Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

As buffalo return to the North American landscapes they once defined, the important ecological and cultural impacts of that restoration have begun to manifest. A Buffalo Story follows the work of Jason Baldes, the Tribal Buffalo Manager for buffalo restoration on the Wind River Reservation, whose efforts to help people believe in buffalo again require him to confront his own trauma. In the debut interview of a series focusing on films from the 2024 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, director and producer Colin Ruggiero visited the Trail studios to discuss his feature film.

What is Big Sky Documentary Film Festival?

Now in its 21st year, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival is the premier venue for non-fiction film in the American West. Every year, the festival brings over a hundred beautifully-crafted, thought-provoking documentary films to Missoula, Montana. This podcast, a collaboration between the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and the Missoula Broadcasting Company, gives you the chance to hear directly from filmmakers, gaining insight into what drew them to their subjects and the behind-the-scenes stories of their films.