BFS screenings include Pray-filmed murder mystery with panel
Public film screenings continue with Bozeman Film Society this summer. A pair of upcoming Ellen events have been announced as part of the 2021-22 Season.
Next up is the quirky dramedy The Duke starring Jim Broadbent, Dame Helen Mirren and Fionn Whitehead on Friday, July 8th.
Based on a true story, the film is set in 1961 when Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government agreed to provide television for free to the elderly. What happened next became the stuff of legend. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge – a startling revelation of how a good man set out to change the world and in so doing saved his son and his marriage.
Jocelyn Noveck of the Associated Press said of the film, “Their touching chemistry does the trick and Broadbent is darned near perfect as a man whose Robin Hood-like principles won out in the most unlikely of scenarios.” Rated R with a runtime of 95 minutes.
Following Friday, July 22nd, is a special event screening of locally filmed Murder at Yellowstone City. The first feature film shot at the Yellowstone Film Ranch backlot in Pray, the event will include a panel with Director Richard Gray.
The once peaceful and booming Yellowstone City has fallen on hard times, but when a local prospector strikes gold, things seem to be turning around. Any hope is soon shattered when the prospector is found dead and the Sheriff quickly arrests a mysterious newcomer. But nothing is so simple in this sleepy western town, and more than a few of the locals have secrets to keep and reasons to kill. As the brutal murders continue, pitting neighbor against neighbor, Yellowstone City goes down a bloody path to a final showdown that not all will survive.
“I’ve dreamed about the wild west since I was a kid, so to make this film with such a talented cast at our own western backlot in Montana is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s the first film ever shot at the Yellowstone Film Ranch. It’s a really special story – a thrilling western. I can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said Gray. Not rated with a runtime of 123 minutes, the film stars Gabriel Byrne, Thomas Jane, Isaiah Mustafa, Anna Camp, Aimee Garcia and Emma Kenney with Nat Wolff and Richard Dreyfuss.
The Duke and Murder at Yellowstone City screen at 7:30pm at the Ellen Theatre. Reserved tickets are $9.25–$9.75 (plus fees) and available at www.theellentheatre.org, by calling (406) 585-5885, or by visiting the Ellen box office. Wine, beer and concessions will be available in the lobby prior to the screening. CC devices available.
Learn more about the current season at www.bozemanfilmsociety.org – and Keep ‘Em Flickering! •