GREAT FALLS — The Lewis and Clark expedition epitomized the great outdoors, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation has kept that appreciation for Big Sky Country alive with hands-on stewardship projects in the 1.6-million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
One way to help achieve that is through the Mountain Film on Tour film festival which makes a stop at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in mid-March.
Since 2007, the Foundation has been hosting MountainFilm on Tour as a fundraiser for the organization’s hands-on stewardship projects in Bob Marshall Wilderness.
“We're a nonprofit partner to the Forest Service in the hopes of caretaking that 1.6 million acres of federally protected wilderness right along the continental divide that we all affectionately call the Bob,” said Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation Executive Director Clifford Kipp.
The tour will visit five Montana cities around the Bob Marshall Wilderness complex.
The films are curated from the MountainFilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado.
While the nine films to be shown don’t take place in the Bob, they do offer an educational and entertaining experience for outdoor enthusiasts.
“They are going to find a whole lot of great films about people's connection with the outdoors, what that does to them spiritually, physically and some really inspiring stories, overcoming hardship and the restorative powers of nature,” said Kipp.
The tour will also make stops in Missoula, Helena, Whitefish, and Bigfork.
Kipp says the March 15, 2024, Great Falls event, will also feature raffle prizes from sponsors, and serves as a chance to raise the foundation’s profile in a gateway community to the Bob Marshall.
“I know it's a busy weekend with the art show that's going on,” said Kipp. “But maybe that fits with people who are there to see some art, come see some films as well.”
MountainFilm On Tour takes place on Friday, March 15 at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center starting at 6 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased online.
