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Montana Film Office Bolsters State Film Industry with the Big Sky Film Grant

To support Montana’s resident filmmakers and boost the state’s film industry, the Montana Film Office launched a new program to attract in-state film projects. The Montana Film Office began awarding the Big Sky Film Grant earlier this year, and its allocations already have helped several Montana productions meet tight budgets and employ in-state cast and crew, while providing local economic benefit.

"The Montana Film Office created the Montana Big Sky Film Grant to enhance our film community and help create jobs for resident cast and crew members," said Meg O’Leary, director of the state Department of Commerce. "It’s our goal to award funding to filmmakers who employ our talented workforce and shoot projects in Montana that showcase our state’s iconic natural beauty, towns and talent."

The Montana Film Office allocated grant funds to a handful of productions that shot in Montana this spring, including "The Thin Line," a feature-length comedy directed by Neil Thompson and introduced to the state by his brother–and Montana resident–Billy Thompson. Shot in Whitefish in April and May, the production employed 18 in-state crew members and several Montana actors, in addition to extras and local service providers. When also factoring in overnight accommodations at local hotels and meals provided by local restaurants, the Montana Film Office estimates the total economic impact of the production was $90,000.

"When I tell people I just got back from Montana they always say the same thing–that must have been beautiful, and I, of course, agree. But the physical grandeur alone doesn’t tell the entire story," explained Jay Thames, producer of "The Thin Line." "From the locals to the locations to the cast and the crew that originated in Montana–everything about it was ideal. And if I had the opportunity to work there again, I’d do it in a heartbeat."

The Montana Film Office also recently awarded funding through the Big Sky Film Grant to Missoula filmmaker Vera Brunner-Sung for her dramatic feature "Bella Vista." The production shot over a three-month period in Polson, the Mission Valley and Missoula, and hired 31 Montana crew and service providers and cast 71 local extras and cast members–for a total economic impact of $31,000.

"The Big Sky Film Grant has been a tremendous boost to our project. It came at a crucial moment in our filmmaking that enabled us to move forward with our project," said Jeri Rafter, a producer on "Bella Vista." "For small-budget, independently financed films like ours, support from the Montana Film Office has had a powerful effect. We could not have made our film without them! It’s an endorsement that will continue to be a tremendous asset as we head into post-production and distribution."

"Individual film or television productions can have significant economic impact in the local communities where shooting takes place, and they draw from our statewide crew base," said Montana Film Commissioner Deny Staggs. "And when Montana-made productions play on the big screen or TV screen, they expose Montana to a whole new audience of potential tourists and other filmmakers looking for locations for future projects."

Resident filmmakers who have a validated credit as producer, director or primary director of photography on a nationally distributed theatrical release may apply for a resident filmmaker allocation of up to $50,000 through the Big Sky Film Grant. The project must shoot at least 50 percent of principal photography in Montana and employ resident cast and crew. Grant funds are provided 30-60 days after a production wraps principal photography.

"The program is unique among other location incentives," Staggs added. "While it can be combined with Montana’s existing tax incentives for filmmakers, the grant is not a tax credit or rebate–it’s simply a cash infusion that can go directly to expenditures incurred while filming in Montana."

Resident filmmakers or production companies can also apply for the Big Sky Film Grant to fund content to be screened exclusively for Montana-focused YouTube channels. Qualified, prescreened video content must showcase the state’s exceptional places and people, extreme outdoors or other Montana film-related content.

Montana filmmakers accepted into a world-class, juried film festival can also apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to help with travel to the festival along with marketing and promotion expenses. The Montana Film Office awarded a film festival grant this spring to documentary filmmaker Doug Hawes-Davis after his film "All the Labor" was selected for the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, in March. Director duo and brothers Alex and Andrew Smith secured Big Sky Film Grant funding for their upcoming worldwide premiere of "Winter in the Blood" at the Los Angeles Film Festival in mid-June.

Out-of-state filmmakers and productions that have the potential for significant economic impact to the state may also apply for grant funding. To be considered, out-of-state productions must shoot at least 50 percent of principal photography in Montana or have expenditures of at least $300,000 in the state, in addition to meeting the grant’s objective of showcasing Montana’s communities, natural beauty, history or overall quality of life. The Montana Film Office will begin marketing the Big Sky Film Grant to Montana filmmakers who are based in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Film Festival later this month.

The Big Sky Film Grant is a three-year program set to expire in 2016. Only one grant per project can be awarded, with the exception of the festival grant.

About Montana Film Office
The Montana Film Office is a component of the Montana Office of Tourism of the Department of Commerce. For the overall economic benefit of the state, it works to bring productions (feature films, commercials, documentaries, television programs and still shoots) into Montana. It is the responsibility of the Montana Film Office to ensure that the state is "film friendly" by attracting and working with producers to find locations that fit their scripts, acting as their liaison with state agencies through every phase of production, administering the state’s film incentive program, and developing Montana’s industry workforce. http://montanafilm.com

How to apply for the
Big Sky Film Grant:

Download the application under "Incentives" at http://www.MontanaFilm.com.

Application deadlines are the 15th
of each month. Grant funding is
available depending on the annual remaining grant pool.

For questions, contact the Montana Film Office at [email protected] or by calling 800.553.4563.

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