The Columbia Falls Academic Foundation’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival is back, featuring 10 films about nature and adventure in the annual fundraiser for enhanced academic programing for Columbia Falls students.
“You can experience everything from kiteboarding on the Egyptian coast to climbing the Italian Dolomites,” said Kim Wortman. Wortman, a local realtor, serves as the foundation’s chair.
“It’s going to be a great night for people to come together and support education in Columbia Falls,” Wortman continued.
The festival will take place Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Columbia Falls High School Little Theater. It costs $12 if you buy your ticket in advance, and $15 if you purchase it at the door.
This year’s films include “Above Sinai,” a film about a professional kiteboarder on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula; “Eyes on the Forest,” which focuses on poachers turned conservationists who recover and replace camera traps to help provide data about the wildlife and poachers; and “Dancing Warrior,” a coming-of-age story about Lakota teens competing in horse racing.
The Wild and Scenic Film Festival serves as the Columbia Falls Academic Foundation’s largest fundraiser of the year.
This year, per a press release, the foundation is raising funds for a project dubbed “Play it Forward,” which aims to purchase new instruments and choir equipment for the music program at Columbia Falls Junior High.
“Many of the instruments are old, worn out, or there are just too few to go around,” said Kate Foley, the co-chair of the foundation. “On the choir side, new choral risers are needed for safety.”
The project, which the foundation is raising funding for in two phases, is looking to raise $65,000 in Phase I. Per the organization’s website, around $20,000 have been raised thus far. That sum includes a $15,000 grant from the Whitefish Community Foundation and a $3,000 grant from the Flathead Electric Cooperative. The funds have been used so far to purchase new trombones, a vibraphone, baritone saxophone and PA system.
In other news of the day, municipal elections wrapped up last evening in the Flathead. Voters approved the county-wide jail bond and Ryan Hunter will serve as Kalispell’s next mayor.
Stick with me, Mariah Thomas, for the rest of today’s Daily Roundup.
Ryan Hunter clung to an early lead in the Kalispell mayoral race with 2,930 votes, edging out Kisa Davison's 2,667 and Sid Daoud's 1,790, according to the Flathead County Election Department’s preliminary results
Although hunter participation dipped slightly during the second week of general big game season, overall success rates remained strong across the region
Meet Celeste! She’s a 2-month-old terrier/pit bull mix — and the Humane Society has several terrier/pit bull mixes up for adoption right now that I’d guess might be Celeste’s siblings. Too cute!
To find out more about Celeste and other pet adoption opportunities at the Humane Society of Northwest Montana go to: www.humanesocietypets.com. To donate to the Humane Society of Northwest Montana, visit the organization’s donation page here.
Keeping you connected to Northwest Montana.
Whether you’ve been here for decades, or you’re new to the Flathead Valley, our reporting is here to help you feel smarter and in the loop about the issues most important to Northwest Montana. With your support, we can build a more engaged, informed community.
