“Twisp: The Power of Community” (www.twispmovie.com) is a 40-minute documentary exploring the qualities that enable one rural community—well-known to most Bellingham residents—to thrive, when so many others are dying, or being swallowed up by development. It also answers the question, “In a society that seems increasingly polarized and confrontational, how do some communities manage to get along?”

Starting with a telling of the town’s Native/white reconciliation process, the film also shares Twisp’s successful opposition to a controversial mega ski resort development; its homegrown safety net—from a teen suicide prevention program to a food bank and, more recently, an affordable housing initiative. It also describes the town’s recovery from back-to-back summers of devastating wildfires and its investment in art and local artists as an economic development strategy.

The film has won a handful of awards, including “Official Selection” laurels from Impact Docs and WRPN.tv’s Women’s International Film Festival, and “Exceptional Merit” awards from Docs Without Borders and Short, Tight, and Loose Global Film Festival Competition. The director, Leslee Goodman, will be on hand for a Q&A following the showing.

Tickets are $10/adults; $5/kids, available at the door starting at 6:30 p.m.