Real Montana, a short film competition featuring one-minute videos celebrating Montana, has attracted over 140 films. The team at Glacier National Park Lodges operated by Xanttera, is excited to be a part of the action and has gotten together with The Audience Awards to explain why Xanterra is a proud sponsor of Real Montana’s Montana Places category.
Tell us about your organization?
In January of 2014, the National Park Service entered into a 16-year contract with Xanterra to operate lodging, retail, transportation and food and drink services inside Glacier National Park. Glacier National Park Lodges stands ready to welcome the park’s visitors and help create memorable and meaningful experiences to last a lifetime. Our employees have a passion for Glacier Park and the excitement builds as we approach another summer season.
What do you love about Montana?
Montana has great wide open spaces, lots of room to breathe and a diversity of people living in this state. We love the opportunity to experience live broadcasts of opera or Broadway plays at the Performing Arts Center and the next day snowshoeing through the abundant wilderness areas of Montana. There is something for everyone.
Glacier Red Bus Tour
What is like to have a business in Montana?
Xanterra purchased former department store buildings in Columbia Falls and transformed them into administrative offices, and a laundry and warehouse facility. The local community has been warm and welcoming. We try to source locally for our supplies from food and beverage, auto parts, furniture, office supplies, printing and beyond. Our business decisions balance economic viability with ecological responsibility by trying to set a standard for recycling and sustainability.
What are you looking forward to with the Real Montana Competition?
We sponsored the Real Montana competition to encourage innovation, increase interest in Montana in general and Glacier National Park in specific, and show the wide range of original ideas expressed by just thinking about Montana.
As the Montana Places sponsor, what is your favorite place in Montana?
That is a no-brainer for us, Going to the Sun Road is it! Just picture a Glacier Park Red Bus with the top down, cruising through the Crown of the Continent.
The Audience Awards is film’s social network connecting audiences to films, filmmakers, film schools and film festivals. The Audience Awards hosts short film competitions where the audience chooses the best films.
