Peter Nauffts on Sun Ra: Do the Impossible (Montana Premiere) | Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

Trail 103.3 is proud to once again be a media partner of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula — and this week we’re welcoming filmmakers, directors, and special guests into the Trail studio for quick conversations about the films lighting up the festival.In this episode, Mike Smith sits down with Peter Nauffts (archival producer) to talk about Sun Ra: Do the Impossible — the American Masters documentary spotlighting the poet, philosopher, Egyptologist, bandleader, and jazz visionary Sun Ra, and his ever-evolving ensemble, the Sun Ra Arkestra. The film traces how Sun Ra built a singular musical and spiritual vision of Afrofuturism, blending ancient Egypt, interstellar metaphors, and boundary-pushing free-form jazz. Peter also breaks down what archival producing actually looks like today (the sifting, the treasure-hunting, the format headaches, and the magic of finding the right shot), plus why Sun Ra’s work still feels like it’s broadcasting from the future.Film info (Big Sky Doc Fest): Sun Ra: Do the Impossible (84 min) — Director/Producer: Christine Turner. Montana Premiere — Screening at the ZACC: Wed, Feb. 18 @ 8:30 PM, followed by a conversation between MTPR’s Bryan Ramirez and Peter Nauffts. 🎟️ Full festival screenings, showtimes, tickets & passes: bigskyfilmfest.org