Flathead Lake International Cinemafest kicks off its 14th year of presenting a wide range of domestic and international films on Feb. 13-15 at the Showboat Stadium 6 theater in Polson.  

FLIC features independent films, including full-length narratives, documentaries, short films and animations. The festival is produced by David and Jessica King and will have an encore week from Feb. 16-19. 

David explained that they have many returning alumni filmmakers and a total of 51 films this year. 

“We have over two dozen filmmakers planning to attend the festival,” King said. “Our community has embraced this festival, and one of the biggest comments we received from filmmakers is that FLIC has an audience, and it's an enthusiastic audience, and that makes a big difference.” 

One of the films nominated by the FLIC committee for best documentary feature this year is Rustin Thompson’s “The Last Picture Shows.” Thompson, the cinematographer, director, editor, producer and sound manager, spent two years filming it.  

Thompson traveled the West in search of small towns where movie theaters had once been the center of life. Covering over 10,825 miles across 10 states, he found abandoned and forgotten cinemas.  

But he also comes across theaters that were not only surviving but thriving. The 78-minute documentary displays the past and presents the hardships facing the film industry.  

Thompson explained that it all started with inspiration from Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 film, “The Last Picture Show.”  

“I started thinking about all of these theaters that I would see driving through the West over the years, and some closed, some open. I always just found them fascinating,” Thompson said. “I wondered how they were surviving? How many people actually went to these theaters?”  

He first saw this film as a visual essay documenting ghost towns, deserted main streets, and the shells of once-great cinemas. As he began traveling to these small towns, he realized that some theaters were still open and drawing audiences.  

He found that they were managed by people who grew up in these small towns and cared for their community and the theater. From there, the film became far more than he had expected, Thompson said, and he began seeking owners and managers at each cinema.  

Thompson studied film and broadcast television at the University of Washington. He worked in television news and as a freelance cameraman. In the early 2000s, he started making documentaries and has completed nine over the past 25 years.  

Thompson noted that the best way to see the film is in Polson on Feb. 14 at 6 p.m., as it will be several months before it is available on streaming platforms. He plans to showcase the film at as many festivals as possible before it is released to broader audiences. Thompson will be at the film for a short question-and-answer session after the show.  

To view the full film lineup coming to Polson, visit flicpolson.com. Tickets and all-access passes are available on the website.       Rustin Thompson’s poster for his film “The Last Picture Shows.” Thompson spent two years traveling more than 10,000 miles across the West while working on this film. (Courtesy of Rustin Thompson)