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Native Voice Film Festival 2006, presented by IGT: October 27-30, Rapid City, SD
Painting by Bunky Echo Hawk, whose work will be featured in the Art Show/ VIP filmmakers reception /Buffalo Feed (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC $5) on Friday, October 27 at the Alex Johnson Hotel in Rapid City as a kickoff for the NATIVE VOICE FILM FESTIVAL 2006.
RAPID CITY, SoDak. – The Native Voice Film Festival 2006, presented by IGT, announces wide range of presentations for this year’s festival, which takes place Friday through Monday, October 27 - 30. Forty-three films covering a full spectrum of expression, from micro-budget experimental, to student work, to major motion picture will be screened. This year, the festival has confirmed more filmmakers than ever will be in attendance to present their work. Lise King, Festival Director said, “The response to our invitation to participate has been overwhelming. Out of our 43 films, 30 of them will have filmmakers at the theater to present their work and answer questions after the screening. And for those 30 films, we have almost 50 guests attending.” “The larger numbers this year are also in part due to the funds that we have received from our sponsors for travel stipends for filmmakers, namely IGT and the City of Rapid City.”
The theme for this year’s festival is “Using the power of media for positive change.”
Highlights of Friday's schedule include the annual Youth in Media Forum, designed to educate and empower students with media literacy and storytelling, an Art Show and VIP reception featuring the paintings of Bunky Echo Hawk and "experimental" filmmaker LisaNa Macias Red Bear (4:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. -- serving buffalo and frybread) the Friday Night Premieres of Director Shirley Cheechoo's JOHNNY TOOTALL, starring Adam Beach and co-starring Nathaniel Arcand (Arcand will present the film at 7 pm); and acting Oglala Sioux Tribal President Alex White Plume's film, STANDING SILENT NATION about the "hemp wars" on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (White Plume and the film's director, Suree Towfighnia, and producer, Courtney Herman, will present the film).
Saturday's daytime highlights include six film sessions, starting at 1:00 p.m. through 5:50 p.m., and a VIP Panel discussion, "THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS," which will discuss the representation of Native America in mainstream media and the question of "Authentic Voice," featuring THE NEW WORLD producer Sarah Green, 500 NATIONS (Kevin Costner for PBS) producer/writer William Morgan, Lee Enterprises' Native American Desk Reporter Jodi Rave, Thomas Yeahpau (Kiowa), Director, MY FAVORITE RUNNER (screening at the festival), currently writing for DISNEY and ABC, and multi-media producer/writer Harlan McKosato.
Saturday night is the big Honoring and Awards Show night, with special performances by Q'orianka Kilcher ("Pocahantas" in THE NEW WORLD), artist Bunky Echo Hawk, Quese (“Quese Imc”), Brian (“The Indigenious Shock B”) and Happy Frejo as "Culture Shock Camp," and others. The Native Voice Film Festival’s annual “Building Bridges Through Media” Award is being presented to Terrence Malick’s film THE NEW WORLD (nominated for 2006 Academy Award for Best Cinematography). Producer Sarah Green will be a keynote speaker and will be accepting the award. The Native Voice Film Festival will be presenting a new award, “Demonstrating the Power of Media for Positive Change” to the Navajo Nation Methamphetamine Task Force. This program was recently honored by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for their extremely dedicated and effective work, and we have chosen to recognize their creative use of media as an effective tool for positive change in their communities. The Program’s Director, Charlotte James, will be present to accept the award. This year’s film festival has more student films than ever before, and we will be inviting all of the young “Emerging Filmmakers” on stage to be honored for their work. One filmmaker in the group will be recognized for exemplary efforts and skill and potential for future success.
Saturday night's annual Benefit Concert will be a hip-hop indigenous fusion featuring Culture Shock Camp, and will include an open mike time and MC battle. Proceeds will benefit NVISION, “Committed to empowering and promoting the well-being of Native youth and young adults." (www.nvisionit.org)
Sunday's features include nine film sessions, and two panels discussions, one following the EMERGING FILMMAKER SERIES featuring students' works at 12:30 p.m. The topic is “THE POWER OF TELLING OUR STORIES,” with guest speaker/panel moderator Thomas Yeahpau, who won a $50,000 fellowship in 2005 to write scripts for ABC/ Disney after studying film at Haskell University. The second panel will be discussing “ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY” based on the film, RIDING WITH GHOSTS, by Jerry Clown and James Starkey. This film presents stories about breakdown of culture, violence, crime and prison time, and using traditional ways to heal. A panel discussion on the responsibility of the artist/storyteller in the context of the power of media to inform, educate, and convince the viewer of a particular viewpoint. This panel will encourage audience participation as they confront the proliferation of violence in Indian communities and current attitudes about crime and punishment.
There will be six development workshops offered on Saturday and Sunday featuring top media makers visiting the festival. These are: “FINANCING YOUR FILM PRODUCTION” with Penny Costello from NAPT, “So you want to be an actor?,” “So you want to be a Model?,” “DIGITAL FILMMAKING 101,” “SCRIPTWRITING,” and “MOVING BEYOND THE MAINSTREAM,” where we will explore "How to work past the stereotypes and well-used formats and formulas to find your own voice and visual style."
All events will be held at the Elks Theatre and the Alex Johnson Hotel in downtown Rapid City, South Dakota. Tickets for all events are $5, $4 for youth (18 and under), except for the Saturday night Awards/Honoring Show and Concert, for which the tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and $8 for youth. All-Festival, All-Access passes are available for $25 for youth and full-time students, and $50 for adults. Passes include youth forums, films, panels, receptions, workshops and the Saturday night concert. Call the Elks Theatre for advance tickets: (605) 343-7888 or The Native Voice (800) 449-8176.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2006
The Elks Theatre, Downstairs
8:30 -10:30am
2:00 - 4:00pm
YOUTH IN MEDIA FORUM
(Open to High School & College Students and the General Public)
In these forums, we have one main objective: to empower our youth through media education. This curriculum includes three topics:
1) Media Literacy: Empowers through teaching the process through which media is made, thereby de-mystifying the process and training our youth to be “conscious consumers of media,” whether that is a film, television show, rap music video, video game, or an internet web site. The main goal here is to impart the understanding that every story told, whether verbal, written or on film, is necessarily including the perspective and goals of the teller. The can be to entertain, to educate, and even to sell a product or idea. We include discussions about news media, politics, and public service campaigns.
2) Media Making: We teach that each person has a unique and valuable perspective, and that each person has a story to tell. The main goal here is to inspire and motivate the students to tell their own stories through media, and to give step-by-step guidance on where to find the inspiration and resources to produce their own media projects.
3) Media as a Career Choice: We often hear that we do not have enough Native representation in the media industries, and this portion of the program is designed to identify those students (or have them identify themselves) who may be interested in pursuing a career in the media arts. We bring in professionals from a range of media careers, including journalism, filmmaking and advertising, to give presentations and answer questions.
Presenters:
• Q'orianka Kilcher, who starred as “Pocahontas” in THE NEW WORLD film. She will talk about her film work, will perform a song for the students, and will give a presentation about her recent trip to an outlying tribe of Peru, where she became a witness to abuse of the indigenous people by corporations that are mining on their land and causing severe pollution. Q'orianka then testified at the United Nations about her experiences. She will talk about using media as a positive tool for empowerment and change.
• The Producer of THE NEW WORLD, Sarah Green, will also be presenting to the youth, and she will be
discussing opportunities for Native youth in the media industries. Her discussion will also focus on the power of telling stories, and the positive impact that youth can have as they bring their experiences to the forefront to inform, educate, and express themselves artistically.
• HIP HOP ARTIST & PRODUCER Quese Frejo, “Quese Imc” (www.myspace.com/QUESEIMCMUSIC) and Hip-hop guru Brian Frejo “The Indigenius Shock B” will bring out their mikes and mixing table and get the kids excited about the musical side of media expression. The Frejo family bring a true fusion of their Seminole/Pawnee traditions and Hip Hop to the stage. The music is fresh, the lyrics are empowering and positive, and the message is about finding one’s groove and doing it in a healthy way. Brian and Quese will also be performing as “Culture Shock Camp” (www.cultureshockcamp.com) during the honoring and awards evening on Saturday night, October 28. A full concert will follow the presentations. Quese recently won critical accolades and “Outstanding Musical Achievement” award @ First Americans in the Arts for his album “The Betty Lena Project.”
• Student Filmmakers from the United Auburn Indian Community in California will showcase their work and give students hands-on, interactive filmmaking demonstrations using digital technology. This portion will be lead by filmmaker/ student mentor Jack Kohler, whose work has been featured on PBS for many years. The student filmmakers have two productions in the festival as part of the “Emerging Filmmaker” series. The purpose of this segment is to demonstrate that you can become a media-maker at any age, and that the new digitaltechnologies make it more affordable and accessible than ever.
The Elks Theatre, Upstairs
3:00 pm
AS LONG AS GRASS GROWS (4 min.)
Director: Saide Kardar
A Native shaman performs a special dance called the "grass dance." The main purpose of this dance is to accentuate and interpret live music in ceremonial gatherings. By performing the mystic dance, a unique spiritual escape for the attendees is created to break down barriers of ordinary reality and construct a new imaginative and altered one. At the end of the performance, the shaman/bird/dancer ultimately descends back to his "ordinary" state of mind, and with him follows the rest of the ceremony's spectators as well.
THE SALT SONG TRAIL: BRINGING CREATION BACK TOGETHER (21 min.)
Director: Esther Figueroa, to be presented by Mett Leivas, Sr., featured subject of the film.
This award-winning film is about the sacred Salt Songs (Asi Huviav Puruakain) of the Southern Paiute (Nuwuvi) people. The songs are used in memorial ceremonies, for cultural revitalization and as a spiritual bond for the Southern Paiute people living in the Southwest. Through the beautiful landscape of the Colorado Plateau, painted deserts and river valleys, the Salt Song Trail traces the journeys of ancestral peoples to historic and sacred sites. The film also documents a healing ceremony at the Sherman Institute a former Indian boarding school where Indian children where forcibly taken from their homes and forbidden to practice their traditional cultures. The singers return to the school years later to sing for the children who never came home
QALLUNAJATUT (URBAN INUK) (46 min.)
Director: Jobie Weetaluktuk
Only two generations ago Inuit lived in small, nomadic hunting camps scattered across the vast Arctic landscape. Since the 1950s, this traditional lifestyle has undergone an astonishing transition from Stone Age to Information Age, as Inuit first relocated (often by force) to government-run settlements, and more recently, beyond the settlement into southern cities. Qallunajatut (Urban Inuk) follows the lives of three Inuit in Montreal over the course of one hot and humid summer. We first encounter Jayson Kunnuk and his friend Charlie Adams (the renowned Nunavik singer/songwriter), who are homeless and on the streets of Montreal. In this urban jungle, they meet Pitsulala Lyta, an Inuk outreach worker for the Native Friendship Centre. Originally from Iqaluit, Pitsulala came to Montreal at age 17 and lived many years on the street, but has turned her life around and is now dedicated to helping homeless Inuit get their bearings in the city. Through their stories, the film explores the "urbanization" of the Inuit psyche, as Inuit move further and further away from a direct connection to the land that has sustained their culture for thousands of years. What happens when an Inuk is dislocated from the traditional Arctic homelands that are so primordial to Inuit culture, history, and social structure? This film shatters stereotypes.
The Elks Theatre, Downstairs
Opening Prayer & Directors’ Welcome
7:00 pm
CONVERSION (9 min.)
Director: Nanobah Becker, to be presented by the director
Christian missionaries make a catastrophic visit to a Navajo family.
PREMIERE: JOHNNY TOOTALL (90 min.)
Director: Shirley Cheechoo, to be presented by Actor Nathaniel Arcand
Johnny Tootall is a film about rebirth, recovery, and a metaphor for truth. It is the story of a young man's journey "home" and a spiritual request for discovery of not only his true self, but a rite of passage to reclaiming his own power. Discharged from the Bosnian War, Johnny carries the weight of this war on his shoulders. He left combat with a dar and frightening secret - the murder of a young boy, which haunts him. But Johnny carries many demons: the death of his father, running from his destiny as Chief of his Band, and abandoning the love of his life. Novertheless, Johnny must return home. The wolf spirit has called. Upon his return, he finds a new war. His estranged brother is leading his people in a revolt to save their sacred land. Johnny faces a dilemma - does he fight to save his people, or does he save himself? His journey will guide him to realizing that they are the same. In a blink, his world changes, and in death, his brother guides him on a spirit walk to meet his destiny as leader of his people.
The Elks Theatre, Downstairs
LAKOTA BLACK HILLS PREMIERE:
WARPONIES (8 min.)
Director: Brandon Ferguson, to be presented by the director and the film’s subject, Jesse Short Bull
Indian Cars, Reservation Cars, they are like the modern day horse. Its the best gift the white man has given since the Horse. Warponies filmed on the Pine Ridge Rez documents a young man who loves his 55 chevy. Winner of the 2006 AIHEC Film Festival in Greenbay. This short film is a native humor at its best. Warponies shows the viewers the improtance of NDN cars in todays society. Bring those old warponies back on the road.
GHOST CANYON (10 min.)
Director: Charles Comes Killing, to be presented by the director
Documentary- thinking with the elders- ghost Canyon with Ferdinand Romero conversation about land-historic/cultural preservation of Oglala Lakota people and What can we do?
STANDING SILENT NATION (90 min.)
Director: Suree Towfighnia, to be presented by the director, the producer, Courtney Hermann, and the film’s subject, Alex White Plume
Standing Silent Nation tells the story of Alex White Plume's struggle against the United States government. The prosperity of Alex's 86-member tiospaye (clan) hangs in the balance as he prepares to defend himself in front of a federal judge for cultivating industrial hemp on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006
The Alex Johnson, Lincoln Room
1:00pm
WORKSHOP: SCRIPTWRITING
with Writer/Director Thomas Yeahpau and Writer/Producer William Morgan
Yeahpau is the 2005 winner of a $50,000 fellowship to write scripts for ABC/ Disney, after working in film at Haskell University. Morgan is a highly respected filmmaker who is best known for writing and producing Kevin Costner’s 500 NATIONS documentary series.
The Alex Johnson, Lincoln Room
3:30pm
WORKSHOP: “So you want to be an actor?”
A practical session on how to navigate the road to being a working actor in the entertainment industry. (Bring headshot and resume if you have them.) Presented by people working in the industry.
The Alex Johnson Ballroom
3:30pm
PANEL discussion: “THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS”
Discussing the Representation of Native America in Mainstream Media and attempting to answer th questions, “What is an ‘authentic’ voice,” and “How does media portrayal contribute to the collective impressions of the general public on Indian country at large and on Indian people at home?”
Panelists: Sarah Green, Producer, THE NEW WORLD; William Morgan, Producer/writer, 500 NATIONS (Kevin Costner); Thomas Yeahpau (Kiowa), Director, MY FAVORITE RUNNER (screening at the festival), and currently writing for DISNEY and ABC; Jodi Rave, National Native American Desk Reporter for LEE ENTERPRISES
The Elks Theater, Upstairs
3:30pm
GRACE (11 min.)
Director: Darwyn Roanhorse
The film begins with Pearl, a young runaway, who has just arrived unexpectedly at her aunt's reservation home. Indolent and bored, Pearl meets Grace, a poor woman who sells banana bread at the local government offices. From this first encounter with Grace, Pearl gets the idea that she can sell the bread herself. What ensues is a life lesson Pearl learns by observing Grace and her inherent goodness - her grace.
REMEMBERING WHO WE ARE: THE INDIGENOUS MIND (42 min.)
Director: Heidi Guttman
CALIFORNIA’S “LOST” TRIBES (54 min.)
Director: Jed Riffe, to be presented by Producer Jack Kohler
In a few short years, American Indians in California went from being the poorest people in the state to among the richest - from being virtually invisible to being the most powerful political lobby in the 6th largest economy in the world. For the Cabazon and Morongo tribes of Southern California, the plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court case, the potential wealth from gambling was unimaginable. Years of excruciating poverty have not been lost on three-time chairwoman Mary Ann Andreas of the Morongo Tribe, whose reservation is near Palm Springs. She remembers the dirt floor shack of her childhood, and the impossibility of dreaming for the wealth the tribe now holds. For Viejas tribal Chairman Anthony Pico, the abundance of today harks back to the times before contact with the Europeans. California's "Lost" Tribes captures the impact of gaming on Indian self-determination, and the challenges Native people face in defining the identity of their people for the future.
The Elks Theatre Upstairs
6:00pm
CONVERSION (9 min.)
Director: Nanobah Becker, to be presented by the director
Christian missionaries make a catastrophic visit to a Navajo family.
JOHNNY TOOTALL (90 min.)
Director: Shirley Cheechoo, to be presented by Actor Nathaniel Arcand
Johnny Tootall is a film about rebirth, recovery, and a metaphor for truth. It is the story of a young man's journey "home" and a spiritual request for discovery of not only his true self, but a rite of passage to reclaiming his own power. Discharged from the Bosnian War, Johnny carries the weight of this war on his shoulders. He left combat with a dar and frightening secret - the murder of a young boy, which haunts him. But Johnny carries many demons: the death of his father, running from his destiny as Chief of his Band, and abandoning the love of his life. Novertheless, Johnny must return home. The wolf spirit has called. Upon his return, he finds a new war. His estranged brother is leading his people in a revolt to save their sacred land. Johnny faces a dilemma - does he fight to save his people, or does he save himself? His journey will guide him to realizing that they are the same. In a blink, his world changes, and in death, his brother guides him on a spirit walk to meet his destiny as leader of his people.
The Alex Johnson Ballroom
6:00 pm
PREVIEW: MORE THAN A MOUTHFUL (15 min.)
Director: David Bruce, presented by director and producer, Joanie Klar Bruce
A dramatic look at the results one group of people experienced by changing their diets to indigenous foods.
ALEUT STORY (87 min.)
Director: Shirley Cheechoo, to be presented by Actor Nathaniel Arcand
In the throes of World War II, Aleut-Americans were taken from their homes and placed in government camps, seemingly for their own protection from invading Japanese forces.
In the turbulence of war, in a place where survival was just short of miraculous, the Aleuts of Alaska would redefine themselves – and America. From indentured servitude and isolated internment camps, to Congress and the White House, this is the incredible story of the Aleuts’ decades-long struggle for our nation’s ideals. Narrated by Martin Sheen and original music score by Grammy® winner Mary Youngblood, the program draws compelling parallels to the present, as our country is grapples with challenging questions of balance between civil liberties and national security.
The Elks Theatre, Downstairs
7:30pm
AWARDS AND HONORING CEREMONY AND CONCERT
This is a special evening event filled with performances, presentations and surprises.
Performers include:
Q’orianka Kilcher (“Pocahantas” in THE NEW WORLD), who will showcase her extraordinary vocal talents; Quese Frejo (“Quese Imc”) and Brian Frejo (“The Indigenious Shock B”) and Happy Frejo, three siblings who perform together as “Culture Shock Camp,” a positive and powerful fusion of traditional Pawnee and Seminole language songs and modern Hip-Hop; a live art performance by award-winning painter Bunky Echo Hawk, and traditional Lakota songs by Wesley New Holy.
Presentations include:
The Native Voice Film Festival’s annual “Building Bridges Through Media” Award is being presented to Terrence Malick’s film THE NEW WORLD (nominated for 2006 Academy Award for Best Cinematography). Producer Sarah Green will be a keynote speaker and will be accepting the award. The film’s breakout star, Q’orianka Kilcher (“Pocahantas”) will present, along with other Native American cast members.
The Native Voice Film Festival will be presenting a new award, “Demonstrating the Power of Media for Positive Change” to the Navajo Nation Methamphetamine Task Force. This program was recently honored by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for their extremely dedicated and effective work, and we have chosen to recognize their creative use of media as an effective tool for positive change in their communities. The Program’s Director, Charlotte James, will be present to accept the award.
This year’s film festival has more student films than ever before, and we will be inviting all of the young “Emerging Filmmakers” on stage to be honored for their work. One filmmaker in the group will be recognized for exemplary efforts and skill and potential for future success.
Honoring our Sponsors: The Native Voice will be giving “Building Bridges in the Community” awards to those individuals and organizations that have been outstanding and consistent supporters of the festival, including the American Indian Film Festival (Mike Smith), IGT (formerly SODAK Gaming, inc.), The National Indian Gaming Association, The Elks Theater, The Alex Johnson Hotel, Linn Productions, Stan Adelstein, KEVN Fox 7, Rushmore Radio, The South Dakota Film Office, Prairie Edge Galleries, and most recently, The City of Rapid City. Without the support of these major sponsors, most of whom are non-Indian, the Native Voice Film Festival would simply not be possible. Wesley New Holy will sing an honoring song for our sponsors.
BREAK from 9:30 - 10:00 (tickets for the Awards Show and Concert are one package price: $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and $8 for youth, or Concert tickets can be purchased separately: $8 advance, $10 door, $6 youth)
BENEFIT CONCERT 10:00 p.m.
The Elks Theatre, downstairs
(Proceeds go to “NVISION,” “Committed to empowering and promoting the well-being of Native youth and young adults. .” “We know what has happened in the last 500 years… what are we going to do with the next 500 years?” www.nvisionit.org)
HIP HOP ARTIST & PRODUCER Quese Frejo, “Quese Imc” (www.myspace.com/QUESEIMCMUSIC),
Hip-hop guru Brian Frejo “The Indigenius Shock B”, and their sister with “The Voice,” Happy Frejo, performing as “Culture Shock Camp” (www.cultureshockcamp.com) will bring out their mikes and mixing table and get the crowd excited about the musical side of media expression. The Frejo family bring a true fusion of their Seminole/Pawnee traditions and Hip Hop to the stage. The music is fresh, the lyrics are empowering and positive, and the message is about finding one’s groove and doing it in a healthy way.
The Frejos will be joined onstage by other performers in an “open mike” session. This event will include a Hip-Hop MC Battle.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 29
The Alex Johnson Hotel, Lincoln Room
11:00 am
WORKSHOP: “SO YOU WANT TO BE A MODEL?”
A straightforward presentation about how to become a working model and what it takes to actually go from the “dream” to “reality.” Presented by a former model who is now the mother of a FORD MODEL (NYC). Bring photos if you have them. Be prepared to be photographed (optional).
The Alex Johnson Hotel Ballroom
12:00 pm
EMERGING FILMMAKERS
LOOK AT THAT COLUMBUS (3 min.)
Director: Koleyna Kohler, to be presented by the director and her mentor, Jack Kohler
A short animated film set to a song written and sung by Koleyna Kohler. Animated by Mytia Smith and Koleyna Kohler. This music video uses 2d animation to describe from the eyes of a 9 year old. Their impression of columbus and Coronado.
BEHIND THE DOOR OF A SECRET GIRL (23 min.)
Director: Janessa Starkey, to be presented by the director and lead actor Carlie Kohler
Samantha was the happiest girl in the world - until an accident claimed the life of her father. Since then, school bullies, an overbearing mother and an abusive druggie stepfather have driven her to the brink of suicide. Can her best friend pull her from the edge? This short drama features an incredible performance by Carlie Kohler and the cast.
GHOST CANYON (10 min.)
Director: Charles Comes Killing, to be presented by the director and narrator, Ferdinand Romero
Ghost Canyon is a sacred, historical place in the history of the Lakota, who are slowly losing land and access these special locations. This film is a conversation about historic and cultural preservation with Ferdinand Romero.
FATHER COMING HOME / MOTHER COMING HOME (15 min.)
A Native Lens Student Participation Production of Longhouse Media
Two versions of a script written by Sherman Alexie for student interpretation, plus an introductory animation.
MY DARKEST HOUR (22 min.)
Director: Happy Frejo, to be presented by the director
This film is about a young girl who is deeply affected by the divorce of her parents. When she receives the news it is then she automatically shuts down. As she gets older she begins to rebel by drinking, lying and being hateful to her mother. She does not know it is anger and resentment that she carries towards her mother, she only knows it’s all her mothers fault. She begins to spiral downward years later living a very self-destructible life. She plans her suicide and decides she cannot live one. In the midst of intoxication she has a vision. This vision changes her life forever. Healing begins it’s course.
WARPONIES (8 min.)
Director: Brandon Ferguson, to be presented by the director and the subject of the film, Jesse Short Bull
Indian Cars, Reservation Cars, they are like the modern day horse. Its the best gift the white man has given since the Horse. Warponies filmed on the Pine Ridge Rez documents a young man who loves his 55 chevy. Winner of the 2006 AIHEC Film Festival in Greenbay. This short film is a native humor at its best. Warponies shows the viewers the importance of NDN cars in today's society. Bring those old warponies back on the road.
The Elks Theatre, Upstairs
1:00 pm
HALF OF ANYTHING (25 min.)
Director: Jon Tomhave, to be presented by the director
The question, "What is a REAL Indian?" seems at first, blush to be a simple question about identity. However, any question about identity is never simple. Half of Anything is a documentary in which four participants (Christina Entrekin, Sherman Alexie, Deborah Bassett, and John Trudell) examine the notion of how Indian identity is constructed from their individual and often very personal perspectives.
INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES: A SEAT AT THE DRUM (83 min.)
Director: Sam Hurst , to be presented by the director and NAPT’s Penny Costello
Part of a two-part public television series that explores issues facing contemporary Native Americans in urban and reservation settings. Compelling narrative stories weave themes of identity, sovereignty, health, assimilation, religion and more into a fascinating portrait of a people too often invisible in American society. In "A Seat at the Drum," journalist and playwright Mark Anthony Rolo (Bad River Ojibwe), seeks to learn how Native Americans in Los Angeles preserve a tribal identity, survive economically and cope with the pressures of assimilation in a challenging metropolis. His personal quest to come to terms with these issues leads him to meet Native community leaders, Indians relocated from reservations, boarding school students, Native business leaders and single parent families whose stories typify the experiences of urban Indians.
The Alex Johnson Ballroom
2:30pm
PANEL DISCUSSION: “THE POWER OF TELLING OUR STORIES”
A round-table discussion on the future of Native media, emerging voices and new directions. Student filmmakers featured in this session will serve as the panelists. These students range in age from 12-years old to 30-something.
MEDIATOR: Thomas Yeahpau (Kiowa) Currently living in Los Angeles, Yeahpau won a $50,000 fellowship in 2005 to write scripts for ABC/ Disney, after working in film at Haskell University. He has a book release coming soon, and his film, MY FAVORITE RUNNER, is screening at this festival (see full schedule). He has been quoted as saying, “Being in Lawrence (Kansas) and at Haskell has been good for me,” he said, “because this is really a positive community for a Native American. Back home (Anadarko, Okla.), people are almost ashamed of being Indian. It’s not like that here, which helps me reflect back on my experiences. Instead of wanting to forget them, I turn them into stories.
The Elks Theatre, Upstairs
3:30 pm
GRACE (11 min.)
Director: Darwyn Roanhorse
The film begins with Pearl, a young runaway, who has just arrived unexpectedly at her aunt's reservation home. Indolent and bored, Pearl meets Grace, a poor woman who sells banana bread at the local government offices. From this first encounter with Grace, Pearl gets the idea that she can sell the bread herself. What ensues is a life lesson Pearl learns by observing Grace and her inherent goodness - her grace.
INDIAN COUNTRY DIARIES: SPIRAL OF FIRE (84 min.)
To be presented by NAPT’s Penny Costello
Part of a two-part public television series that explores issues facing contemporary Native Americans in urban and reservation settings. Compelling narrative stories weave themes of identity, sovereignty, health, assimilation, religion and more into a fascinating portrait of a people too often invisible in American society.
3:30pm
WORKSHOP: DIGITAL FILMMAKING 101
How to stop waiting for the magic film fairy to bonk you on the head and make you into a filmmaker. Practical steps to getting started. Hands-on work with a professional digital camera and a quick look at editing software (Final Cut Pro). All ages encouraged to participate. Hosted by Jack Kohler, Producer/ Director/ Writer/ Student Mentor and Kathy Aplan, Professor of Film Studies at Oglala Lakota College.
3:30pm
RIDING WITH GHOSTS (83 min.)
Director: James Starkey, Joe Hubers, to be presented by James Starkey
Riding with ghost is a story of struggle strength, pain and healing. This story of the Lakota Nation, straight from the voices of the people on the streets and reservations across South Dakota. Confronting ghost of the past, these voices articulate the struggle with dominant society and our healing has been found through traditional lifeways in the face of the occupation. Told from the mouths of grieving mothers, gang members, and earnest seekers. This film confronts the stereotypes which threaten to place the Lakota Nation forever on the shelf of tourist trinkets and cliches.
Q&A will be followed by a 10-minute break, then the following panel at 5:00pm:
PANEL DISCUSSION: “ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY”
A panel discussion on the responsibility of the artist/storyteller in the context of the power of media to inform, educate, and convince the viewer of a particular viewpoint. The panel will address both the question of social responsibility and the specific context of this film. There is a growing group of people who hold the same views as these filmmakers of Native American prisoners as victims of a dominant, oppressive society. There are other Native people who believe that they are not martyrs, but simply criminals who should be held responsible for their behaviors. Traditional, tribal modes of dealing with criminal behavior will be discussed. Root causes of these proliferating attitudes will be addressed, including the statistically proven unequal treatment that many American Indians receive in the judicial system. This panel will encourage audience participation in the discussion as they wade through these contentious waters to confront the proliferation of violence in the communities and current attitudes about crime and punishment.
The Elks Theatre, downstairs
6:00 pm
THE INDIGENOID (16 min.)
Director: Brooke Swaney
All around us are stereotypical images of Indians, while "real" Indians are absent from the news, television, movies, etc. Who is a "real" Indian? How many images of Indians are in daily life, and how accustomed are we to them? And how does an indigenous person respond to them? The Indigenoid is someone somewhat marginalized who moves in both the mainstream and the Native world. We shall see the interplay of mainstream culture and the bifurcated individual; we shall watch the Urban, mixed Native in its habitat.
MOHAWK GIRLS (64 min.)
Director: Tracey Deer Running
The massive Mercier Bridge looms over the eastern end of the Kahnawake Native Reserve carrying commuters into the city of Montreal. For Amy, Lauren, and Felicia, three Mohawk teens living in its shadow, the bridge also serves as a constant remeinder of the bustling world just beyond the borders of their tiny community. Like typical teenagers, all three are wrestling with critical decisions about their future. But for these girls, there is more at stake. The rules on the reserve can be strict and unforgiving. Move away and you risk losing your credibility, or worse, your rights as a Mohawk. Stay and you forego untold experiences and opportunities in the "outside world." Like nearly half of teenagers in Kahnawake, filmmaker Tracey Deer received government subsidies to attend provate school in Montreal. Vowing never to return, she then left the reserve to attend university in the U.S. Now a graduate of Dartmouth College, she has come home to Kahnawake to play a role in the evolution of her community. With insight, humour, and compassion, Deer takes us inside the lives of these three teenagers as they tackle the same issues of identity, culture, and family she faced a decade earlier. Like her, they are outspoken, honest, and wise beyond their years. Shot over two years, and interspersed with home videos from Deer's own adolescence, Mohawk Girls provides a surprising look at modern Aboriginal youth culture. Deeply emotional yet unsentimental, it reveals the hope, despair, heartache, and promise of growing up Native at the beginning of the 21st century.
The Elks Theatre, upstairs
6:00pm
MY FATHER MY TEACHER (52 min.)
Director: Dennis Allen and Ken Malenstyn
It's a crisp summer day, and a pod of belugas has been spotted in the distance. Dennis Allen and his 74-year-old father, Victor, are in good spirits as they carry on the deeply-rooted Inuvialuit tradition of the whale hunt. But, it hasn't always been this simple. After years of estrangement, father and son are only now reconnecting. This documentary captures a delicate and evolving relationship as they come together on Baby Island and the Mackenzie Delta in the Canadian Arctic. The film unfolds as a series of astonishingly intimate conversations. Dennis candidly reveals the reasons he severed ties with his family as a youth, falling instead into addiction. Today, he is courageously restoring broken links, beginning with his father. Meanwhile, Victor weaves wonderfully charming and poignant stories about his family, growing up in the Arctic, and the dramatic changes he has seen in Inuvialuit culture. My Father, My Teacher is an eloquent reflection of the bonds and tensions faced by all families. It is also an extraordinary look at the handing down of a precious cultural and family legacy from a father to his son.
PEOPLE OF THE MARSH (34 min.)
The third in a series of UNOHP documentaries featuring Nevada Indian culture of the Northern Pauite who are joined by a small number of Western Shoshones. The video addresses life in the Stillwater area of northern Nevada.People of the Marsh features stories and recollections by four tribal members who share their knowledge of a vibrant past and the lifeways that sustained the people. Filmed on location in the Carson Sink, the documentary also uses archival film footage and photographs to provide context for understanding the changes and adaptations caused by the intrusion of thousands of Euro-American immiigrants and settlers into their territory. Tim Findley, writing in the Nuhmuh News, noted, "The production quality of People of the Marsh is super. Artistic camerawork and direction coupled with state of the art editing create a clean, polished and appealing vehicle to carry the speakers' information."
The Elks Theatre, Downstairs
8:00 pm
THE WINTER CHILL (25 min.)
Director: Paul M. Rickard.
A young Cree man ventures to an unknown region of his father's trapline and meets Pakaaskokan, the last remaining supernatural being of its kind. Though initially frightening, the man answers the pleas of help from the creature that leads to a shocking moment of realization. The Winter Chill is an adaptation and modern retelling of a traditional Cree narrative about the filmmaker's great-grandfather's own encounter with this ancient emaciated being. In traditional Cree storytelling, Pakaaskokan is one of the lesser-known Cree supernatural beings that inhabits the boreal forests of the Canadian sub-arctic. It has the ability to fly, is skeleton or emaciated in appearance, its origin is of human victims of starvation or disease, and it signals its presence by a weird laughter, moans, or rattling bones. It is sometimes blamed for missing traps that is steals from trappers.
THE TUNGUSKA PROJECT (83 min.)
Director: Gisele Gordon
In 1908, an explosion equivalent to over a thousand atomic bombs rocked the Tunguska region of central Siberia and its indigenous Evenki inhabitants. Shockwaves were recorded all over the world. It lit up the night skies in London and Paris so brightly that newpapers could be read outside. Its cause remains a mystery. In 2002 in northern Saskatchewan, Canada, Indigenous playwright Floyd Favel has become obsessed with the mystery of the Tunguska explosion. He decides it will be the subject of his next play. He sets out on a journey to the epicentre of the blast, asking Evenki elders and reindeer herders what they were told by ancestors who survived the devastating explosion. But this is no ordinary expedition. Even before Favel leaves home, enigmatic signs and portents make it clear that this voyage will be something far more than a research trip. What Favel experiences will reverberate through his very soul. The closer he gets to the epicentre, the more his themes for the play unfold--full of pain for the loss of Indigenous cultures, increasingly autobiographical, and punctuated with whispered warnings and psychic struggle. The Tunguska Project is a compelling portrait of a contemporary artist's spiritual and artistic quest for meaning across cultures and times.
The Elks Theatre, Upstairs
8:00 pm
PULLING TOGETHER (30 min.)
Director: James M. Fortier
Pulling Together chronicles the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe's canoe "family" as they embark on Tribal Journey 2003, the annual gathering of the Pacific Northwest tribes reviving their ancient canoe cultures through unity, healing, and pride. Award-winning filmmaker James M. Fortier (Métis-Ojibway) eats, sleeps, and pulls with the Muckleshoot tribe on a 14-day odyssey starting with the Makah Nation at Neah Bay on a journey of discovery, traditional song and dance, feasts, and lessons learned along the way. Fortier gained nearly unlimited access and shot over 64 hours of cinema verité style footage as the action, twists and turns, letdowns and successes played out in front of the camera. The resulting film goes beyond capturing the beauty and power of the Puget Sound waters and physical challenges facing the young Muckleshoot canoe family members. What emerges is a story of hope and faith in a new generation of young tribal people.
THE STOLEN SPIRITS OF HAIDA GWAII (74 min.)
Director: Kevin McMahon
Healing Our Spirits tells the story of two massive burial site desecrations that occurred on the Lummi Nation and the cultural process that is being followed to rebury all the ancestors. The first desecration occurred in 1973; the second at the same documented site in 1999. This is a powerful story told directly by the Lummi people that has relevance to all parts of the country. Native burial desecrations are deeply important spiritual issues to most Native Nations. However, lack of funding and experience often prevent professional documentation. This film captures a story that needs to be told as much as it needs to be heard.
The Alex Johnson Hotel Ballroom
8:00 pm
MY FAVORITE RUNNER (15 min.)
Director: Thomas M. Yeahpau
When a pair of Native American teenage boys and the town crazy exchange a few eccentric favors, a highly unlikely friendship is formed. So, when the town crazy tells his new friends about a pair of BB gun-wielding white boys who have been hunting him down like an animal, they come to his rescue and help him win a race for their race.
SLEEPDANCER (92 min.)
Director: Rodrick Pocowatchit
Sleepdancer follows Derek Smith, a half-Native American coroner's investigator, who stumbles upon the mysterious Tommy Jordan, a Native man whose father has just passed away. Tommy is vulnerable, fragile, and doesn't speak. Through a series of letters, Derek unravels Tommy's story, and becomes emotionally dedicated to helping him even while his own relationship crumbles. When Tommy's bitter, disillusioned brother Ben shows up unexpectedly, Derek finds himself in the middle of a family war with many casualties. When Tommy gets up in the morning and dances in his sleep, the unlikely Ben and Derek discover that a damaged soul finds a way of healing itself. But in order to forgive others, you must first forgive yourself. order to survive.
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