Northern Voyage Film Festival coming to Brookings

Brand new on the South Dakota film festival circuit this year is the Northern Lights Film Festival in Brookings, May 10-11.

On tap are showings of "The Pact," "Beasts of the Southern Wild" and several shorts, plus roundtable discussion on regional filmmaking and a keynote by David Laub of Oscilliscope Labratories.

Full information is available at The Northern Lights Film Festival and on Facebook.

Black Hills Film Festival featuring multiple films, locations and guests

The Black Hills Film Festival, May 1-5, will feature film screenings in Hill City and Rapid City and guest appearances by several directors and actors.

"The Buffalo King" and "Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde" profiling prominent South Dakotans and "Tiger Eyes" starring Tatanka Means will screen at the Elks Theater in Rapid City and the Hill City High School during the festival.

Hill City Harley Davidson is sponsoring the showing of "The World's Fastest Indian" starring Anthony Hopkins along with several other films.

"Paper People" directed by Andrew Kightlinger and produced by Luke Schuetzle, both of Pierre, will be featured along with "A Prairie Wind," "Derby Kings," "Driving Blind," "Dawn of Conviction" and many others.

Also on the schedule are a stunt seminar with Angelique Midthunder, a directing seminar with Andres Torres-Vives, and a casting seminar with Rene Haynes.

Full information and tickets are available at BlackHillsFilmFestival.org.

LEE filming on Pine Ridge Reservation

LEE, is an award winning fictional dramatic feature written and to be directed by Chloé Zhao. Set in present day Pine Ridge, LEE is the coming of age story of a young man who when tragedy strikes his family makes a risky decision that forever alters his most cherished relationships.

The film will be shot entirely on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and surrounding towns in South Dakota. The film will feature lauded Native American actresses Irene Bedard (Crazy Horse, Smoke Signals, Pocohantas and Delanna Studi (Skins, Edge of America). However, the majority of the cast will be comprised of non-professional Lakota Sioux discovered through open casting calls held throughout Pine Ridge by Casting Director Rene Haynes (Twilight Saga, Skins, Into the West).

The film has received institutional support from the Sundance Film Institute, Film Independent, and Independent Filmmakers Project and received financial support and mentorship from Academy Award-winning director Ang Li and Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Chris Columbus, Spike Lee and Ed Harris.

A Kickstarter campaign for the film was recently launched to help fund the production and buil greater awareness around the Pine Ridge Community. For more information, visit the Kickstarter page at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/990433900/lee-0.

Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde now showing

For those who have met Dayton O. Hyde, the founder of the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary near Hot Springs, they know he is quite an interesting character. A new film, "Running Wild: The Life of Dayton O. Hyde" will be bringing his story to everyone.

With the film making the rounds of film festivals all around the country, over 37,000 fans have already liked the Facebook page. More info and the movie trailer are at the Running Wild website.

CinemaFalls will show the film in Sioux Falls on April 21. Tickets and info are available at CinemaFalls. Dayton Hyde himself and director Suzanne Mitchell will be in attendance.

I'm sure more showings in South Dakota are on the way soon.

Black Hills Film Festival May 1-5

Nowlin Town Productions turns cameras on Casey Tibbs

Hot on the heels of successful screenings of "The Buffalo King" in Pierre and Philip, Nowlin Town Productions' Justin Koehler plans to give a similar treatment to world-famous Fort Pierre cowboy Casey Tibbs.

The Pierre Capitol Journal has a great article on Koehler's plans and some background on Tibbs - Filmmaker to focus on Casey Tibbs.

"The Pact" now available for web viewing

"The Pact," a film made in the Brookings, South Dakota area is now available for web rental at Watch The Pact.

I've seen the movie and it's pretty darn funny. The premise is that two brothers attempt to live a pact to swear off women for one year.

Producers Aaron and Matt Toronto promise prizes and more fun stuff for those who watch the film and follow the website and their Facebook page.