The Bozeman Film Society (BFS), originally known as the Bozeman Film Festival (BFF), celebrates its 40th anniversary this fall, and launches the landmark season with their annual Story Under the Stars event followed by a full line-up of independent film screenings at the historic Ellen Theatre in downtown Bozeman.

Founded in 1978 by local film lovers and Montana State University (MSU) English and Film Professors, the organization originally screened classic, foreign and arthouse films in various venues around town beginning with the Ellen Theatre and MSU’s Linfield Hall, expanding to a 26-year run at the Rialto Theater and a 10-year run at the Emerson Art Center’s Crawford Theater from 2006-2015. Returning to their roots at the Ellen Theatre in 2016 with a new digital projection system, the organization now screens up to 35 first-run films in downtown Bozeman each season, focusing on those that are highly acclaimed, but not typically screened at the large multiplex in Bozeman.

One of the Gallatin Valley’s longest running art non-profits, the mission of the BFS has always been to open a window from small-town Bozeman into the worldwide culture of ideas, conversations, art, and perspective through the transportive power of independent film. They also consistently present innovative collaborations and invite industry insiders connected to the films, enhancing many of the screenings by offering insight into filmmaking, connecting audience to other area non-profits and causes, and spurring a thought exchange within the community. Past guests include actors Bill Pullman, Michael Keaton, and Lily Gladstone; Directors Marni Zelnic (Druid Peak), Jacob Young (The Dancing Outlaw) and Jared Moshe (The Ballad of Lefty Brown); celebrity chef Tom Collichio (A Place at the Table); Paleontologist Jack Horner (the Jurassic Park series) science writer David Quammen (Walking Out); Executive Producer Patrick Markey (A River Runs Through It, The Horse Whisperer); The Bozeman Jazz Collective (Miles Ahead, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari); plus many more.

“As an independent film society, we are able to collaborate with individuals and area groups to add that extra ‘wow’ factor to our showings,” says Executive Director Lisa McGrory. “Unlike a multiplex movie theater, our audience develops personal connections with each other, sharing a passion for the kind of programming that the Bozeman Film Society offers. Our film screenings are a vibrant gathering of friends and acquaintances, as well as a way to share important ideas and causes with our community.”

Most Bozeman Film Society screenings take place at the historic Ellen Theatre in downtown Bozeman, with some films also shown at the re-invented Rialto in a cabaret setting, and, on occasion, at the Emerson’s Crawford Theatre.
 
To kick off its 40th season, the BFS is hosting the 9th annual Story Under the Stars on Friday, August 24, 2018, featuring the 1978 Oscar-winning mega-hit, Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. This popular family-friendly event takes place on the lush lawn of Story Mansion Park, and includes a Kryptonite scavenger hunt, an all ages Superhero parade for people and pets in costume, Fire truck and Police car demos, kids crafts, popcorn, ice cream and food trucks. Super hero costumes are encouraged, with activities and food beginning at 7:00 PM and the film beginning at dusk.



Special 40th anniversary events will take place throughout the year at movie screenings and will include ticket giveaways, BFS Sponsor promotions, and fun pre-film events. The new season officially kicks off at the Ellen Theatre with Love, Gilda on Wednesday, September 19th and will feature special giveaways, including gift certificates and items form BFS sponsors.

Local business sponsors make up a large portion of the funds needed to operate the Bozeman Film Society each season, and those who support BFS are recognized before the start of each film with the wildly popular animated sponsor reel. Sponsorship spots are still available, with information available on the organization’s website.

For more information about the 40th year of the Bozeman Film Society, along with a schedule of upcoming films and sponsor information, check out www.bozemanfilmsociety.org.

Montana Gift Corral celebrates 25 years in Bozeman with a yearlong giveaway.

The generosity of Montanans is a badge of pride, right next to their independent streak and ability to make a good, strong cup of coffee. Local gift shop Montana Gift Corral has been honoring ideals like these for over two decades, selling souvenirs and gifts which savor Montana culture, its artists, the landscapes, and wildlife. Visitors and locals visit their three Bozeman locations for tangible reminders of a trip to Yellowstone, or another backroad journey in Big Sky Country. But as 2018 marks their 25th anniversary, Montana Gift Corral wanted to do something special in commemoration.

Based on the philosophy that getting a gift feels good, and giving one feels better, Montana Gift Corral is helping its customers do both with a yearlong giveaway. Names go into a hat and are drawn every two weeks. The winners receive a gift card, and Montana Gift Corral then makes a donation—which matches their gift card dollar amount—to any nonprofit of their choice.

The winning charities have ranged from beloved local animal shelter Heart of the Valley to international organizations like VETPAW (Veterans Empowered To Protect African Wildlife). Since January, when the giveaway began, Montana Gift Corral has been able to donate to conservation groups and animal shelters, family and women's’ support organizations, and senior care. Every donation is meaningful—for the individual drawing winner and the donation recipient, as well as for the team at Montana Gift Corral. Manager Les Gundersen shares her sentiments, “The best part of this giveaway celebration is that the money’s going out into communities. Supporting our community organizations and nonprofits is good for all of us.”

In the early 1990s, Sharon and Bert Hopeman opened the first Montana Gift Corral location in downtown Bozeman. July marked Montana Gift Corral’s 25th Anniversary month and fell just past the halfway point in the 2018 giveaway. Hundreds of dollars have been awarded to winning names drawn from the hat, and hundreds more donated to 14 charities and nonprofits thus far during the anniversary celebration. Montana Wildlife Federation, one of Montana’s oldest conservation groups and the party responsible for the state’s famous stream access fishing regulations, was one of the many nonprofits to receive a donation from Montana Gift Corral.

As Les Gundersen reflected with gratitude on the chance to share $6,500 with dozens of different charitable causes by year’s end, the conversation turned to being part of the Main Street Bozeman landscape for more than two decades, sharing Montana memories with gift-givers and receivers all over the world. “The truth is, we never take it for granted that we’re still here in Bozeman, after 25 years. We’re really grateful to be here in this community, and we’re grateful to share this opportunity to give back to—and with—our customers.”

To learn more about how these donations have positively impacted nonprofits, or information on how to participate, please contact Montana Gift Corral at GiftCorral.com or visit one of its three Bozeman locations, downtown, in the Gallatin Valley Mall, and inside Walmart.

200 community volunteers unite to build a new playground at Bozeman Sports Park Volunteers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana, the City of Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department and the community will join KaBOOM! on Saturday, August 18 to transform an empty site into a kid-designed, state-of-the-art playground in just six hours at Bozeman Sports Park.

The new playground will help make play the easy choice for kids and families in Bozeman.  Play is essential to physical, creative, cognitive, social and emotional development. The Bozeman Sports Park master plan includes a site for an all-inclusive play area for children of all ages and abilities. The play area will be utilized for the city’s day camps as well as by visiting families participating in soccer, lacrosse, and other field sport tournaments.

Through this playground project, the City of Bozeman Parks and Recreation Department, together with the Bozeman Sports Parks Foundation, will work with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana and KaBOOM! to make a difference in their community and address the most urgent needs of kids. In June, kids from throughout Bozeman came together to draw their dream playground.

The 2,500 square-foot playground is based off their drawings and will provide thousands of kids in Bozeman and beyond with an accessible, safe and fun place to play. Future features to be built in the Sports Park will include picnic pavilions, trails, open play areas, and a splash pad. This playground is part of a broader effort led by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana and KaBOOM! to ensure communities have great PLAYces for kids and families. It will be the fifth build by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana. Through this partnership, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is creating an oasis where kids feel valued and loved, and where their potential is supported, nurtured and celebrated.  

WHEN: Saturday, August 18 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.   
Kick-off ceremony 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Congregation Beth Shalom invites all Jews, their families, and those seeking a Jewish spiritual path to High Holiday services this September.

• 9 September, 6 PM, Rosh Hashanah Evening Service
• 10 September, 10 AM, Rosh Hashanah Morning Service
• 18 September, 7 PM, Yom Kippur Evening Service
• 10 September, 10 AM, Yom Kippur Morning Service

The Bozeman Beautification Advisory Board is now accepting nominations for beautification projects of note within city limits in the past year. The board will be accepting nominations from the general public now through Friday, September 21st . Nominations can be submitted online at www.bozeman.net/beautificationawards. Winners will be honored at the 2018 Bozeman Beauitifcation Award Ceremony on Wednesday November 7th in the Baxter Hotel Ballroom. 

Nominations can include a variety of beautification projects that have been completed within the Bozeman city limits.  These projects can include but are not limited to exciting residential design, neighborhood revitalization, new or improved commercial design, exceptional landscape, public art and much more. There are many categories listed on the online nomination form as a reference but new categories are always welcome. Past winners include Wilson Residences, Larkspur Commons, and a unique “Little Library” designed and created by a local resident for their backyard.  

The Bozeman Beautification Advisory Board  has been recognizing outstanding beautification efforts undertaken by individuals, businesses, organizations, and service groups since 1997. Chair of the Board, Terry Quatraro says, “One of the goals of this board is to identify, investigate, and recommend community beautification projects to the City Commission.  The response to these annual awards over the years has had a tremendously positive effect for our community.  By recognizing meritorious efforts of groups and individuals within our city it helps us all have a sense of pride and respect for the beauty that surrounds us.” Community members are encouraged to submit nominations for projects big and small at www.bozeman.net/beautificationawards.

Access to mental health care services is available to more individuals in the Gallatin Valley thanks to a grant from the Montana Healthcare Foundation and a partnership between Montana State University and the Gallatin City County Health Department.

With the grant, which is worth nearly $70,000, MSU counseling professors Anna Elliott and Rebecca Koltz from the MSU Department of Health and Human Development in the College of Education, Health and Human Development have partnered with the Gallatin City County Health Department’s Healthy Gallatin Home Visiting program. Through the collaboration, health department home visitors with the program may refer individuals and families to an MSU clinic for counseling services.

“Currently in the Gallatin Valley, there is a shortage of services for low-income residents to receive counseling services, so our grant aims to help attend to this gap,” Koltz said. “We hope that we can increase our ability to provide meaningful mental health services to an underserved population in the Gallatin Valley.” 

Montana State University counseling professors Anna Elliott, left, and Rebecca Koltz are pictured outside the Human Development Clinic near MSU's Bozeman campus. MSU photo by Kelly Gorham

The counseling services will be offered for a low cost through the Human Development Clinic, a community mental health agency that is affiliated with MSU's graduate counseling program. Counseling sessions offered through the clinic are staffed by MSU graduate counseling students who are supervised by licensed mental health professionals.

"Each year the graduate counseling students (at MSU) provide approximately 14,000 hours of free or low-cost counseling to the community,” Elliott said. “We want to increase our ability to offer mental health care to clients who may not be able to access services from other sources.”

There is no restriction to the number of counseling sessions participants may receive, said Koltz, who added that the client and counselor will collaboratively determine the number of sessions to best meet the client’s treatment plan goals. 

Elliott said even though the sessions are offered at a low cost, individuals sometimes face logistical barriers to counseling. To try to help reduce those barriers, the Human Development Clinic will offer transportation to the clinic – which is located on South Third Avenue near the MSU campus – as well as child programming on site while the child’s or children’s caregiver/s are engaged in counseling sessions.

“Additionally, we are providing a range of services to tailor what each participant in this program would benefit from - individual, couples counseling, family counseling, and/or parent/child relationship counseling,” Elliott said.

According to Koltz, five to six interns work at the clinic, and in addition, she and Elliott are hoping to hire a post-master's intern who could also provide addictions counseling at the clinic. 

Koltz and Elliott hope the grant and collaboration with the Gallatin City County Health Department will provide benefits for both the clients and the MSU graduate counseling students.

“We hope that we can increase our ability to provide meaningful mental health services to an underserved population in the Gallatin Valley,” Elliott said. “We also hope that this collaboration will provide an intensive training opportunity for our counseling interns, increasing their exposure to working with higher-need clients so that they can serve a range of clients in our community upon graduation.” 

“The College of Education, Health and Human Development is committed to integrating community services with our teaching and research missions, consistent with being a land-grant university,” said Alison Harmon, dean of the college. “This new project is a great example of serving the community while also serving our students and adding to the country’s knowledge base.”

In additional to the new referral program, the Human Development Clinic offers counseling services upon request on a sliding fee scale for individuals and families in the Gallatin Valley. To receive a free, confidential beginning session, individuals are invited to call the Human Development Clinic at 406-994-4113.