Aspiring Whitefish filmmaker documenting festival's history

Who is King Ullr, really?

What's the story of the Black Knights?

And what about the faceless Yetis and the Nordic women warriors in their hammered-metal breastplates?

The inside story of the history of the Whitefish Winter Carnival will be revealed in an upcoming documentary being filmed by award-winning filmmaker Adam Pitman and his colleague, Jake Cook, in conjunction with Stumptown Historical Society.

The film coincides with the 50th anniversary of the time-honored winter festival, but won't be ready in time for the carnival finale this weekend. They hope to have it done by the end of March.

Pitman, a Whitefish High School graduate, is a rising star in the film world who with BadFritter Films already has two independent horror films - "Roulette" and "Paper Dolls' - under his belt. Cook helped with the filming of "Roulette."

Pitman grew up attending the Whitefish carnival and became intrigued with its origin when he'd observe people's reaction to the carnival royalty and other characters who make the rounds downtown for various events.

"When we were filming 'Paper Dolls,' the director was here when the royalty came in and he wondered, 'What is going on here?'" Pitman recalled. "I realized how unique the carnival really is.

"I thought it would be nice to do an overview of how the carnival began," he said. "I want to look at the different aspects of what makes the carnival tick. It's one of the oldest winter carnivals in the country."

Pitman and Cook have been filming since carnival events got under way in early January, and are amazed at the enthusiasm and huge turnout at events such as the Disco Party last week.

"Everyone was in disco outfits," Pitman said. "It rivaled Halloween" celebrations in downtown Whitefish.

They've interviewed this year's King Rick Donahue, among others, and plan to document the stories of early-day organizers such as Ted Lund and Norm Kurtz.

"Another great aspect of this is talking to the old-timers," Pitman said.

If anyone has home movies of the carnival, the filmmakers would love to incorporate the archival footage into the documentary.

"The historical society doesn't have any [video] footage of past carnivals, so we would archive it for them," Pitman said.

He's considering using animation in the documentary to explain the Norse mythology upon which carnival lore is based.

The filmmakers hope to put together two versions of the carnival history, a shorter film and a longer documentary that could be entered in film festivals. Distribution details are still being worked out.

Pitman plans to return to Los Angeles this spring to pursue making horror movies. The Winter Carnival documentary has been a good way to fill up the winter months, he said.

"It's a way of giving back. It'll be a great gift for Whitefish and the Flathead Valley."

In addition to home movies of past carnivals, the filmmaking pair also need some cash to finish the project. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Stumptown Historical Society, 500 Depot St., Suite 101, Whitefish, MT 59937. Donors will receive credit in the film and a free copy.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com