Into the Wild Frontier Showing for Free at Star Theatre Thursdays

The beauty surrounding Whitehall is hard to ignore. With the Tobacco Root Mountains, the Highlands, and the Jefferson and Madison Rivers right out our backdoors, the Jefferson Valley has become a filmmaker's paradise. One of the most recent productions filmed right out Whitehall's doors will be shown, for free, at the Star Theatre beginning Thursday, July 11th at 7 PM. Whitehall non-profit Gold Junction Presents and the Montanan Film Commission bring this film series to you.

INSP channel's Into the Wild Frontier premiered in February 2022. What started as an eight-episode miniseries has now completed its fourth complete season.

Each episode depicts the biographical story of an early pioneer, scout, hunter, or trader who fulfilled America's destiny to expand Westward and explore unchartered territories to blaze new trails. From John Colter to Jim Bridger, Lewis and Clark to Jedediah Smith, Into the Wild Frontier explores many fronts while focusing on Montana's landscapes and utilizing Montana historians and actors.

Gold Junction Presents is excited to show two episodes per Thursday, with the first season of Into the Wild Frontier running from July 11th to August 1st and season two beginning September 5th. Seasons three and four will also be shown depending on attendance and interest. Before each presentation of the episodes, local historians, costumers, actors, armorers, location agents, and extras will speak on the episodes to be shown and their involvement, and they will answer any questions.

Whitehall resident Mark Brown and Butte resident Shera Konen, formerly of Whitehall, were actively involved in creating the series.

"We've remained as true and authentic to the stories as possible," Konen said. "The series is stunningly beautiful visually - that's the magic of it for me."

Konen, the Location Manager and Background Casting Director for the series, knows Montana like the back of her hand and was able to find locations in our area to film desert scenes, Appalachia, Sierra Nevada, and more. Core filming of season one took place in Manhattan/ Amsterdam, Willow Creek, Ennis, Nevada City, Waterloo, Twin Bridges, and Big Sky.

Filming of Into the Wild Frontier, season one, began in April of 2021 and was completed in June, with several pickup shoots extending into July.

"It was great to film here because, in several cases, these events happened right where we are filming them," Konen said. "I could take the producers' (Paul Epstein and Chris Castle) vision and make it happen."

Brown, the Master Armorer and Technical/Historical Advisor for the series, brought in reenactors with Montana History "Live" who supplied most of their own historically accurate gear, clothing, and weapons.

Brown believes that Montana was more than the Hollywood producers may have bargained for.

"We, as Montanans, had to guide them through what life in Montana is really like," he said with a laugh. "Because they were from New York and New Jersey, they never pretended they were know-it-alls - they relied on the Montanans to make the scene work for them."

Brown's coordination brought a wrangler with over 40 horses from Red Lodge to the area to outfit scenes in multiple episodes, dugout canoes from around the country to film the Lewis and Clark episode, and more. His longtime friend and historical reenactor companion, Dennis Borud, served as Assistant Armoror and Historical Consultant.

Brown, who has worked as a historical consultant on dozens of films, is very proud of the series.

"I've never worked on a production that was consistently, regularly, seeking the historically accurate way to do it right," he explained. "I felt like there was a mutual desire for it to be accurate, which was very cool."

On Thursday, July 11th, episodes featuring the lives and times of Jim Bridger (Forged on the Frontier) and Tom Fitzpatrick (Trapper, Trader, Legend) will be screened. The official Into the Wild Frontier trailer may be viewed at https://bit.ly/3eS856Q.

Again, this series is free to the public, and doors will open at the Star Theatre at 6:30 PM. Concessions will be available for purchase and any donations to Gold Junction Presents are welcomed and appreciated.

Gold Junction Presents took over ownership and operation of the Star Theatre business at the beginning of 2024 under Anderson Entertainment LLC. The business aspect of the Star then donates its profits to Gold Junction Presents, which utilizes the funds to restore and repair the historic building located in the center of Whittehall's business district. Gold Junction Presents also operates the Main Street Green.

Gold Junction Presents received a grant from the Montana Film Commission to show Into the Wild Frontier and an additional upcoming movie series. NorthWestern Energy recently provided a $2,500 grant to Gold Junction Presents for a sound system for the Wednesday night Open Mic sessions held at the Star at 6:30 PM and other upcoming live music events.

In June, Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine awarded Gold Junction Presents an $82,000 grant for a flexible-use stage, which will be constructed inside the theatre but can also be utilized on the Main Street Green. (Stay tuned for more information on this grant-this is HUGE news for Gold Junction Presents!)

The Star is run primarily by volunteers and is always looking for assistance with maintenance, concessions sales, and more. If you want to donate your time, don't hesitate to contact Gold Junction Presents at goldjunctionpresents@gmail.com, visit http://www.goldjunctionpresents.com, or call 406-498-3807.