Complete 1996 Documentary SOUTHBOUND Now On-Line
July 22, 2011
Thanks to a donation from long-time Tennessee forest activists, our 1996 film, SOUTHBOUND can now be streamed in its entirety on our web site, blip.tv, and youtube. http://www.highplainsfilms.org/hpf/films/southbound/scenes/
Comments (0)4th Native Trout Episode On-Line
July 19, 2011
Check out Episode #4 of the TRCP Native Trout web series, shot on the Pike National Forest in Colorado, by Joel Webster, Montana TRCP representative, and edited by Dru Carr.
Comments (0)3rd Native Trout Episode On-Line
July 8, 2011
Check out Episode #3 of the TRCP Native Trout web series, shot by Joel Webster, Montana TRCP representative, and edited by Dru Carr.
Comments (0)2nd Native Trout Video On-Line
June 25, 2011
Check out Episode #2 of the TRCP Native Trout web series, shot by Joel Webster, Montana TRCP representative, and edited by Dru Carr.
Comments (0)High Plains Edits Native Trout Videos
May 25, 2011
High Plains Films is pleased to be working with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) to edit a series of webisodes for the TRCP blog. The videos are all shot in native cutthroat trout habitat in the American West and are intended to increase awareness about the need to conserve watersheds on the National Forest system. Check out Episode #1, shot in Montana by Joel Webster, Montana TRCP representative, and edited by Dru Carr.
Comments (1)FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON European premiere at NaturVision
May 21, 2011
Just got our acceptance to screen in-competition at the NaturVision film festival in Germany. I don’t know much about the event, but it’s definitely been around a while. Nice to have the film shown in Europe for the first time.
Comments (0)FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON wins first award!
May 11, 2011
We just got news that FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON won the Isla Earth Award at the Santa Catalina Film Festival in southern California, one of three competitive categories at the event! We didn’t make the trip to LA, but it looks like a pretty cool festival. Check it out: http://catalinaff.org/
Comments (0)Montana PBS to Air FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON
April 8, 2011
The complete feature version (78 minutes) of our film, FACING THE STORM: STORY OF THE AMERICAN BISON, will be broadcast state-wide in Montana on Montana PBS, April 28, 2011 @ 7 p.m. Download the press release about the Montana PBS broadcast here.
Broadcast date/time: Thursday, April 28, 7pm on Montana PBS
About the Film
“An unflinching overview of the long and complex history of the interaction between humans and bison. An honest, unflattering portrait of a nation’s unabated hunger for more, even when faced with less.” Big Sky Journal
“An unexpectedly passionate film about animals and nature and their precarious state in the modern world.” St. Louis Beacon
May be the most comprehensively-concise examination of how and why we managed to nearly eradicate 30 million animals from the Great Plains… and what’s being done today to ensure their survival.” Missoula Independent
“A smart, elegant production.” NewWest.net
FACING THE STORM is the epic account of our tempestuous relationship with the iconic symbol of wild America. It details the inextricable relationship of the Plains Indians with the animal, and recounts the harrowing near-destruction of the species in the late nineteenth century—from an estimated 30 million bison to a mere 23 individuals by 1885. It graphically exposes the annual slaughter of bison outside of Yellowstone National Park, where the largest genetically-pure herd remains in semi-captivity. Finally, the film explores the epic vision—and monumental obstacles—to restore bison to immense tracts of the Great Plains. This involves a dramatic transformation of how we understand the Great Plains - from a utilitarian world view to a fully-functional ecosystem that combines a lost culture with modern ecological science and contemporary economies. FACING THE STORM shows us that the bison is not just an icon of a lost world, but may show us the path to the future.
The film includes interviews with Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, Montana Stockgrowers Association Director Errol Rice, and former Montana State Veterinarian, Thomas Linfield.
About High Plains Films
Missoula’s High Plains Films, a program of the non-profit Big Sky Film Institute, dedicates itself to exploring issues about the relationship between nature and society. Their documentaries have earned more than 35 awards nationally. Their feature LIBBY, MONTANA was nominated for a national Emmy award in 2008. In 2007, the team was the recipient of the True West Visionary Award, a career achievement award at the True/False West Film Festival. Their other films include: VARMINTS (1998), KILLING COYOTE (2000) THIS IS NOWHERE (2002), and BRAVE NEW WEST (2008).
FACING THE STORM is a product of collaboration between many talented western Montana artists and professionals, including:
Director/producer Doug Hawes-Davis, of High Plains Films, has directed and produced over a dozen critically-acclaimed documentaries. He co-directed the feature documentary LIBBY, MONTANA, which was nominated for a national Emmy Award in 2008. In 2003, he founded the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, which has become a top national non-fiction showcase.
Other local contributors include:
- Dru Carr, also of High Plains Films, contributed to cinematography and editing. Carr co-directed the national Emmy-nominated LIBBY, MONTANA.
- Andy Smetanka of Missoula, whose stunning and innovative stop-motion silhouette-animation provides the context for several historical scenes.
- Ken Furrow of Missoula contributed to cinematography and sound
- Missoula co-producers Rita Pastore and Danny Dauterive (Montana PBS)
- Historian Dan Flores of the University of Montana, who is featured in the film
- Mike Mease and the Buffalo Field Campaign provided footage from years of work near West Yellowstone
- Burke Jam, local musician who provided music for the film score
- Ivan Rosenberg, former Missoulian, who composed original music
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