Today Governor Brian Schweitzer announced that acclaimed writer and director Jim Kouf has selected Montana as the filming location for his upcoming film A FORK IN THE ROAD.
This fictional Montana tale, co-written by Kouf and Alan DiFiore, is a dark, caper comedy about the many forks in the road of life and the consequences of selecting a path. In A FORK IN THE ROAD, an escaped convict and a young woman beset with relationship troubles try to run from their problems and bounce from one mishap to the next, while always intending to do the right thing. The duo meets several nasty characters along the way, yet manage to elude disaster.
“It’s exciting to see a story that’s both set in Big Sky Country and filmed in Big Sky Country,” said Governor Brain Schweitzer. “Montana provides unparalleled beauty and versatility for filmmakers. We have top notch landscapes, film crews and tax incentives, and our assets are attracting business.”
“Film production in Montana has endless benefits for our local economies, our college graduates, and our profile around the world,” said Anthony Preite, Director of the Montana Department of Commerce. “Film production makes money for Montana, and it’s a clean industry we can be proud of.”
A FORK IN THE ROAD will be directed by Jim Kouf and produced by Paul Bernard, and James Scura, and executive produced by Bart Bartkowski.
Kouf has written, produced or directed numerous successful movies including, National Treasure, Snow Dogs, Rush Hour, Stakeout and Con Air.
The film will start production in the Laurel, Livingston and Bozeman areas this fall.
This spring the Montana State Legislature passed a measure to improve the already successful Big Sky on the Big Screen Act, spearheaded by Governor Brian Schweitzer. The new tax incentive package provides film companies larger tax incentives on production expenditures incurred while on location in Montana, and encourages large scale productions by eliminating a cap on the credits.
Production companies are now given a 14 percent incentive rebate on all Montana labor hired for film production and a nine percent rebate on all production-related Montana expenditures including lodging, equipment rental, fuel, lumber, and construction materials.
The 2005 Big Sky on the Big Screen Act provided for a 12 percent tax credit on Montana labor used during filming, and 8 percent for money spent on goods and services in Montana. It also capped the tax credits on the first million dollars spent.