The 2024 Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) wrapped up its eventful weekend on Sunday night, February 18th, with encore screenings through Thursday, February 22nd at the Showboat Stadium 6 in Polson, Montana. This year’s film entries — including narrative shorts and features, documentaries and animated films – hailed from 15 countries, with many Montana-made entries as well.
About two-dozen filmmakers traveled from across the US and Canada to attend this year’s festival, and the regional FLIC audience was enthusiastic and supportive. Numerous filmmakers remarked on how FLIC’s audience – along with ample opportunities for networking with other filmmakers – made FLIC 2024 special.
Former Soviet Union native D. Mitry summed up his FLIC visit: “This was an amazing experience to have our film Hedgehog play at FLIC! David and Jessica were absolutely sensational, creating an unforgettable experience! Films are carefully curated and filmmaker setting is perfect for networking! We absolutely fell in love with Montana. Thank You so much for everything!” D. Mity’s film Hedgehog garnered awards for Best Picture Short, Best Actress, and Best Cinematography.
FLIC Director David King expressed his gratitude for this year’s festival and turnout. David shared, “FLIC 2024 was very special from start to finish, with so much life, creativity, gratitude, and wonder all around. I was also struck by the humility and gracious demeanors exhibited by these exceptionally talented artists. People how could easily have been full of themselves for their accomplishments were, instead, full of gratitude for our festival, its location and its community. The net result was a warm sense of belonging, acceptance, and mutual respect on the part of everyone in attendance.”
Highlights of the festival included the second annual opening night kickoff event called Taste of Polson, which took place in the Showboat Stadium 6 lobby and featured food samplings from several local restaurants, including Finley Point Grill, Maxine’s Coffee Shop & Eatery, Mackenzie River Pizza Company and the East Shore Smoke House. On Saturday, the Cove Deli & Pizza hosted a social mixer. Later that evening, the Durham hosted a live music performance by The Shamrockers, a popular local Irish band featured in the FLIC 2024 documentary film 20 Shades of Green, which was produced by Polson resident Jim Ereaux. A Sunday Morning social mixer at the Good Coffee Roasting Company was a social-mixing highlight.
The documentary film Out There: A National Parks Story, which profiles a young filmmaker who sets out on a 10,000-mile exploration of the national parks, was a huge hit with FLIC’s audience. It was also beloved by FLIC’s judges, who gave the film the Best Documentary Feature award. Filmmaker Brendan Hall participated in a question and answer session following Friday’s screening. Out There: A National Parks Story was fittingly sponsored by Navigator Travel of Polson.
On Sunday, following a full slate of screenings, awards were presented in numerous categories. Many of the attending filmmakers were present to receive their awards, which added to the fun and celebration.
The FLIC 2024 award recipients:
1. Impact Award – Toni Young Whealon
2. Best Animation – Manny
3. Best Montana Film – Saving for the Day
4. Best Original Score – Corey Payette & Julie McIsaac, Les Filles du Roi
5. Best Cinematography – Mark David, Hedgehog
6. Best Actress – Emma Pearson, Hedgehog
7. Best Actor – Rasmus Hammerich, On My Mind
8. Best Documentary Short – From the Heartland
9. Best Documentary Feature – Out There: A National Parks Story
10. Best Director – Corey Payette, Les Filles du Roi
11. Best Picture – Short – Hedgehog
12. Best Picture – Feature – Les Filles du Roi
13. Audience Award – Uprooted
FLIC co-producer Jessica King on FLIC: “One of my favorite parts of the festival is seeing our filmmakers and community members connect. There are things happening at FLIC that go far beyond us, and Polson. To be a facilitator of those connections is a really special privilege.”
David W. King sums up with, “We couldn’t do this festival without our sponsors, volunteers, participating merchants, and our gracious hosts at the Showboat Stadium 6. Kudos to everyone involved. We’re already looking forward FLIC 2025, which is scheduled for the weekend of February 14 through 16, 2025.”
See attached photos, which relate to the above content. The photos are described by file name below. Thank you. For more information, please call David or Jessica King at 406-883-1678.
1. Hannah Everett QA: Hannah Everett sits for a question and answer session following the screening of her documentary film “The Time of Day is Broken”, which profiles Hannah’s marathon hike from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2022. (Photo: Alex Kowalchik, Vladi Media)
2. FLIC filmmakers: About 30 filmmakers overall attended FLIC 2024. This photo features many of them. (Photo: Alex Kowalchik, Vladi Media)
FLIC filmmakers, including top row L to R: Alex Maier, Amy Robin (Greybeard: The Man, The Myth, The Mississippi), Jared Weseloh (The Angels Sing), Diana Cato and husband Bryan Lee McGlothin (The System), Suzannah Warlick (Passage to Sweden), FLIC Director David W. King, Melea Burke (Uprooted, which won the FLIC Audience Award), Julie McIsaac and Raes Calvert (Les Filles du Roi) Front row L to R: Corey Payette (Les Filles du Roi), Ray Nomoto Robison (Will & Tess), D. Mitry (Hedgehog), Jack Gladstone (Out There: A National Parks Story), Hannah Everett (The Time of Day is Broken), Halley Linschied and Mattthew Tryan (Tomorrow’s Town Today. Sitting in front is FLIC Producer Jessica King. (Photo: Alex Kowalchik, Vladi Media)
3. Raes Corey Julie Awards: Pictured L to R are FLIC Producer Jessica King, Actor Raes Calvert, Producer/Director/Writer Corey Payette, Producer/Writer Julie McIsaac, and FLIC Director David W. King. The filmmakers’ movie Les Fille du Roi received awards for Best Picture Feature, Best Original Score, and Best Director. (Photo: Alex Kowalchik, Vladi Media)
4. FLIC Awards (Photo: Alex Kowalchik, Vladi Media)
5. D. Mitry award: Producer/Director D. Mitry receives his Best Picture Short award for his film Hedgehog, which also won best Cinematography and Best Actress.
6. Emma Pearson Hedgehog: 7 year-old actress Emma Pearson received the Best Actress Award for her performance in the Best Picture Short winning film, Hedgehog.
7. Julie McIsaac: Julie McIsaac in Best Picture Feature winning film Les Filles Du Roi, which also won awards for Best Director and Best Original Score.
8. Out There: Out There: A National Parks Story, won the Best Documentary Feature award.
9. From the Heartland: Winner of the Best Documentary Short award.
10. FLIC logo
For more information, visit FLICPolson.com.