Independent news from the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance

Big Sky Film Festival: Panel on indigenous film scheduled for Feb. 15

JT Shining Oneside shared stories about her Ojibwe and Anishinaabe inheritance during the Native American Heritage Month Celebration on Nov. 15. She spoke about the coming-of-age and traditional birth ceremonies. (Photo credit/ Adrianna Adame)

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Hello Folks:

The Big Sky Film Festival is off with a bang-up start. Yesterday, I made it to four films, “Junior,” directed  Jenna Rosher; “Trail of Tears,” by Chris Eyre, and “Girls on the Wall,” directed by Shannon Walsh and finally, “Ghost Bird” by Scott Crocker. Today, I have other obligations, but I am going to make it to “H2Oil,” by Shannon Walsh. The flick is entered in the Feature Competition category this year. It’s a story about the tar sands development in Canada, the largest industrial project in world history. If you don’t know anything about the tar sands and its impact on water, check out film.

As for Saturday, all the films were followed by a Montana Film Office Party reception at the Dana Gallery, one of the many special events scheduled throughout the festival for all-access pass holders.

Meanwhile, tons of other events are free and open tothe public, including a panel with indigenous filmmakers as part of the Indigenous Visions Sidebar program.

Here are the details: 

Monday, Feb 15, 1:30-2:30 pm
Panel Discussion – Indigenous Visions
Angelica Lawson, Professor of Native American Studies at The University of Montana hosts a panel discussion on issues facing Native American filmmakers. Participants will discuss funding, and distribution as well as issues of representation. Confirmed panelists include Shirley K. Sneve, Executive Director of Native American Public Telecommunications, Rene Haynes, Casting Agent, Tracy Rector, filmmaker (Unreserved).
Downtown Dance Collective, 121 W. Main

• Free and open to the public

 See you there.

Jodi Rave

 

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear

Jodi Rave Spotted Bear is the founder and director of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance, a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization with offices in Bismarck, N.D. and the Fort Berthold Reservation. Jodi spent 15 years reporting for the mainstream press. She's been awarded prestigious Nieman and John S. Knight journalism fellowships at Harvard and Stanford, respectively. She also an MIT Knight Science Journalism Project fellow. Her writing is featured in "The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity," published by Columbia University Press. Jodi currently serves as a Society of Professional Journalists at-large board member, an SPJ Foundation board member, and she chairs the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee. Jodi has won top journalism awards from mainstream and Native press organizations. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder.