Red Nation International Film Festival

Join us for the Red International Film Festival 2024!

Schedule of Events:

Features

8:30PM - The Birds Who Fear Death

Documentary

6:10PM - Black Water Green Gold

Doc Shorts

3:00PM

We Ride for her
Stay Awhile
Primero Sueno
The Power of Ceremony
Kumeyaay Land
Speaking with the Ancestors
Bucking on the Rez

Streaming Online

The Heart Stays
Director: Diane Fraher
A coming of age story about a Native American teen who must choose between her own personal goals and the traditional responsibilities of the old ways. Everything comes to a head when her sister gets into trouble forcing the issue.

The Fighter
Director: André-Charles Ishpatao
André-Charles is a boxer. Sports changed his life. He hopes his journey will inspire others to regain their pride and hold their heads high when facing life's adversities.

Kak: Intergenerational transmission of an ilnu family
Director: Manuel Kak'wa Kurtness
In Kak, Manuel talks to his children. He communicates to them the importance of intergenerational transmission of family knowledge and Ilnu culture. Manuel films his parents and children during meetings where this knowledge is transmitted and lived in the present.

The Forgotten Warriors
Director: Noel Joe
The true story of the courageous stand of M'kmaq activists from Conne River, Newfoundland as they hunger for justice and fight for their right to self-determination.

Ehute-vpohyvuke (Homesick)
Director: Wilson Stiner
Spirits guide a contemporary Mvskoke artist reconciling his people's history and mythology.

Joshua Garrett goes by Deadfeather, a multi-media creator expressing himself along a journey to uncover the truth of his identity.

Zapotec Spirit
Director: Polaris Castillo
Zapotec weaver Oscar Perez shares the wisdom of his ancestors in Teotitlán del Valle in Oaxaca, México. Oscar is an incredibly humble artist, five generations deep into his work, and he's lovingly passing his craft onto his children — along with teaching them how to speak the Zapotec language at home.

Facing the Storm: The Indigenous Response to Climate Change (Episode 2 Tribal Food Sovereignty)
Director: Mikayla Gingrey
"Facing the Storm: The Indigenous Response to Climate Change", is an episodic series highlighting Climate Justice leaders in the Indigenous community who have been fighting to protect Mother Earth since time immemorial. This series takes a look at climate change and climate justice in Seattle from the Native lens by focusing on the cultural, ancestral and communal impact climate change has on Indigenous Peoples. The episode, "Tribal Food Sovereignty: Sustaining Culture, Identity and Connection", highlights the negative impact climate change has on access to traditional foods and medicines. Indigenous culture in many ways is defined by connection to the land, air, water and knowing what Mother Earth provides. When climate change impacts these three integral parts, it takes away access to traditional foods and strips away a key aspect of Indigenous culture and identity. In this episode, we hear from climate justice leaders who share their efforts and passion for protecting and keeping traditional foods at the center of the table.

Xingu - Tokyo: An Ancestral Connection
Directors: Marisa Moreira Salles, Pedro Jezler, Rafael Costa, Tomás Alvim
The original Brazilian people preserve an ancient artistic tradition that draws attention for the way it combines functionality and beauty: the manual manufacture of wooden benches, carved directly from tree trunks and decorated with natural pigments and ornaments. They are very varied pieces, produced by different ethnic groups, but all of them exquisite objects of art and design, and which still preserve the religious and symbolic dimensions of the beliefs of each people.

The exceptionality of these pieces of art is brought to light by a documentary film that, in addition to presenting this little-known section of the art of Brazilian indigenous peoples, reveals yet another surprising layer: the similarities between this millenary tradition and another equally ancient culture, the Japanese. . Xingu/Tokyo: an ancestral connection presents an unexpected and uncontested approximation between two worlds, that of the indigenous peoples of the Xingu and the Japanese, as it walks through aspects of both traditions. According to Toyojiro Hida, Director General of the Metropolitan Teien Art Museum in Tokyo, there is a mythology according to which all Japanese people come from a single origin and, therefore, Japanese art is one. However, when discovering Brazilian indigenous benches, Hida challenges this theory: these indigenous objects are proof that distant cultures can share a common essence.

Les Filles du Roi
Director: Corey Payette
A young Mohawk girl, Kateri, and her brother Jean-Baptiste, have their lives disrupted upon the arrival of Les Filles du Roi in 1665 ‘New France', forge an unlikely relationship with young fille Marie-Jean Lespérance – whose dream of a new life is more complicated than she could have imagined.

Diversity in Kanata
Director: Rhonda Valerie Head
A look at how diverse Indigenous Tribes are across Canada.

Voices Of The West
Director: Cam Mackey
Set against the majestic landscapes of Montana and Wyoming, "Voices Of The West" celebrates the contributions of Native Americans to the origins of American cowboy culture.

Long viewed as the domain of white men and women of European descent, this documentary follows the lives of modern Native Americans as they work their land and livestock, participate in regional rodeo events, and reflect on the rich history of the "Indian Cowboy."

On the wings of a powerful and sometimes haunting musical soundtrack from country music star Ian Munsick, "Voices of the West" challenges our perception of the American cowboy and acknowledges the rich heritage of Native Americans in the formation of the modern West.

Beyond the Ruins
Director: Brady Skye
Embark on a captivating journey that delves into the essence of Yucatecan Maya life in the 21st century. This feature-length documentary unfolds against the backdrop of Coba, the second largest Maya ceremonial center in the ancient world. From this archaeological marvel, the film ventures deep into the lush jungles and intimate villages, offering a poignant exploration of two indigenous families committed to preserving their rich heritage.

At its core, Beyond the Ruins weaves a tapestry that illuminates the profound interconnectedness of existence, as mirrored in the ancient Maya philosophy of "in lak' ech, a lak' en" — where "I am you; you are me." The film not only resurrects a vibrant but often overlooked culture; it also invites viewers to contemplate the universal lessons embedded in Maya wisdom. Through this evocative lens, audiences discover not only a living legacy but a source of inspiration to enhance their own quality of life.

HEALING OF THE DRAGONFLY
Director: Nina Barbier
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 hi last exhibition in Rapid City ( SD)

Tecumseh
Director: Cher Ann Obediah
Tecumseh is a short documentary about a historical hero who had the future in mind.

Immersed in the Indigenous way he navigated a colonizer mindset to reimagine the landscape of Turtle Island. His leadership and efforts were cut short but the spirit of his vision lives on today, with hope for a peaceful path forward.

#TalithaKoum
Director: Misty Shipman
When a young mother suffers a sudden and grievous loss, she seeks a miracle from God.

Fear of the Indian
Director: Priscilla Wolf
The theme of ignorance is meant to reveal how mainstream media covers the Indigenous community in mainstream media. Many factors contribute to how and why mainstream media doesn't tell stories about Indigenous people fairly. The main factor being lack of information and education about Indigenous people. How does mainstream media portray Indigenous people in the media and has it improved in the past three decades? The overall subject of the larger overall documentary is how mainstream media portrays Indigenous people in Canada.

The Big Idea: Indigenous Robotics
Director: Sarah Klein, Tom Mason
After Ojibwe native Danielle Boyer joined the robotics team in high school, she realized how out of reach robotics are for low-income families. Since then, she’s made it her mission to create free robot kits to connect other Indigenous youth to the tech skills that will shape their future.

Hadaya
Writer and Director: Alika Sheyahshe Mteuzi
Major General Hadaya leads the Black and Indigenous Liberation Army (BILA) in an uprising to reclaim a society controlled by an oppressive regime. Set in the future, the film is a blend of encrypted broadcasts, surveillance, and psychic extractions detailing the 2033 rebellion. As the Liberation Army grapples with colonial domination, they employ undetectable, encrypted transmissions as a lifeline for a disconnected community, risking everything to stay one step ahead of detection. The story unfolds against a backdrop of tactical maneuvers and diplomatic struggles, revealing a world where war is a constant, but the hope for a peaceful, self-sustaining nation burns fiercely.

Redlights
Director: Eva Thomas
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.

Winding Path
Directors: Alexandra Lazarowich, Ross Kauffman
“Being an urban Indian is really complicated because you have this geographic disconnection from your land and your community.”

Jenna Murray is an Eastern Shoshone medical student at the University of Utah. Her most formative childhood experiences were spent on her family’s Wind River Indian Reservation ranch where she loved nothing more than helping her grandfather: a cowboy, teacher and tribal judge. When her active, 70 year old Papa suddenly dies of a preventable health issue, Jenna grapples with her dream of a career in tribal health while facing her own mental health crisis.

Directed by Cree filmmaker and 2019 Sundance Award Winner Alexandra Lazarowich (Fast Horse), and Oscar winning Director Ross Kauffman (Born into Brothels, ETEAM); Co-Produced by Sundance Native Lab Alum Charine Pilar Gonzales; original score by Choctaw Nation Musician Samantha Crain (Fancy Dance, Sundance 2023).

What has been the impact of colonization on the people of Yuquot?
Director: Paul Lowey
The colonization of the Mowachaht / Muchalaht territory lead to the devastation of the community and abandonment of the ancestral village. Now the community is working to re-tell its story from their perspective.

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