7TH ANNUAL POCAHONTAS REFRAMED FILM FESTIVAL

ROBINS FAMILY FORUM AT VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Welcome to the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival. We would like to thank all our Sponsors, Partners, Volunteers, and especially, you – the public, for supporting our efforts to bring these great films by and about Native people to the fabulous Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and other venues. The growth of our Festival would not have been possible without the financial support of our Founding Sponsor, Francis Ford Coppola. Our Festival was chosen and fully funded to be a Legacy Project for the 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution group which was initiated and approved by the Virginia General Assembly.

2023 SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, NOV. 17

A TRIBUTE TO ROBBIE ROBERTSON (MOHAWK/CAYUGA)

1943 – 2023 | THE LEADER OF “THE BAND”

Produced by Playing For Change

“The Weight,” features Ringo Starr and The Band’s original member Robbie Robertson, along with musicians across 5 continents. Great songs can travel everywhere bridging what divides us and inspiring us to see how easily we all get along when the music plays.

FRIDAY, 9AM

INHABITANTS (2020)

In association with the Kalliopeia Foundation | Producer: Ben-Alex Dupris (Colville Confederated Tribes) | Executive Producer: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee | Co-Producers: Roderick Spencer and Tom Sargent

For millennia, Native Americans successfully stewarded and shaped their landscapes, but centuries of colonization have disrupted their ability to maintain their traditional land management practices. From deserts, coastlines, forests, mountains, and prairies, Native communities across the US are restoring their ancient relationships with the land. As the climate crisis escalates, these time-tested practices of North America’s original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world.

The five stories include sustaining traditions of Hopi dryland farming in Arizona; restoring buffalo to the Blackfeet reservation in Montana; maintaining sustainable forestry on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin; reviving native food forests in Hawaii; and returning prescribed fire to the landscape by the Karuk Tribe of California.

SCREENING: 9:15AM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 16M

RABBIT STORIES (2023)

Director/Producer: Joseph Erb Writer | Starring: Wes Studi

Rabbit Stories is Cherokee series that captures the essence of Cherokee culture and entirely in the Cherokee Language. This show is made possible by the Cherokee Nation and the talented Cherokee cast, which includes the renowned academy award winning Wes Studi, who is nothing short of exceptional. The director, Joseph Erb, brings his unique vision to life, creating a show that represents the Cherokee community.

SCREENING: 10:30 AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 25M

WALLOWING BULL (2023)

Wallowing Bull explores the cultural significance of the American bison. The bison, which was nearly extinct by the end of the 19th century due to systematic extermination, holds a special place in the hearts of many Native American tribes. Shot on location in the Wind River reservation, Indigenous singer-songwriter Christian Wallowing Bull works to bridge the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous perspectives.

SCREENING: 10:30 AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 5M

FARMING RENEWAL WITH THE UPPER MATTAPONI TRIBE (2022)

BY RAVEN CUSTALOW (MATTAPONI)

The concept of food sovereignty is relatively new, but the principles behind it align with many Native cultural practices that have existed for a millennia. In the past, traditional indigenous communities cultivated and ate a wide variety of food including wild meats like fish, venison, and a variety of fruits and vegetables such as cranberries, plums, corn, beans, and squash. For American Indian communities, food sovereignty is about re-introducing traditional processes of food production and distribution.

SCREENING: 10:30 AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 5M

6 THINGS YOU DIDN’T LEARN ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN HIGH SCHOOL (2023)

Joey Clift is a comedian, TV writer, and enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal Member. Writing credits include Spirit Rangers on Netflix, New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network and Molly of Denali on PBS. He created, wrote, and directed the Comedy Central digital series “Gone Native” and his award-winning short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to The Smithsonian Museum. Most importantly, he started the LA Underground Cat Network, which is a 16,000- member strong Facebook group for Los Angeles comedians to share pictures of their cats. He’s kind of a cat guy.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 2M

IN THE EYES OF PEYAK (2019)

BY FILMMAKER MELISSA CALLIOU

A film about a boy who runs away from a residential school. During his escape, his imaginary friend—who he doesn’t know is a Spirit—helps him until he is found.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 2M

A BOY AND HIS LOSS (2022)

WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER: MICHELLE DEROSIER

A Boy and His Loss is the story of a boy who was so utterly consumed by grief, that he almost ran out of life. Fueled by incredible loss, the boy walks on the edge of madness and decides he must live with the dead to be free. Drowning in grief, he is intercepted by an otherworldly intervention, where the boy must learn to let go.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 7M

AWAY FOR AWHILE (2023)

Producer/Writer: Stephanie Slewka | Director/Editor: Nathan Bailey | Illustrator: Catherine Hamilton Drost | Music: Jeremy Anderson

The descendant of a matron in the American Indian Boarding Schools travels to the southwest attempting to return native artifacts collected a century earlier. After being away for awhile, will the objects be accepted in their communities?

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 12M

EVERY TIME YOU SAY SOMETHING IS YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL, YOU HAVE TO GIVE EVERY NATIVE AMERICAN PERSON YOU KNOW TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS (2023)

From spirit animals to pow wows, if you’re going to keep using sayings and phrases inspired by Native culture, we’re gonna start charging you!

Joey Clift is a comedian, TV writer, and enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal Member. Writing credits include Spirit Rangers on Netflix, New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network and Molly of Denali on PBS. He created, wrote and directed the Comedy Central digital series “Gone Native” and his award-winning short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to The Smithsonian Museum. Most importantly, he started the LA Underground Cat Network, which is a 16,000- member strong Facebook group for Los Angeles comedians to share pictures of their cats. He’s kind of a cat guy.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 2M

A MOTHER’S VOICE (2020)

A FILM BY HOLLY FORTIER AND TWO CANOES MEDIA

The history of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools and their legacy seen through the eyes of a survivor and her daughter.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 13M

AMERICAN MASTERS: ZITKÁLA-ŠÁ: TRAILBLAZING AMERICAN INDIAN COMPOSER AND WRITER (2020)

PRESENTED BY VPM

Zitkála-Šá, aka Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, (1876–1938) was born on the Yankton Reservation in South Dakota, and left her community at age 8 to attend a Quaker missionary-run boarding school as part of a U.S. government policy to educate American Indian youth with the philosophy: “Kill the Indian, and save the man.” She went on to write about her childhood and boarding school experience, and American Indian struggles to retain tribal identities and resist assimilation into European American culture in essays that were published in the prestigious magazines Harper’s and The Atlantic Monthly. Trained as a violinist at the New England Conservatory of Music, she co-composed and wrote the libretto for what is considered the first American Indian opera, The Sun Dance Opera, in 1913.

Zitkála-Šá became increasingly involved in the struggle for American Indian rights, lobbying for U.S. citizenship, voting, and sovereignty rights. She was appointed the secretary of the Society of American Indians, the first national rights organization run by and for American Indians, and edited its publication American Indian Magazine. In 1926, she co-founded the National Council of American Indians to lobby for increased political power for American Indians, and the preservation of American Indian heritage and traditions.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 11M

DEAR LEGENDARY HORROR AUTHOR STEPHEN KING, INSTEAD OF USING INDIAN BURIAL GROUNDS IN YOUR BOOKS, HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF USING EUROPEAN BURIAL GROUNDS? (2023)

An open letter to Stephen King asking him why he’s so scared of Native American people. I mean, come on. Paris is built on a literal mountain of human bones. That’s way scarier than anything Native people do!

Joey Clift is a comedian, TV writer, and enrolled Cowlitz Indian Tribal Member. Writing credits include Spirit Rangers on Netflix, New Looney Tunes on Cartoon Network and Molly of Denali on PBS. He created, wrote and directed the Comedy Central digital series “Gone Native” and his award-winning short films have screened everywhere from Just For Laughs to The Smithsonian Museum. Most importantly, he started the LA Underground Cat Network, which is a 16,000- member strong Facebook group for Los Angeles comedians to share pictures of their cats. He’s kind of a cat guy.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 2M

WARRIOR UP (2023)

EPISODE 1 | BY PICTURE THIS PRODUCTIONS

Warrior Up! is a 13 x 22-minute documentary series for APTN that follows inspiring Indigenous youth across Turtle Island making positive change in their communities!

In this episode, Talon Pascal from the L’ilwat First Nation in British Columbia, Canada is just 17-years-old, but he’s spent much of it learning ancient, nearly lost skills and arts. From hunting on horseback to building pit houses, flintknapping and constructing bows and arrows, Talon aims to live off the land just as his L’ilwat ancestors did. Host Joel Oulette travels to L’ilwat First Nation to get an introduction to these fascinating skills, and then follows Talon to an Indigenous Men’s Wellness Gathering. There Joel sees first-hand the impact this young warrior is making by teaching these skills to other Indigenous men, many who have lost contact with their ancestral knowledge.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | SHORTS PROGRAM

RUNNING TIME: 22M

ABANDONED: ANGELIQUE’S ISLE (2017)

PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR MICHELLE DEROSIER

During the copper rush of 1845, Angelique, a young Anishinaabe woman (Julia Jones), and her voyageur husband Charlie are abandoned on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale by a corrupt copper hunter. The newlywed couple has been left with few provisions and, as the winter sets in, they begin to starve.

With Charlie beginning to demonstrate strange behavior, Angelique—a devout Christian—struggles with her faith and must rely on the teachings she received from her grandmother in order to survive the harsh winter. Angelique is ultimately forced to face her inner demons and beliefs as the unbelievably beautiful, yet treacherous wilderness threatens to claim her. Abandoned: Angelique’s Isle is a harrowing tale of perseverance and a testament to the resilience and strength of Indigenous women. Based on the true story of Angelique Mott.

Best Film: 2017 American Indian Film Festival

Best Actress – Julia Jones: 2017 American Indian Film Festival

Best Supporting Actress – Tantoo Cardinal: 2017 American Indian Film Festival

SCREENING: 2PM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 30M

THE MAN BESIDE THE MASK (2000)

PRESENTED BY ACTOR MICHAEL HORSE

Directors: David Finch and Maureen Marovitch | Writer: Maureen Marovitch | Producers: Patricia Philips and Carrie Madu-Bailey

Before Johnny Depp stepped into the role of Tonto, Ontario born Mohawk actor Jay Silverheels was remembered as Tonto, the faithful ‘Injun sidekick,’ in the 1950s TV series “The Lone Ranger.” Aside from his Pidgin English dialect, he became a pioneer for a generation of Aboriginal viewers – the only First Nations actor on the airwaves of the era. But he would emerge forever typecast as the stoic Indian — a box he tried to break out of for himself and other Aboriginal actors by founding The Indian Actors Studio. Featuring rare interviews with his family, his Lone Ranger co-star John Hart and First Nations actors Tina Keeper and Michael Horse, this documentary delves into the stereotype of the Hollywood Indian, and the actor who fought to move beyond it.

Jay Silverheels was born on Canada’s Six Nation’s Reserve and was one of 10 children. He was a star lacrosse player and a boxer before he entered films as a stuntman in 1938. He worked in a number of films through the 1940s before gaining notice as the Osceola brother in a Humphrey Bogart film Key Largo (1948). Most of Silverheels’ roles consisted of bit parts as an Indian character. In 1949, he worked in the movie The Cowboy and the Indians (1949) with another “B movie” actor Clayton Moore. Later that year, Silverheels was hired to play the faithful Indian companion, Tonto, in the TV series The Lone Ranger (1949) series, which brought him the fame that his motion picture career never did. Silverheels recreated the role of Tonto in two big-screen color movies with Moore, The Lone Ranger (1956) and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958). After the TV series ended in 1957, Silverheels could not escape the typecasting of Tonto. He would continue to appear in an occasional film and television show but became a spokesperson to improve the portrayal of Indians in the media.

SCREENING: 4PM

RUNNING TIME: 45M

PREY (2022)

PRESENTED BY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JHANE MYERS

The newest entry in the “Predator” franchise, 20th Century Studios’ “Prey” is an all-new action thriller set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago. It is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains. So, when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.

“Prey” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg, written by Patrick Aison (“Jack Ryan,” “Treadstone”), and produced by John Davis (“Jungle Cruise,” “The Predator”), Jhane Myers (“Monsters of God”), and Marty Ewing (“It: Chapter Two”), with Lawrence Gordon (“Watchmen”), Ben Rosenblatt (“Snowpiercer”), James E. Thomas, John C. Thomas and Marc Toberoff (“Fantasy Island”) serving as executive producers. The filmmakers were committed to creating a film that provides an accurate portrayal of the Comanche and brings a level of authenticity that rings true to its Indigenous peoples. Myers, an acclaimed filmmaker, Sundance Fellow and member of the Comanche nation herself, is known for her attention and dedication to films surrounding the Comanche and Blackfeet nations and her passion for honoring the legacies of the Native communities. As a result, the film features a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (“The Ice Road,” “Roswell, New Mexico”), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (“Sooyii”), Michelle Thrush (“The Journey Home”), Julian Black Antelope (“Tribal”). The movie also stars Dane DiLiegro (“American Horror Stories”) as the Predator.

SCREENING: 7PM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 40M

SATURDAY, NOV. 18

NATIVE AMERICA (2023)

EPISODE 1 | PRESENTED BY VPM

Smashing stereotypes, Native America follows the brilliant engineers, bold politicians, and cutting-edge artists who draw upon Native tradition to build a better 21st century. The series is narrated by Joy Harjo of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the internationally renowned poet, performer, and writer who served three terms as the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States. From Caves to Cosmos focuses on the deep roots of Native America: Who are America’s First Peoples and how did they create their unique world? Answers emerge from Hopi Elders on pilgrimage at sacred Chaco Canyon in the New Mexico desert, scientists examining ancient cave painting in the Amazon jungle, Chumash boat builders exploring their tribe’s ancient migration legacy off California’s coast, and an archaeologist digging deep below a towering pyramid near Mexico City.

SCREENING: 9AM

RUNNING TIME: 1H

THE RIPPLE EFFECT (2023)

PRESENTED BY FILMMAKER XENECA LECLAIR

The Ripple Effect follows a troubled youth who follows his friends rather than his own family. Will he fall into the path of partying with his so-called friends, or will he find comfort back to his culture and family?

Tribal College Journal Winner

SCREENING: 10AM

RUNNING TIME: 15M

BLACK INDIANS: “WE ARE ALL CONNECTED” (2021)

PRESENTED BY WRITER, DIRECTOR, AND PRODUCER VINCENT SCHILLING

In this short film, Vincent Schilling shares some historical information on the troubles related to race in Virginia. Vincent interviews two Black Indians, Dr. Arica Coleman, Rappahannock and Black, and Harold Caldwell, a traditional dancer who is Gros Ventre. Muskogee and Black. Vincent also shares a few of his posts on social media related to race and Black Indians in Virginia.

SCREENING: 10:30AM

RUNNING TIME: 6M

POCAHONTAS: THE REAL HISTORY (2021)

PRESENTED BY WRITER, DIRECTOR, AND PRODUCER VINCENT SCHILLING

The true history of the young Native American girl named Pocahontas has long been affected incorrectly due to the Disney film of the same name. In this short film by Schilling, he details a true and tragic history of the young Native woman whose story was so incorrectly portrayed for so long.

Warning: Mature subject matter that may trigger some viewers.

SCREENING: 10:30AM

RUNNING TIME: 8M

GAKAABIKAANG: INDIGENOUS VOICES IN THE TWIN CITIES RIOTS OF 2020 (2022)

Gakaabikaang is a story of Indigenous people and communities in the Minneapolis metro area after the documented police killing of George Floyd. It is journalist Darren Thompson’s first film and features original footage from the frontlines of the protests that turned to violent clashes in city streets between citizens and police. From the burning of Minneapolis to the toppling of the statue of Christopher Columbus, Gakaabikaang features the voices and images of Indigenous people in the midst of one of the most destructive acts of civil unrest in U.S. history.

SCREENING: 11AM

RUNNING TIME: 45M

OYÁTE UN ITÓWAPI - PICTURES OF MY PEOPLE (2020)

PRESENTED BY PRODUCER JIM WARNE

Jim Warne was asked to co-produce a short film with FOX Sports addressing Native American perspectives of sports mascots and indigenous culture. In the film, entitled Oyáte un Itówapi – Pictures of my People, Warne shares his perspectives of Native mascots and Indigenous Native culture and challenges in contemporary America. Originally featured on the FOX National Football League (NFL) Pregame Show on Thanksgiving Day 2020, FOX later screened the short film during their “Voices” MLK Special showcasing advocate athletes during the 2021 Martin Luther King Holiday.

3 Sports Emmy Nominations: 2021 Sports Emmys

SCREENING: 2PM

RUNNING TIME: 5M

REMEMBER THE CHILDREN (2022)

PRESENTED BY PRODUCER JIM WARNE

The federal government created a series of boarding schools throughout the nation in an attempt to assimilate Native American children from the 1800s-1960s. There were several in South Dakota, including the Rapid City Indian Boarding School (1898-1933). After serving as the Indian Boarding School, this facility became a segregated Indian tuberculosis clinic from the 1930s-1960s, the “Sioux Sanatorium.” Children were brought to Rapid City Indian Boarding School predominantly from the tribes of the Great Sioux Nation (particularly Pine Ridge, Cheyenne River, Rosebud), but children came here from as far away as Gros Ventre, Northern Cheyenne, Flathead, and Chippewa. A significant percentage of the Rapid City Native American community are descendants of the children who survived after being brought to the Rapid City Indian Boarding School. As with most Indian boarding schools, the mortality rate was very high, and the government did not keep records of the deaths of the children or where they were buried. However, we know from oral histories and from years of independent research, including in the federal archived school records, that at least 50 children and infants – and likely many more – passed away.

This short film is intended to be the start of the story and create a full-length documentary that explores the whole story in more depth. This short emphasizes the history of the Rapid City Boarding School and the Remember the Children community’s efforts to find and protect the children’s graves. This film will lead to the full story and other aspects of memorial development, legal land issues, and current issues associated with what was the Rapid City Boarding School.

SCREENING: 2PM

RUNNING TIME: 22M

7TH GENERATION (2017)

PRESENTED BY PRODUCER JIM WARNE

7th Generation covers generations of history, including the perspectives of advocate and educator Jim Warne (Oglala Lakota). His story of the “7th Generation” touches many levels of history and the unknown experiences of past generations. This documentary film addresses historical and current perspectives from Lakota elders and community members with a focus on a positive future for all of our youth – the “7th Generation” … Wounded Knee – Black Elk – Indian Policies – Boarding Schools – Mt. Rushmore – Crazy Horse – The future for the 7th Generation

Best Indigenous Film: 2018 Flathead Lake International Cinemafest

Best of FLIC: 2018: Flathead Lake International Cinemafest

Grand Jury Award 2018: California Film Festival

Best Documentary Feature: 2017 Los Angeles Film & Script Festival

Best Documentary Feature: 2017 Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival

Humanitarian Award of Distinction: 2017 Indiefest Film Awards

Inspiration Award: 2016 Cinema on The Bayou Film Festival

Best Documentary Feature Film: 2016 Los Angeles Cinema Festival

Award of Excellence: 2016 Indiefest Film Awards

SCREENING: 2PM

RUNNING TIME: 45M

MONKEY BEACH (2020)

PRESENTED BY DIRECTOR AND WRITER LORETTA SARAH TODD

Director: Loretta Sarah Todd | Writers: Johnny Darrell, Andrew Duncan, and Loretta Sarah Todd | Based on the novel by Eden Robinson

Waking up in her East Van apartment, Lisa (Grace Dove) is served notice by her cousin’s ghost (Sera-Lys McArthur), “Your family needs you.” Reunited with her Haisla kin in Kitimaat Village, she realizes that she’s meant to save her brother, Jimmy (Joel Oulette), from a tragic fate she’s foreseen since childhood. Of course, there’s also the matter of contending with the mystical creatures lurking in the nearby woods. And so begins a captivating allegory about learning to coexist with both the ghosts that haunt us and spirits who might enlighten us. In bringing Eden Robinson’s beloved novel to the screen, Loretta S. Todd offers us a modern epic underpinned by themes that have long defined heroic journeys. Todd’s first feature narrative unfolds through a thrilling array of temporal shifts and stylistic flourishes. A film about reconnection with the land, its denizens and the secrets it holds, Monkey Beach is also a testament to Indigenous women’s ability to not just endure trials but emerge from them empowered.

Best Film: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Director – Loretta Sarah Todd: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Actress – Grace Dove: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Actor – Adam Beach: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Supporting Actress – Tina Marie Lameman: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Supporting Actor – Nathaniel Arcand: 2020 American Indian Film Festival

Best Picture: 2020 Red Nation Film Festival Awards

Best Director: 2020 Red Nation Film Festival Awards

Best Lead Actress: 2020 Red Nation Film Festival Awards

Best Lead Actor: 2020 Red Nation Film Festival Awards

SCREENING: 4PM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 48M

SUNDAY, NOV. 19

OJIBWA WARRIOR (2023)

NARRATED BY MICHAEL HORSE

The year is 1968. Nowa Cumig, better known by his English name Dennis Banks, has started a movement with a few friends that would soon make ripples through history: The American Indian Movement. The taking of Alcatraz, the Custer Riots, the B.I.A. takeover, and the Wounded Knee siege are all events that have since marked the rise of indigenous rights in the United States. The film is narrated by actor, artist and activist Michael Horse. This film endeavors to look at the bigger picture by opening a door into the life of one of the most influential men in Native American history, using archival footage from films such as “Last Stop Before Wounded Knee” and “The Drum Will Never Stop,” photographs by Richard Erdoes and excerpts from his and Dennis’ book, “Ojibwa Warrior.”

SCREENING: 9AM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 29M

POBO TZU (2021) (MEXICO)

PRESENTED BY FEDERICO CUATLACUATL

In 1982, the Chichonal volcano erupted, burying numerous towns including the Zoque community of Esquipulas Guayabal. Years later, the inhabitants of Nuevo Guayabal rebuild their lives as the volcano and the buried town lurk in the undergrowth. Trinidad, a poet born on the day of the eruption, has oneiric visions that quickly spread through his community, sparking a collective effort to unearth their old town, at the same time that the presence of the Piowachue (the spirit of the volcano according to Zoque worldview) strengthens among the community.

SCREENING: 10:30AM | INDIGENEITY BEYOND THE SOUTHERN BORDER

RUNNING TIME: 1H 12M

ÁNIMAS (SPIRITS) (2023) (MEXICO)

Director: Federico Cuatlacuatl

Shot entirely on a cellphone, this short film is a self-archeological and self-anthropologic experimental collage through the intimate moments of Coapan. Decoloniality is a tool used as means of celebrating, challenging, and reconstructing. The resilience of traditions and costumbres of this community are highlighted as resistance, self-preservation, and endurance. Después de mas de 500 años de supremacía blanca en Mexico, que queda? After more than five hundred years of Mexican white supremacy, what is left?

SCREENING: 10:30AM | INDIGENEITY BEYOND THE SOUTHERN BORDER

RUNNING TIME: 8M

CAFE DAUGHTER (2023)

PRESENTED BY WRITER, DIRECTOR, AND PRODUCER SHELLEY NIRO

In a small Saskatchewan town in the 1960s, Yvette Wong, a young girl of Chinese and Cree heritage, struggles with her Indigenous identity amidst family tragedy in this coming-of-age film directed by Mohawk artist and filmmaker Shelley Niro. Yvette’s mother, Katherine, discourages her from embracing her Cree identity, so she explores it in secret. As she learns more about herself and her Indigenous heritage, Yvette finds a friend in Maggie Wolf, who embraces being part Mi’kmaq and encourages Yvette to be proud of being Cree. When her classmates learn about her Cree ancestry, Yvette encounters the realities of being Indigenous, facing prejudice with pride and holding fast to her dream of becoming a doctor. Café Daughter is inspired by true events and based on Kenneth T. Williams’ play of the same name.

The film is written, directed and produced by Shelley Niro, a member of the Mohawk Nation from the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, and produced by Diggstown‘s Floyd Kane via Freddie Films and Amos Adetuyi via Circle Blue Entertainment. Based on the Kenneth T. Williams play of the same name and inspired by true events, Café Daughter is a coming-of-age story about a young Chinese-Cree girl in Saskatchewan who begins to embrace her Cree identity after a family tragedy. This story takes place in the 1950’s and early 1960’s.

SCREENING: 2PM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 36M

GIFT OF FEAR (2023)

PRESENTED BY WRITER, DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER JACK KOHLER

Directors: Katy Dore and Jack Kohler | Writers: Carly Kohler and Jack Kohler | Producers: Elle Beyer, Lon Beyer, Katy Dore, Carly Kohler, and Jack Kohler | Executive Producers: Dr. April Lea Go Forth and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indian

Native women are 10 times more likely to be murdered than the general population, but this isn’t about statistics for Mili. It’s very, very personal. After witnessing the murder of her mother 11 years ago, Mili has finally found a family of sorts with the MMA Jiu Jitsu team. But her past refuses to stay in the past and the gang she once ran with decides to teach her a lesson by kidnapping her girlfriend. Now Mili must choose between the life she’s finally making work or risk everything to save her friend from a life of sex trafficking. Tribal cops and an agent from the Federal Missing and Murdered Unit are on the case, but Mili waited for the authorities once…she won’t wait this time.

Best Director in a Feature Film: 2023 Boston International Film Festival

Best Indigenous Film: 2023 Latino and Native American Film Festival

Best Narrative Feature: 2023 Chicago Cinema Awards

Best Score: 2023 Chicago Cinema Awards

Best Cinematography: 2023 Chicago Cinema Awards

SCREENING: 4PM

RUNNING TIME: 1H 45M

EVENTS & PERFORMANCES

ELIZABETH HILL - SINGER/SONGWRITER

ElizaBeth Hill is Kanienkeha:ka (Mohawk) from the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario Canada. She is a songwriter, composer, visual artist, and writer whose work has taken her to exploring Indigenous lands and voices around the world. Her primary work is in exchanging songs and ideas through the power of sound and stories. Since 2003, ElizaBeth has collaborated with Shelley Niro and other gifted artists on various projects under their Iroquois Arts Collective; the most recent bringing a new focus to the history of Pocahontas and Joseph Brant. A skilled songwriter and artist, she recently hosted her second Indigenous Women’s Circle of Voices song-making project in northwestern Ontario and has initiated a new sound and visual arts project using field recordings and digital photography. For more information, click here.

4:45PM FRIDAY, LIVE PERFORMANCE

DARREN THOMPSON - NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE

Darren Thompson (Ojibwe/Tohono O’ddham) is a Native American flute player and educator from the Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Reservation in Northern Wisconsin. He is one of Crazy Horse Memorial’s main performers and the opening act of Brulé’s summer concert series in the Black Hills. In 2016, Darren’s dedication to his music earned him a nomination from the Native American Music Awards for “Flutist of the Year” with the release of his second album, “Between Earth and Sky: Native American Flute Music Recorded in the Black Hills.”

SATURDAY, 11:45AM, LIVE PERFORMANCE

FILMMAKERS RECEPTION

VIP PASSHOLDERS ONLY

Join us for pow wow drumming and dancing by the Adamstown Singers from the Upper Mattaponi, Saponi and Tuscarora tribes and dancers from the Upper Mattaponi, Mattaponi, Chickahominy and Nansemond tribes. Meet our filmmakers and several Native actors in this relaxed and fun environment. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and libations will be served.

SATURDAY, 6PM

DECOLONIZING DATA (2023)

SAGE ANDREW ROMERO DIRECTOR

An animation project created in collaboration with the Seattle Indian Health Board, to raise awareness of utilizing digital data to preserve cultural knowledge and information.

SCREENING: 6PM | SHORT FILMS SCREENING IN THE REYNOLDS LECTURE HALL AT VMFA (LOWER LEVEL)

RUNNING TIME: 3M 48S

TINY (2022)

Tiny is a contemplative stop motion film which tells the story of ‘Nakwaxda’xw Elder Colleen Hemphill’s childhood. The film portrays modern day Colleen as she reflects on her past, and re-enacts the stories she tells of her youth, as a young girl growing up on a float-house in the wild and unpredictable Pacific Northwest and its waters. As she retells her story, Colleen notices how different her way of life was when she was young, and how much more harmonious her community was with nature. The film aims to celebrate the life and identity of Colleen by sharing the gift of her presence and stories with audiences.

SCREENING: 6PM | SHORT FILMS SCREENING IN THE REYNOLDS LECTURE HALL AT VMFA (LOWER LEVEL)

RUNNING TIME: 16M

THE FIRE (2022) CANADA

ROGER BOYER WRITER, DIRECTOR

Colin & Marie are mourning the loss of their father/husband Bruce, but tonight he comes to visit Colin in a dream with an important message.

SCREENING: 6PM | SHORT FILMS SCREENING IN THE REYNOLDS LECTURE HALL AT VMFA (LOWER LEVEL)

RUNNING TIME: 6M

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT (2022)

What does it mean to be Inuk? Historically depicted as welcoming and friendly people in remote snowy landscapes, in reality, Inuit live across the globe. Using antique wind-up bears, layered animation, and analogue techniques, McIntyre constructs an animated documentary in an exploration of identity and belonging by Inuit, both in and outside of community

SCREENING: 6PM | SHORT FILMS SCREENING IN THE REYNOLDS LECTURE HALL AT VMFA (LOWER LEVEL)

RUNNING TIME: 16M

WARRIOR UP (2023)

EP 2: NEVEAH PINE: THE VOICE OF DISRUPTION

Warrior Up! is a 13 x 22-minute documentary series that follows inspiring Indigenous youth making positive change in their communities! Whether it’s defending the land, learning and then teaching nearly lost Indigenous hunting and building techniques, feeding unsheltered relatives or helping decolonize the fashion industry, the young changemakers featured in this series are making an impact. Warrior Up! shares their inspiring journeys of activism in engaging, entertaining ways as our three hosts take turns traveling Turtle Island,

Grade ten student Nevaeh Pine is a proud Ojibwe teen from Garden River First Nation who uses public speaking to advocate for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirited People. She also helps launch her school’s first Red Dress Day assembly and march.

SCREENING: 6PM | SHORT FILMS SCREENING IN THE REYNOLDS LECTURE HALL AT VMFA (LOWER LEVEL)

RUNNING TIME: 22M

Buy Tickets

Date: November 17-19, 2023

Location:  Robins Family Forum at Virginia Museum of History and Culture Richmond, Virginia

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