Local owl expert to speak at FLIC screening

Owl Research Institute (ORI) founder and Charlo resident Denver Holt will serve as a guest producer at the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest (FLIC) during a special screening of the short documentary, SoCal SNOWY OWL, nominated for Best Short Film.

The festival brings a wide array of independent films to Showboat Stadium 6 in Polson Feb. 13-15. “SoCal SNOWY OWL” will screen as part of the 8:15 p.m. film block on Friday, followed by a live Q&A session with Holt at approximately 9 p.m.

SoCal SNOWY OWL is produced by Walter Josten and his company, BlueRider Media, and directed by Chris Angel. The film won the Audience Award for Best Short Documentary at the Newport Beach Film Festival, from a field of more than 130 films, and received the best documentary award at the recent Yale in Hollywood Film Festival. 

The film also aired nationally on PBS during Earth Week 2025, reaching more than 200 million viewers.

The documentary tells the remarkable story of a Snowy Owl that made a rare appearance in the Southern California suburb of Cypress, and is set against the backdrop of sprawling urban development and the lingering social isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers say the owl’s arrival "became a catalyst for connection, uniting a diverse suburban community through curiosity, empathy and shared wonder."

According to Holt, who was consulted as a scientific expert and is featured in the film, “a Snowy Owl showing up in Southern California is extraordinarily rare. Local experts believe it may have been the first documented occurrence in nearly a century.”

“We don’t know exactly why it happened, but it was likely a young female bird that ended up much farther south while searching for food, possibly influenced by a storm or even hitching a ride on a ship, which isn’t uncommon for Snowy Owls,” he added.

According to the producers, SoCal SNOWY OWL uses this extraordinarily rare event to inspire awareness and action on behalf of nature, fostering deeper connections between individuals, communities and the natural world.

Holt provided scientific context, photography sources and research insight drawn from more than three decades of Snowy Owl research in the Arctic. He was later invited to assist in producing the film.

“The Snowy Owl is an Arctic icon,” he said. “By sharing its story, we can raise awareness about the growing challenges birds of prey face, from habitat loss to cycles or changes in weather and food source availability.”

Following Friday’s screening, Holt will be available to discuss Snowy Owl ecology, disrupted migration movements, and the role of storytelling in conservation during a moderated Q&A with festival audiences.

For more information about the movie, including the trailer, head to www.socalsnowyowl.com; for festival schedules and tickets, visit www.flicfilmfestival.org.

    SoCal SNOWY OWL shows Friday night during the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest in Polson, and features a Q&A with Owl Research Institute founder Denver Holt.