Events for November 18, 2023

A Native man on a distant plane finds a mysterious helmet.

After having a nightmare about his grandfather, Tala looks to his mother for answers. She recounts a tale about Tala’s grandfather and how he got his name. In this tale, she tells him about his grandfather’s friend, a monkey named Susie, and their journey to Pulotu, a place without light.

Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics dives deeply into the innate contrast between the Seven Deadly Sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Pride and Envy) and the Seven Sacred Teachings (Love, Respect, Wisdom, Courage, Truth, Honesty and Humility), as embodied in the life of a precocious Métis baby. Brought to life by Terril Calder’s darkly... Read more »

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.

Rabbit Stories is a 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... Read more »

Starbound is a short sci-fi/ family drama that explores the return of eight year old Billy Campbell after being abducted by aliens four years earlier.

An indigenous Canadian scout meets a young German soldier in the snowy forests of Europe during the Second World War.

In a world with Zombies, a dysfunctional zombie control task force is the last line of defence. Let by the well-intentioned Captain Chris, his bumbling team is charged with investigating and containing zombie outbreaks.

A two-spirit male cruises a hook-up app as he looks for companionship for the night. A welcomed familiar person invites him over as he contemplates his existence, the future and what it means to be who he is in this day in age.

Mémère follows the story of a devoted grandson’s fluke opportunity to take his Grandmother on a trip down memory lane.

Kristen and Gabe share the same home yet live on opposite ends of security and oppression.

Highs and lows, snapshot tragedy. A look into the life of a man on the edge. 

This film by Isaac Michael Ybarra (Tongva, Chumash, Chicano), juxtaposes visual themes of decolonial cultural preservation and urban/invasive infrastructure. Ooxono (From Here) is a short poem pushing back against the use of the term Urban Native within the context of Tovaangar (Los Angeles) and the erasure it creates against First Peoples. Ooxono (O'o-ha-ono) translates/refers to... Read more »

This is a story about Whirlwind Bull Yellow Bear, and his quest to reconnect young boys and girls to their indigenous roots of living off the land. While relearning what it is to be independent in today's society of fast paced living and technology.

Meet Wa.Sta.Tse and her family! Within their Native American community, they do many things to care for and support each other in being healthy, relaxed, and centered. Staying healthy isn’t just about going to the doctor!

Ella Mae Blackbear was named a Cherokee National Treasure in 1990 in basketry. We explore how her legacy lives on in the lives of those who knew her and others who are still studying her work today.

In this short documentary, award-winning indie filmmaker Mike J. Marin (Navajo/Laguna Pueblo/Washoe) invites us into his struggle with trauma and depression and how the growing art of action figure photography saved his life in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and how this new medium continues to serve as an artistic and creative therapy.

Meet Joe Pulliam, an Oglala Lakota Sioux artist living in Rapid City in the state of South Dakota. Father of 4, Joe Pulliam opened an art gallery exclusively with his work, painting on ledgers inspired by his culture and traditional life. This documentary tells his story, and his artistic journey from Pine Ridge reservation, to... Read more »

More Bounce documents three Samoan men as they retell their journey of being bouncers in Southern California. As the men reflect on their experiences, they recall the ways in which the job often confronted them with violence, but also made way for them to forge relationships with other Samoans on the job.

To help revitalize the Mohawk language, a local reservation radio station incorporates the Mohawk language into a game of Radio Bingo.

Tar Creek, located in Northeastern Oklahoma, is one of the most heavily-polluted waterways in the United States. As a lifelong environmentalist, Cherokee Nation citizen Rebecca Jim has devoted her life to cleaning up Tar Creek by holding Cherokee values and her kinship with the land at the forefront of her battle to save our precious... Read more »

Six Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) share their voyages in and out of diaspora. Their collective moʻolelo (story) wades through hope, grief, wisdom, and the effects of the illegal occupation of their homeland. They share the pull they have felt to return to Hawaiʻi and ka ʻāʻumeʻume (the struggle) to stay.

A short dance film exploring the love of Rick Bartow and Julie Swan.

After waking up alone in a forest and determined to find a way out, a young Native artist finds company in a mysterious voice on the other end of a walkie-talkie as she is tormented by an ominous hooded monster.

After a blow-up during basketball practice, Olivia struggles to face a deeper devastating reality in rural Montana.

An evening out takes a dramatic turn for two Indigenous women, Tina and Amber, when Amber is suddenly taken into police custody. Fearing the worst, Tina tails the cruiser outside city limits and makes a courageous choice to free her friend.

On a night out with friends, Jess briefly opens up about the grief she’s continuing to process in the aftermath of her grandfather’s death. She decides to go home early and while rummaging around in the kitchen for something to eat, startles her grandmother and the two share a sweet moment through food and song,... Read more »

Set over the course of one evening, Parker and his boyfriend, Darren, find themselves detoured on their trip and going towards Parker's late kokum's cabin. The men make a disturbing discovery which creates tension within the pairs already unhealthy relationship. Shot in one continuous take, Terror/Forming, will show paranoia, anxiety and tension bubbling to the... Read more »

A father and daughter search for their missing loved one on the Salt River Indian Reservation.

An airplane lands. A massive cruise boat anchors off the reef, disgorging tourists for tropical island vacations. This postcard paradise depends on petroleum imports to fuel its cars, motorbikes, boats, hotels, pumps and machinery. Yet if the tourists stopped coming, what then? The film opens with the prophetic words of Niuean artist John Pule and... Read more »