'Ted K' to make North American debut at Missoula's Wilma Theater next week

About three and a half years ago, the specter of Ted Kaczynski returned to Lincoln as filmmaker Tony Stone filmed scenes for 'Ted K' in and around Lincoln.

Next week the movie, which delves into Kaczynski's life during his last few years living near Lincoln in his now-infamous frame cabin, will have its North American premiere Feb. 15 at the Wilma Theater in Missoula.

Invitations for the premiere went out last week to people in the community who helped with the movie, including locals who appear in the movie as extras and minor characters, and who worked with the production during filming.

"We had originally wanted to do an open outdoor screening in Lincoln, but the distributor decided to release the film in the winter, so plans had to change," producer Matt Flanders told the BVD in an e-mail.

Lingering concerns about COVID 19 also played a role in the decision to not host a large public event like they'd hoped.

"We needed a theater with a HD4K projector and wanted a space with a lot of room for people to spread out, so the Wilma made the most sense," Flanders said, adding those who attend the premiere will be asked to wear a mask.

"I'm disappointed that we can't do a big event, but I am glad that people will finally be able to see the film," Flanders said.

Details on the wider national distribution of the film, both on screens and on video-on-demand platforms, are still being finalized, but Flanders confirmed it will be available on Apple/iTunes Feb. 18. Flanders said they are still negotiating a streaming deal for this spring or summer

Closer to home, "Ted K" will be showing at the Myrna Loy in Helena from March 4 to March 17. Flanders said it will debut in major cities across the country on the 18th as well. updates on distribution can be found on the "Ted K" website https://tedkmovie.com.

Reviews of the film, which debuted last March at the Berlin Film Festival, have been largely positive, noting the picture's mesmerizing or provocative visual tone and the intensity of Copley's portrayal of Kaczynski.

Unlike other filmed versions of Kaczynski's story that focused on the FBI's search for the Unabomber with little attention paid to the accuracy of the portrayal of Lincoln and the Upper Blackfoot Valley, this is the first and only one to be filmed on location here, including at the original site of Kaczynski's cabin.