American Indian Film Festival opens in New Mexico (LINK)
July 1st 2008 06:44
The “Talking Stick Film Festival” joined the ever expanding film festival circuit recently with over 100 new works screened in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The name is derived from the belief of some Native American tribes where whenever impotant matters are discussed, a ‘talking stick’ is handed around hence the name.
‘I look at each film as each person’s time to hold the talking stick, to tell the story in their way,” Festival Director Karen RedHawk Dallet said before the festival opening on Saturday June 21.
The festival opened with the premiere of OLDER THAN AMERICA, a Canadian film by Cree director Georgina Lightning about atrocities at residential schools as well as the World Premiere of PAATUWAQATSI – WATER LAND LIFE by Hopi Director Victor Masayesva.
"I was surprised how much work is out there - and how much brilliant, really stunning, work is out there," said Dallett, who had envisioned finding 20 to 30 good films for the festival. All films were primarily written directed or produced by USA and Canadian Natives with additional offerings from as far abroad as Australia, New Zwaland and Samoa.
More than 3o years ago Michael Smith, a Sioux working with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation decided to scrounge around for films that confuted the normal stereotypical portrayal of Indians , something a little different to the Cowboy and Indian fictions of Hollywood and in 1975 with 17 films, the American Indian Film Festival was born. The festival, now relocated to San Fransisco from Seattle is still going strong with this years festival scheduled for November 7 – 15.
“As much as film has created stereotypes that have eroded the self image of generations of Indians, it’s also a powerful tool for healing and strengthening and for reshaping those perceptions,” according to the institute.
According to Smith, there are about a dozen Indian and indigenous film festivals in North America. Among them: events at the National Museum of the American Indian and the Heard Museum in Phoenix; Sundance Film Festival's Native Forum; the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival in Toronto; and Dreamspeakers Film Festival in Edmonton.
Visit – Really Long Link
‘I look at each film as each person’s time to hold the talking stick, to tell the story in their way,” Festival Director Karen RedHawk Dallet said before the festival opening on Saturday June 21.
The festival opened with the premiere of OLDER THAN AMERICA, a Canadian film by Cree director Georgina Lightning about atrocities at residential schools as well as the World Premiere of PAATUWAQATSI – WATER LAND LIFE by Hopi Director Victor Masayesva.
"I was surprised how much work is out there - and how much brilliant, really stunning, work is out there," said Dallett, who had envisioned finding 20 to 30 good films for the festival. All films were primarily written directed or produced by USA and Canadian Natives with additional offerings from as far abroad as Australia, New Zwaland and Samoa.
More than 3o years ago Michael Smith, a Sioux working with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation decided to scrounge around for films that confuted the normal stereotypical portrayal of Indians , something a little different to the Cowboy and Indian fictions of Hollywood and in 1975 with 17 films, the American Indian Film Festival was born. The festival, now relocated to San Fransisco from Seattle is still going strong with this years festival scheduled for November 7 – 15.
“As much as film has created stereotypes that have eroded the self image of generations of Indians, it’s also a powerful tool for healing and strengthening and for reshaping those perceptions,” according to the institute.
According to Smith, there are about a dozen Indian and indigenous film festivals in North America. Among them: events at the National Museum of the American Indian and the Heard Museum in Phoenix; Sundance Film Festival's Native Forum; the imagineNATIVE film and media arts festival in Toronto; and Dreamspeakers Film Festival in Edmonton.
Visit – Really Long Link
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