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Vol. 18, No. 20
February 2, 2022
FLIC festival celebrates 10th anniversary By Taylor Davison / Valley Journal
PRA pg. 8
Eagle Scout pg. 13
Sports pg. 14
POLSON — The Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) celebrated its tenth anniversary over the weekend. The event, intended to “bring a diverse international slate of independent films from around the globe, the U.S., and right here in Montana” according to its brochure, saw a large turnout at the Showboat Cinema. Forty-one films were shown between the screen rooms - some documentaries, some narratives, and some features. After 10 years in action, the FLIC festival is gaining more national and international recognition. Over the last several years, organizers say they’ve seen the festival grow both in terms of quality, and in its reputation as a destination film festival. “As a filmmaker, one of the things I look for is ‘has this festival been around for more than 2 or 3 years?’ What’s neat about FLIC now is that it’s in the double digits. We’ve been around awhile and the reviews (online) for our festival are stellar. That’s why we’re gaining momentum,” said FLIC Director and Co-Producer David King. This year saw several special guests, including Gerald Molen, the producer of Jurassic Park, who participated in a Q&A after
Several filmmakers attended this year’s FLIC festival along with their families.
the Jurassic Park screening on Sunday along with his son and fellow producer Steve Molen. Comedians Adam Yenser and Brian Kiley, who have written for both the Conan O’Brien and Ellen DeGeneres shows, held a live stand-up special on Saturday night. While Polson is a growing community with much to offer during summer months, winter w w w.va l le yj our na l.net
tends to offer fewer events for residents. That is one reason why FLIC organizers feel the festival makes such an impact on the community each year. “I think it puts Polson on the map in a cinema way,” King said. “We’re very pleased that some international excitement and culture comes to this area in the middle of the winter every year.” “I hope what it means to the
TAYLOR DAVISON / VALLEY JOURNAL
community is a time for everyone to come together and do something different in our gray days of winter,” said FLIC Board President and Chair of Theater Operations Becky Dupuis. Over the last two years, the festival faced the additional challenge of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. While many film festivals had to cancel, see page 2
