Montana made Indy feature Kicks-Off Statewide Special Screenings in Polson
The Year of the Dog filmed on location, features a Montana-based cast and crew
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News from Alison Graham, AJGrp
POLSON — The Montana-based producers of the independent feature, The Year of the Dog, in partnership with the Polson, Montana-based film distribution company, Nova Vento Entertainment, will host a week-long special screening, in Polson at Showboat Cinemas - Sept. 30 to Oct. 6.
Filmed exclusively on location in Bozeman, Livingston, and the Paradise Valley with a cast and crew predominantly pulled from all over the state - Bozeman and Missoula, Butte and Livingston, Red Lodge and Polson - The Year of the Dog is about two strays: Matt, an alcoholic struggling to maintain sobriety and Yup’ik, a rescue dog with an unusual athletic gift.
Award-winning filmmaker, Robert Grabow who hails from Livingston, wrote, co-directed, produced, and starred in the film. Grabow says, “To debut our film in Montana, and Polson specifically, is a dream come true. I’m from Livingston. I’m a Park High School graduate, as was my grandfather. To make this film in Montana with Montana locals and then have this chance to share our film, which we think is special, with our Montana family is everything. A huge thank you to Nova Vento Entertainment and Showboat Cinemas and to the town of Polson for making this possible.” The Year of the Dog features an accomplished cast of TV and film actors including two Native American actors who are currently on the groundbreaking FX series Reservation Dogs: Lakota actor Michael Spears and Jon Proudstar, whose heritage includes Yaqui, Mayan, Jewish, and Latino ancestors.
Spears, who hails from Bozeman, is currently filming the titular role in the feature Sitting Bull, on location in eastern Canada. Proudstar, a veteran of 43 films, ((Dances with Wolves, Skins, Into the West, Yellow Rock, Longmire, and Reservation Dogs, Season 2) had four big releases in 2021, which include The Heart Stays, Wastelander, Deep Woods, and Mammoth. Proudstar is said to be on the short list for Emmy consideration for his performance as Leon in Reservation Dogs.
Additional actors include, Broadway actor Aaron Finley, a Bozeman local, (starred in the Emmy Award-winning Moulin Rouge and performed in the original productions of Kinky Boots and Rock of Ages); and reality TV actor Abram Boise, a Livingston local (MTV’s Road Rules South Pacific and The Challenge). As writer and co-director of The Year of the Dog, Grabow, plays Matt in the film and is credited with roles in the SYFY Network TV series Z-Nation and the feature film Mickey and the Bear which premiered at the South by Southwest and Cannes Film Festivals.
Grabow says that “The Year of the Dog is more than a feel-good dog film; it’s a heart-warming journey of forgiveness, finding purpose, being vulnerable, making connections, and ultimately healing.” In addition to being a well-acted, interesting film with great music and an abundance of cool dog moments, Grabow hopes that his movie “inspires people to continue to open themselves up emotionally and to connect with those they love.”
Beautifully shot in Bozeman, Livingston, and Paradise Valley, The Year of the Dog is a heartwarming film featuring great Montana landscapes and indigenous themes.
In addition to its week-long screening in Polson, The Year of the Dog is also slated for several other special screenings at nine theaters across the state in Havre, Glasgow, Cut Bank, Livingston, Lewistown, Wolf Point, Dillon, as well as in Salmon, Idaho, until October 30. Following the feature film’s special screenings, The Year of the Dog heads to New York to premiere at the Chelsea Film Festival.
Information on special screening locations and times, production stills, cast and crew, trailers and national release dates are available online: www.theyearofthedogmovie.com, Instagram: @theyearofthedogmovie, Facebook: @TheYearoftheDogMovie, and Twitter: @YearofDogMovie.
