MISSOULA — The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is underway for the 23rd year in Missoula.
Out of 2,000 submissions, close to 150 made the cut.
Premiering on Sunday, February 22, is Mother Range — a story of two women making their mark on ranching while raising kids.
Watch to learn more about Mother Range:
“Being a rancher has made me a better mom, and I think being a mom makes me a better rancher," Jaimie Stoltzfus told MTN.
While 270 miles separate Cohagen and McLeod, the distance isn’t keeping Amber Smith and Stoltzfus from working together.
“We also have really aligned values. Our philosophy around regenerative agriculture, why that's so important for the longevity of our landscapes," Stoltzfus said.
Smith and her family raise cattle on the plains of Eastern Montana.
“We have a mother cow herd here. Our asset on this landscape is that we're able to winter graze our cattle," Smith explained.
In the warmer months, Smith sends her cattle to Stoltzfus, where she and her family finish the beef under the shadow of the Absaroka Mountains.
“They have really beautiful mountain grazing all summer long," Smith noted.
Costs, corporate chains, and drought conditions challenge the duo who are trying to get Montana meat to Montanans.
“We can make better choices with what we're buying and what we're supporting," Stoltzfus said.
All the while, both women are raising children and balancing family responsibilities.
“I’m grateful that our kids are really connected to the land and where their food came from, because I didn't have that until I was an adult," Stoltzfus said.
"The realities of responsibility to this type of landscape is it means everyone's involved. It's hard work and it's not always perfect and beautiful and easy. There's many, many beating hearts on the land, and as a family, we're always navigating priorities around that," Smith added.
Capturing how the collaboration works on video was a whole other process in itself.
“Holding space for someone and sitting and sharing like long days with people to let things happen as they happen, like that was a big part of this process," shared Anthony Pavkovich, who directed the film.
Zach Altman and Megan Torgerson, a Missoula local, produced the project.
“They were pushing cattle up into the high country in the Absaroka Mountains. And then after that, we sat down and had an interview with Amber and Jaimie, and just the love that they have for each other, their friendship and camaraderie just really came across," Torgerson said.
All involved hope the film inspires collaboration and support for local producers.
“People who care about local food and want to invest in that with their dollars, this is a little portrait into just how complex it is to actually bring products to the consumer," Altman stated.
"It’s an absolute honor to have our stories being told at a bigger level," Smith said.
Mother Range premieres at the Wilma Theater on Sunday, February 22, at 1 p.m.
