L.A. film crew starlights Thompson Falls

Thompson Falls will be on the silver screen after a film crew spent last week shooting scenes for an independent film.

The crew, from Los Angeles, traveled to Montana to shoot a film called Two Yellow Lines. The crew started in Helena, moved over to Wyoming for a couple days and then came back across Montana, ending up in Thompson Falls on June 27. Thompson Falls is one of the last film locations for the crew.

"The story is about healing," said Zac Titus, who co-wrote the film and also plays the lead role, Jack Elliot. Titus's daughter, Alexis, is filming with him and plays his on-screen daughter, Hanna.

Zac Titus grew up in Ohio but moved to Montana in 2001 and attended Carroll College. He got married to his wife Lana and the two of them helped run a bed and breakfast in Helena.

It wasn't until 2007 that Titus made the move to Los Angeles, but he still held on to his love for Montana.

In the film, Titus's character is suffering from survivor's guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder after losing most of his crew fighting a forest fire. He picks up his daughter from Sky Camp in Wyoming after her mother was unable to come. The two reconnect, having not seen each other in four years, on the back of a motorcycle traveling through Montana.

"It's nice to be a part of a movie with heart that goes through the heart of the country," Titus said, mentioning the hospitality the crew has experienced in their travels and the "phenomenal citizens" that they have met along the way.

Among the cast is a Montana resident. Cory Birkenbuel grew up and went to college in Dillon. He got the part of Briggs in the film. This is Birkenbuel's first speaking role in a feature-length film. He has been in the acting industry for four years and landed the part by sending in a recording of his audition. Birkenbuel likes the fact that the film is shot in Montana and he is able to work close to home.

The crew came to Montana on June 5 to figure out what location they would choose but it wasn't until June 10 that they started filming. They then spent the next 20 days traveling around Montana, shooting the movie.

Finding the right spot to shoot in Thompson Falls worked out well when the crew stopped by Minnie's Café and were told about some favorite local spots, such as the mouth of Prospect Creek for a unique swimming hole. Two Yellow Lines is scheduled to release in summer 2019.