her daughter Kamsi is bound to the cyclical existence of the ogbanje — a spirit child trapped in the maze of life, death, and rebirth.
Kanaga, who was born and raised in Nigeria, describes “Water Girl” as a “supernatural drama film” based on the west ogbanje mythology of the Igbo people, who primarily live in southeastern Nigeria. According to Igbo cosmology, an ogbanje is a child spirit that repeatedly comes and goes at will to the same parents through their secretly buried earthly treasure called iyi-uwa.
“I am excited about ‘Water Girl’s’ cultural relevance; especially as a Montana-based filmmaker, I believe this will help contribute to the cultural diversity of Montana-made films. Globally, the impact of this film will help introduce to public discourse the need for authentic African storytelling and representation. ‘Water Girl’ pays homage to the truthfulness of old Nollywood [the Nigerian movie industry] storytelling while exploring new horizons of modern-day cinema,” Kanaga said. “I am also happy to be able to share elements of the Igbo culture — spirituality, folklore, music, language, and belief system — with the world.”
FLIC judges were unanimous in their praise for Water Girl, which garnered five FLIC nominations, including Best Picture Feature, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Montana Film, and Best Original Score.
“Water Girl” will be shown at 6 p.m. Feb. 15 followed by a question-and-answer session with Kanaga.
Another FLIC standout is a 33-minute documentary, “Cycling the World,” in which intrepid adventurer McKenzie Barney embarks on a multi-year journey to experience the world from the seat of her bicycle. The film follows Barney as she treks more than 18,000 miles through five continents and 28 countries by way of Africa, South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, and Australia.
Barney describes the documentary as, “a poetic narrative, self-made and self-funded for the intention of a pure, uninfluenced message to the audience.”
“I hope to leave viewers with goose bumps and chills, imagining their big, audacious dream and realizing that it's worth seeking,” Barney said.
“Cycling the World,” which is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, screens at 8:15 p.m. Feb. 14.
The narrative feature film, “Never Not Yours,” is a story about 30-something siblings Michael, Ellie, and James who, after driving to their family cabin to visit their parents, are shocked when their mom and dad unexpectedly announce their impending divorce. Chaos ensues as each young adult copes with the emotional repercussions of this realignment of their respective universes.
“‘Never Not Yours’ isn’t a film about the dissolution of a marriage after decades of building a family. It’s an exploration of identity, and how it shifts with time. It’s about the work you put in to make your life better, even when you may not know what waits for you around the next corner. And it’s about finding yourself again when everything feels wrong. Sometimes, it takes making a radical change in your life to set yourself on a new path. Other times, it takes a cast of five, a crew of seven, and eight magical days in Indiana to make a new family of your own," said co-directors and co-writers, John Klein and Steve Kniss, who set out to create a story they could film in under two weeks.
“Never Not Yours,” which is rated “R” for language and adult themes, screens at 8:15 p.m. Feb. 15. Klein and Kniss plan to be in attendance.
Thrills and chills are also on the menu. The U.K.-produced feature film “Control” takes viewers on a runaway rampage through London when a British home secretary’s self-driving car is remotely hijacked by a mysterious man voiced by Kevin Spacy who contacts and torments her on her cellphone while her car speeds through London.
“Control,” which is rated “R" for language, screens at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 16. The film is nominated by FLIC judges for Best Picture – Feature with Lauren Metcalfe up for Best Actress.
At 9:30 a.m. Feb. 16, The Good Coffee Roasting Company, 214 Main St., will host a light breakfast mixer for filmmakers and festival attendees. Drinks and baked goods from Whistle Bakery will be available to purchase.
The weekend concludes with an awards show and dessert reception at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 16.
FLIC encore screenings follow the festival weekend, running Feb. 16-20.
All-access passes are $50 and cover the week’s screenings and encore screenings and may be purchased online at FLICPolson.com or at the movie theater. Individual tickets are $7.50 and may be purchased at the movie theater or by calling 883-5603.
All films, times and events are subject to change. For more information visit FLICPolson.com or email contact@flicpolson.com.
Best Actress nominee Moriyahfaith Jackson as Kamsi in the Montana-made film Water Girl, which is nominated for Best Picture — Feature. (Courtesy photo).