The Lake County Board of Supervisors signaled unanimous support at a recent meeting to allow broader public and educational screenings of the documentary Hobbiton: Big Lake Big Science.

County staff said the documentary, produced with involvement from the county videographer, celebrates Clear Lake and has drawn a strong public response since its Soper Reese Community Theater premiere. Staff and project partners asked the board for concurrence to pursue festival submissions and to prepare a final public version of the film for wider distribution.

Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer Matthew Rothstein told supervisors the theater premiere was “a great success” and credited the county's videographer, Sam Houston, with work on the film. Rothstein said the project was intended to be segmented for classroom use and shown in full at festivals, and that further steps are expected in late 2025 and in 2026. He noted that “no request for any financial contribution is being made of the county at this time.”

Supervisor Sabatier, speaking during the discussion, raised a request about on-screen crediting: “the only time that we see the Lake County seal is at the very last 5 seconds after the credits,” Sabatier said, and asked that the final public version open with “County of Lake Presents” to ensure the county's sponsorship is visible early in the film. Sabatier said that visibility matters because the county “pitched in a large sum” and wants recognition for that support.

Chief Assistant Administrative Officer Carter explained a technical constraint: festival submissions require a different format, so the version sent to festivals may need to omit an opening county seal. Carter said it would be acceptable for the county seal to appear at the front of the final public release even if festival versions differ.

During the public comment period, Margo Kambara described the documentary as an educational resource and said it extends the benefits of the Clear Lake Integrated Science Symposium that the board previously supported. “The documentary has work products that can be extraordinary resources in Lake County classrooms,” Kambara said, adding that screenings in other venues would cast Lake County “in a positive light.”

After the brief discussion and public comment, the board indicated consensus to proceed with festival submissions and to prepare a final public version that will include the county seal at the beginning; no formal roll-call vote was recorded. Staff and project partners, including Sam Houston and the Lake County Land Trust, will continue with festival applications and finalize the public-format copy for broader distribution.

Next steps noted by staff include following festival submission requirements for entry copies and producing a separate final public release that includes the county seal up front. Officials said screenings and additional educational uses are expected in late 2025 and in 2026, and that the county will not be asked for additional funding at this time.