Winter Carnival documentary to premiere
Dancing Yetis, parading Penguins, Keystone Cops and some guy named King Ullr.
To Adam Pitman, the Whitefish Winter Carnival was always just another winter weekend. As a native Whitefish resident, he never considered what outsiders — tourists and recent transplants — thought about the spectacle.
Then three years ago, Pitman and a friend from out of town were sitting in the Great Northern Bar on Carnival weekend when the royalty came parading through the door.
"Then the Penguins came in, then the Yetis," Pitman said. "I looked at my friend and his face was priceless. He was like, 'What the hell is going on?'"
That's when it hit Pitman. Maybe all of this — the elaborate costumes with the storybook plot and characters — isn't so normal.
"I always took the Carnival for granted," he said. "I didn't realize the scope of it and all the hard work that went into it. That night, I decided I needed to tell people what is going on, why we have this, and why it's so special."
Pitman, the accomplished filmmaker behind the horror movies "Roulette" and "Paper Dolls," knew his medium to tell the Carnival story would have to be on the silver screen. The following year — the Carnival's 50th anniversary — he set out to capture the sights and sounds of Whitefish's biggest weekend.
The end result is "White-fish Winter Carnival," a documentary about the history of the Carnival and the people behind it today.
The film follows the basic chronological order of Carnival weekends and includes footage and interviews from the Merry Maker, skijoring, the King's Coronation, the Penguin Plunge and, of course, the Grand Parade.
Pitman is the film's narrator as he takes the audience on the Carnival journey though his eyes. He says the film is funny and bizarre, but at times sentimental.
"It will help people appreciate the Carnival more than they ever have," Pitman said. "This is the Mardi Gras of Whitefish. I think people who aren't familiar with Carnival will be entertained by it, too."
According to Pitman, the film will be a prized possession at many households in town.
"It could be a travelogue for Whitefish," he said. "It's something you can show to a friend to get them to come out for Carnival weekend."
The documentary uses footage from last year's Carnival as well as archived film and photos. Oftentimes, the film plays as if the audience is a fly on the wall looking in on Carnival events.
"It starts with the history," Pitman said. "Then we watch eight minutes of the Merry Maker to get the feel for what's going on."
Pitman isn't sure what the end game for the documentary will be. He says he'll probably submit it to some contests once the final cut is made, but winning an award isn't what he's after.
"I really love this town, and I wanted to give back," he said. "It's a gift for Whitefish."
Funding for the project came from the Stumptown Historical Society and local businesses. Pitman donated much of his personal time to the film. Jake Cook also contributed his time as photographer and editor.
A director's cut will premiere at the O'Shaughnessy on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 4, at 4 and 7:30 p.m. A minimum donation of $5 to the Stumptown Historical Society will be required at the door.
DVDs will be available for pre-sale at the premiere for $16. They will be available later at the Stumptown Historical Society for $20. The DVD will include edited material Pitman made after the director's-cut premiere.