On the Town: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

It's the time of year Missoula film geeks die for: The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is back, this time with a few surprises.

The festival kicks off tonight with the first showing in the Wilma Theatre at 6:30 p.m. Over the next 10 days the Wilma and the Crystal Theater will be reeling through 144 original documentaries. From full-length features to 12-minute short films, there's going to be something for everyone.

Festival director Mike Steinberg built a career from his love of documentaries, while his passion for music remained a hobby. This year he's combining the two by devoting almost a third of the schedule to films about music. Nearly 40 movies will cover punk, jazz, bluegrass and everything between.

A new feature of this year's festival: The Doc Shop. It's is a three-day workshop designed to give filmmakers the chance to meet, discuss and debate all the elements that go into funding and producing a documentary. It's for those who are interested in making films of their own and networking with people already in the business.

But if you'd rather just watch the films, here are a few worth looking for:

"Sing Your Song"

2/18, Cystal Theatre, 7:00 p.m.

Harry Belafonte's incredible life story is retold. Through his well-spoken narration you see the singer/actor's constant struggle against social injustice and the toll it took on his personal life. Hollywood hasn't seen a performer with that much integrity since.

"The Art of Fighting"

2/18, The Wilma, 9:00 p.m.

Afghani refugee Hussain Sadiqi fled to Australia in search of a better life. Once he got there, he packed on muscle and devoted himself to martial arts. Now the self-proclaimed nomad is giving it all up to pursue his Hollywood dream of becoming like his lifelong hero, Bruce Lee.

"Black Rock Horse"

2/23, The Wilma, 7:30 p.m.

What better place to recreate scenes from the Trojan War than at the Burning Man festival in Nevada? At least that's what a few friends decided when they built a 50-foot tall wooden Trojan horse and convinced a ton of strangers to wear togas and pull it into the middle of the festival. Rather than attack anyone, they filled it full of explosives and fireworks and sent it off in true Burning Man fashion.

"You Have the Right to an Attorney"

2/26, The Wilma, 10:30 a.m.

A couple New York public defenders represent some of the poorest clients in the south Bronx. The two young attorneys attempt to resolve hundreds of cases while trying to come to terms with a legal system they consider fundamentally broken.

"Ecstasy of Order"

2/26, The Wilma, 12:00 p.m.

Among videogame, ahem, connoisseurs, Nintendo's 1990 version of Tetris is considered to be one of the best games of all time. The game maintains a cult following to this day but up until now, no one knew who was world's best. This documentary follows one man who organizes a tournament to find out. Along the way, you meet the brilliant and quirky Tetris masters. The great cast and surprise ending make this a must-see. Watching other people play video games — especially people in their mid-30s — has never been so fun.

dameon.matule@umontana.edu