14th annual FLIC festival is this weekend in Polson
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The Flathead Lake International Cinemafest returns to Polson this weekend for its 14th year of screening a diverse selection of films for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.
FLIC 2026 takes place Friday through Sunday, Feb. 13-15, at the Showboat Stadium 6, 416 Main St. Nominated films will replay during Encore Week Monday, Feb. 16, through Thursday, Feb. 19. All-access passes are available at flicpolson.com at a cost of $51.50.
The event gets underway at 4:30 p.m. Friday with a catered reception in the lobby of Showboat Stadium 6. A FLIC ticket or all-access pass is required for participation. Screenings will then commence at 6 p.m. on multiple Showboat Stadium 6 screens and continue through the weekend. Check FLICPolson.com for the schedule.
The festival once again offers a variety of domestic and international films, featuring entries from 23 countries as well as many homegrown Montana films. They will include full-length narrative and documentary features, shorts, animation and student films.
“The main comment we get from people is that it is so wonderful to have such a variety of films,” said David King, FLIC director, co-producer and a judge. “If you don’t like one, wait a few minutes and there will be another.”
As for filmmakers, they enjoy the engaged audiences, he said, noting that other film festivals don’t have the same level of community interaction. Many films during FLIC will be followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers.
“FLIC has rich community involvement and filmmakers love that,” King said. “We try hard to make them feel appreciated and at home in Polson. Many of the alumni filmmakers enter because they enjoy it so much.”
He added that one filmmaker said that of over 25 film festivals in 18 months, “this is the best” and that it “stands out as the best experience. I can’t say enough about how welcoming the community is.”
That FLIC is now in its 14th year is another drawing card for filmmakers, King said, explaining that when he and his wife are looking for festivals to enter, they want ones that have been around for a while. “The ones over 10 years are more interesting to enter.”
King noted Becky and Gary Dupuis, whose family owns the Showboat Stadium 6, “are wonderful hosts. Without them, FLIC wouldn’t exist. They’re wonderful partners … kind and welcoming. They support the festival in a magnificent way.”
FLIC got its start as a community effort to generate more activities during the hard winter, King said. It provides something for residents to enjoy in the winter as well as attract people to Polson and benefit the local economy by bringing independent cinema to the region.
“It’s proven to be a wonderful success,” he said.
FIC’s judging panel enjoys discovering each year’s unique standouts. Included among them this year is the documentary film, “SoCal Snowy Owl - The bird that united a community.”
The film’s director, Christopher Angel, describes himself as a lifelong birdwatcher and on Jan. 2, 2023, he and his 11-year-old son drove to Cypress to look for the snowy owl that was seen in the area. He found 200 people in the street, looking up at the bird on a roof.
“The owl was a star,” he said. “She had transfixed the neighborhood. … This documentary is as much about people as it is about the owl. This bird touched an entire community in unexpected ways.”
“SoCal Snowy Owl” screens at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, followed by a filmmaker Q&A.
