BRIEF TIMELINE
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1970: A group of MSU professors begins screening classic films on campus for students.
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1978: Growing community interest expands showings beyond campus, and new arthouse films are screened in downtown Bozeman’s Ellen and Rialto Theaters.
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1983–2003: Bozeman Film Festival, Inc. (BFF) is established as a nonprofit organization that shows movies year-round on campus and at the Rialto Theater.
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2004: The Rialto and Ellen Theaters close after decades of operation.
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2006: To ensure community access to world-class films, BFF resumes showings at the Emerson Crawford Theater and rebrands as the Bozeman Film Society (BFS) in 2014.
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2016: As 35mm films fade away, BFS launches a “Go Digital or Go Dark” campaign and, with the help of loyal donors, purchases a digital projector and relocates back to the renovated Ellen Theatre.
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2026: Now entering a bold new chapter, BFS officially launches The Bozeman Film Festival, debuting October 8–11 with emerging films, panels, parties, and awards across downtown venues.
