Virtual Native American film festivals celebrate Native American Heritage Month
Last week, I highlighted some Native American film festivals that are celebrating Native American Heritage Month by holding virtual events instead of physical ones (because of you-know-what).
Well, I discovered some more, as some I already mentioned kick into high gear this weekend. Here’s an update:
14th annual L.A. SkinsFest
Based out of: Los Angeles
Like I mentioned last week, the virtual event kicked off Nov. 18 and continues through Nov. 22 with more than 50 Native American-made productions that represent hundreds of reservations and tribal organizations from North and South America. A film guide is at https://laskinsfest.com/event/14th-annual-la-skins-fest/.
Films are grouped into programs, and tickets to each program are $10 (there’s also a festival pass option for $50) athttps://laskinsfest2020.eventive.org/passes/buy. My film “The Incredible Brown NDN 2: Brown & Down” will be included in short film program No. 2. (https://laskinsfest.com/event/the-incredible-brown-ndn-2-brown-and-down/). I get no proceeds from ticket sales. I will participate in a live virtual Q&A session at 5 p.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 20 (that’s a schedule change from last week), at https://afi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0vARySoiSJC8dz6xUi2Wjg.
A complete schedule of virtual filmmaker Q&As can be found at https://laskinsfest.com/film-programs. They are free.
Fourth annual Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival
https://pocahontasreframed.com/
Based out of: King William, Virginia
The festival “celebrates indigenous languages, cultures, and societies through the lens of cinema.” Francis Ford Coppola is a founding sponsor. The program features short films that have previously screened at such esteemed festivals as Sundance, American Film Showcase and the American Indian Film Festival.
All virtual screenings are free. A schedule can be found at https://pocahontasreframed.com/schedule-2020/. Many films will feature a pre-recorded introduction by the filmmakers.
National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase
https://americanindian.si.edu/ncs
Based out of: Washington, D.C.
This annual celebration of Native film is usually held in the summer to coincide with the mammoth Indian Art Market in Santa Fe, NM. This year is virtual, of course, and it’s the 20th anniversary of the showcase. The festival started online on Nov. 18 and continues through Sunday, Nov. 22.
Included in the program are new films, fan-favorite classics and conversations with filmmakers.
A highlight of the festival is a virtual screening of Jeff Barnaby’s “Blood Quantum,” about zombies who invade the isolated Mi’kmaq reserve in Canada, where indigenous people are strangely immune to the zombie plague. This film is only viewable at 8 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 20. It’s free but registration is required, and is limited to 600 viewers. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/native-cinema-showcase-2020-blood-quantum-online-screening-qa-registration-127346427593. Registration closes at 5 p.m. central on Nov. 20. A virtual conversation with Barnaby will follow the film.
Vision Maker Media presents ‘Tribal Sovereignty and Home’
https://visionmakermedia.org/tribal-sovereignty-and-home/
Based in: Lincoln, Nebraska
This organization is collaborating with WORLD Channel to present this online film streaming event that began Nov. 16 and continues through Nov. 30. It’s free and open to the public.
The festival showcases Native American topics that have long resonated within Native communities, such as sovereignty, empowerment, history and healing.
Featured films will include “Dawnland,” about Native children being forcibly removed from their homes, “Osage Murders,” which tells the story of how the Osages became known as the wealthiest people in the world and the illegal practices used to rob them, and “Rumble,” an Emmy-award nominated documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history.