FLIC films fill local theater
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POLSON — Film fans crowded the Showboat Cinema for three days of the inaugural Flathead Lake International Cinemafest Feb. 1 -3.
FLIC kicked off with a champagne soiree at the KwaTakNuq Resort on Feb. 1. Attendees were asked to dress as their favorite movie star or character, so Groucho Marx, the Mad Hatter, Snow White and Professor Minerva McGonagall were a few who made appearances.
In true premiere style, a limousine drove FLIC special guests Jeff Chiba Stearns and David W. King, FLIC co-chairs Daniel Smith and Frank Tyro and Darlis Smith to the theater, where they took a short walk down the red carpet. Stearns’ films were shown from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 1.
Moviegoers could purchase tickets for a two-hour block for $5 or $25 for the entire day Saturday. Films began at 10 a.m. and proceeded in two-hour blocks with a half hour break in between until 11:30 p.m.
Showboat owners Gary and Becky Dupuis lent their theater for FLIC and said attendance was good. The 9:30 to 11:30 p.m. time slot was not well-attended, though.
“I thought no one would show up at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning, but there were 80 people here,” Becky said.
The festival ended with a dessert and awards reception from 3 to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
FLIC judges Karen Lewing, Mac Swan and King watched some films in Smith’s viewing studio “with the big leather chairs,” Lewing said. “It was fun.”
Lewing, who with her husband Neil heads up the Port Polson Players, said she was thrilled to be asked to judge. Although she was critical about acting and storytelling, Lewing said all three judges were in agreement on the top three films.
The FLIC Junior award went to “Painted Girl,” a nine-minute film by 16-year-old Ben Kadie of Bellvue, Wash.
The people’s choice award went to “Smokin’ Fish,” and the film also received the judges best of show award. “Smokin’ Fish” is a documentary that allows Cory Mann, an Alaskan Tlingit businessman, to tell his story. Interacting with his family and flashing back to his youth, Mann catches and smokes fish at his family’s fish camp “as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back and keep his business afloat,” according to information in the program.
Two judge’s honorable mention awards went to “Painted Girl” and “The K Effect,” a Spanish film.
Plans are already under way for next year’s festival, according to Tyro.
“We were extremely gratified at the response to FLIC from both the public and business communities,” he said. “Our inaugural year was a great success, and we will be planning a bigger and better event for next year beginning now. The FLIC committees have a lot of ideas that we will be evaluating beginning Friday to make it an even better event next year.”
The idea for a film festival grew from the Envision Polson year-round committee, a group whose goal is to “offer events and activities to the greater Polson community and visitors alike on a year-round basis.”
FLIC is a nonprofit organization under the umbrella of the Polson Community Development Agency.
