Big Sky Documentary Film Festival Announces Lineup

Each year four competitions shine a spotlight on the best of the festival and superior works in documentary filmmaking. This year, 35 films have been selected in the award categories for Best Feature, Best Short, Best Mini and the Big Sky Award presented to one film that artistically honors the character, history, tradition and imagination of the American West.

Congratulations to the filmmakers with work in competition! Learn more about the films in competition by exploring the links below.

FEATURE COMPETITION | BIG SKY AWARD | SHORTS COMPETITION | MINI COMPETITION

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences qualifying event for short form documentaries. The winner of the Best Mini Doc and Best Short Documentary categories automatically qualify to compete for a Documentary Short Oscar the following year.

THE LOWDOWN ON WHERE TO WATCH

For ten days each February, Big Sky Doc Fest lights up screens across downtown Missoula, and this year BSDFF returns to an historic concert house, classic cinema spaces, a pop up theater, and a much-loved community stage. Screening venues for the 2018 festival include:

THE WILMA at 131 S Higgins Ave is the stunning centerpiece of Missoula’s live entertainment scene and has been home to BSDFF since 2005.

THE ROXY THEATER at 718 S Higgins Ave is Missoula’s beloved community cinema, and with a gorgeous, newly-renovated 1930s façade it’s the queen of the hip strip.

THE ELKS LODGE at 112 N Pattee Street is one of the last icons of historic downtown, will host our “pop up” theater in their beautiful Elks meeting room.

MCT CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS at 200 N Adams Street, a state of the art and thriving local theater, will be reimagined as a cinema for seven days of BSDFF 2018.

Additional venues include Festival HQ (box office) at the ROAM Student Living office (125 N Higgins), just next door to The Wilma, and the Holiday Inn Downtown Missoula, our DocShop venue and host hotel.

ONLINE VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

An army of volunteers help make BSDFF a truly community driven and extraordinary event. Earn screening tickets for every shift and help make BSDFF 18 a great success. Click below to sign up!