Colin Ruggiero is a filmmaker based in Missoula, but he has learned to love southeastern Montana.
We have a winner.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about “Real Montana,” the short-film competition sponsored by the state Office of Tourism. I also said my favorite out of more than 150 entries was Colin Ruggiero’s “Montana,” a dazzling, time-lapse tour of the state, with a particular emphasis on southeastern Montana.
I’m a bit late on this, but the Missoulian reports that Ruggiero’s film won the prize in one of the contest’s five categories—wildlife and scenery—then went on to win the grand prize.
He won a total of $12,500 in the competition, and the good news is that he plans to use his winnings to create more films. He has a number of projects in the works, but the most promising seems to be another movie about Montana. Though he’s mum on the details, he did tantalize the Missoulian with this quote:
“It’s a secret at this point, but I can say that it will show off Montana in a way that hasn’t quite ever been done before.”
To watch Ruggiero’s “Montana,” click here. Ruggiero has other great work from this part of the state, including two episodes of his “Chasing Light” series: “Southeast Montana” and “Powder River Basin.”
