Photo by Montana Department of Commerce

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, April 7, 2022

CONTACT: Anastasia Burton | Anastasia.Burton@mt.gov | 406.841.2557

Commerce Announces 35 Productions to Share $1.5 Million of Grant Funding to Film in Montana

HELENA – The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that 35 film productions will share $1.5 million of grant funding to film on location across the state. The funding is through Commerce’s Montana Film Office’s Big Sky Film Grant Program.

“The Big Sky Film Grant Program helps us build partnerships with filmmakers and production companies to create good-paying Montana film industry jobs and bring related dollars to communities across the state,” Commerce Director Scott Osterman said. “Over two-thirds of film-related jobs are high paying trades jobs, and these incentives for filmmakers keep Montana competitive with other states and countries for these jobs.  An added benefit is the exposure Montana receives, which benefits Montana tourism,” Osterman added.

To qualify for a Big Sky Film Grant (BSFG), a production must shoot at least 50% of its principal photography in Montana.  The BSFG and the Montana Film Office are funded by the 4% Lodging Facility Use Tax, commonly known as the “Bed Tax.”

The following projects will receive Big Sky Film Grant funding:

• 352 Pictures will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film “Big Sky Highway.”
• Add-A-Tudez Entertainment Co. will receive $27,000 for the production of the video game “Burst!”
• Auster Productions will receive $30,000 for the production of the documentary “Dan Bailey: So The River Reflects The Sky.”
• Beasts Undiscovered, LLC will receive $150,000 for the production of the feature film “Beasts Undiscovered.”
• Boulder, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of the short film “Untamed.”
• The Bozeman Art Museum will receive $10,000 for the production of the documentary “406 Masters on Film.”
• Circus On The Run, LLC will receive $125,000 for the production of the feature film “Circus On The Run.”
• Comic Relief, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film “Comic Relief.”
• Cuisine Movie, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film “Cuisine de la 'Pocalypse.”
• Fabian Verdugo Productions will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film “Somewhere in Montana.”
• Firebrand Creative will receive $40,000 for the production of the documentary “The Visions of Chief Plenty Coups.”
• Form & Pressure Films, Inc. will receive $55,000 for the production of the feature film “Clara Boone.”
• Grizzly Creek Films will receive $70,000 for the production of the documentary “Mollie's Pack.”
• Guttermuckers, LLC will receive $65,000 for the production of the feature film “Guttermuckers.”
• Kinovision Productions, LLC will receive $10,000 for the production of the short film “Lone Mountain.”
• Maaike Middleton will receive $20,000 for the production of the documentary “The Return of the Grizzly.”
• Montana Outlaw Productions will receive $20,000 for the production of the series “Barbecue Heroes.”
• MT Public Lands Council will receive $25,000 for the production of the documentary “Righteous for the Rangeland.”
• MT Target Films will receive $30,000 for the production of the webisode “Blonde Instinct.”
• Nathan Norby, LLC will receive $40,000 for the production of the documentary “PITON - The Pat Callis Story.”
• Rabbit Foot Entertainment will receive $55,000 for the production of the documentary “Ryan Zahn Goes Pro.”
• Same Land Films, LLC will receive $40,000 for the production of the documentary “Then They Came for Us (Triumph of Her Will).”
• Selway Studios, LLC will receive $20,000 for the production of the feature film “The Given Days.”
• Small Axe Productions LLP will receive $17,000 for the production of the series “Life in the Land.”
• Sojourn Productions will receive $10,000 for the production of the short film “Big Two-Hearted River.”
• Spin Film, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of the short film “American Triage (P.L.U.).”
• Story Street Films will receive $15,000 for the production of the short film “Man Baby.”
• Strange Town Productions will receive $6,000 for the post-production of the short film “Demon Girlz.”
• TESB, LLC will receive $40,000 for the post-production of the feature film “Thine Ears Shall Bleed.”
• Thunderheart Media, Inc. will receive $50,000 for the production of the documentary “Bring Them Home.”
• UTM, Inc. will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film, “The Quiet Miracle of a Normal Life.”
• Valley Buffalo, LLC will receive $60,000 for the production of the feature film “Butcher's Crossing.”
• VisionHawk Films will receive $30,000 for the production of the series “Growing Up Grizzly.”
• Watershed Films, LLC will receive $50,000 for the production of the feature film “Treasure State.”
• Yellowstone Film Ranch will receive $40,000 for the production of the feature film “The Caller Returns.”

“I will always be grateful for the Big Sky Film Grant, which assisted us in the making of my debut feature film, “We Burn Like This.”  The grant was very meaningful in creating a film inspired by Montana. We were able to support Montana-based cast and crew with our funding, as well as the local economy,” said filmmaker Alana Waksman, a past Big Sky Film Grant recipient. “The Big Sky Film Grant was the first grant we received.  It was wind in our sails that this film was going to happen, and the state was behind us telling this story,” Waksman added.

Since it was established in 2013, the Big Sky Film Grant Program has supported nearly 250 film and tv productions in Montana.

For more information about the Big Sky Film Grant Program, visit MONTANAFILM.COM.

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