UMUT Student Arts Film Institute

In 2020, we collaborated with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe’s Tiwahe Initiative and Native Connections/Behavioral Health department to launch a community film program on the Towaoc reservation. The UMUT Student Arts Film Institute is a production program that launched in June of 2020 and is a permanent department on the UMUT reservation. Production tutorials were provided to Ute Mountain youth, teens and adults.

July – August, production began on a new piece that reflects the tribe’s battle against the pandemic. Several tribal members were interviewed to share how they have adjusted and learned to cope under the safety guidelines.

Post production took place September through October with additional shooting on the reservation. The UMUT Film Art Institute completed their first documentary as part of an ongoing community based program. Several tribal members served as director, camera, sound and editor to ensure their point of view was heard.

The UMUT Student Arts Film Institute is an empowerment program that offers career training and advanced creative development. The program is dedicated to the increased execution of filmmaking, technology and digital media skills for UMUT youth. The curriculum challenges each participant to use production equipment, editing software and their creative abilities to produce short form narratives on a consistent basis. This training will teach participants to produce films about their tribal community, history, language and culture.

Our program’s main goal is to create a genuine connection between Native American communities and the entertainment industry. For over a decade, our program has had a consistent and positive impact in tribal communities. We have established programs at several tribal communities that continue to develop Native American filmmakers. The programs we have founded are part of school districts that include Wellpinit Indian High School on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington and the Fort Washakie Indian High School on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

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