James Schnepf/Courtesy Wilma Mankiller Foundation/Mankiller Documentary
Since world-premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival in Culver City in June of 2017, the MANKILLER documentary, based on the life of Wilma Mankiller — which was directed by Valerie Red-Horse Mohl, Cherokee, and executive produced by Hollywood powerhouse Gale Anne Hurd, (Executive Producer of The Walking Dead) — is now on DVD.
In an initial interview with Indian Country Today, Red-Horse Mohl said she initially thought of the film as a biography. “But once we began to research her life, we realized it was so much more than a biography, it was a wake-up call to our country. Wilma Mankiller was a uniter that brought people together. As an elected leader, Wilma Mankiller believed you should be a servant leader and that you are there for your constituents, not yourself.”
Executive Producer Gale Anne Hurd crowdfunded Mankiller, which is her third Native American documentary. “Wilma Mankiller’s values and achievements are part of an incredible legacy for both women and men. She was an amazing servant in the position of leadership with a great set of ambitious goals. The world could learn a lot from her right now.”
First festival success, now on to DVD
Hurd told Indian Country Today she was marveling in the success of the film. She was also excited it was going to be available for everyone to see now that VisionMaker would be offering it on DVD.
“It is truly gratifying how well MANKILLER has been received and how the remarkable life of an Indigenous woman has proven to be so inspiring in today’s divided political climate,” said Hurd.
“Since we premiered at the LA Film Festival last June, MANKILLER has screened at a number of very prestigious film fests, including DOC NYC, Austin Film Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, where we won the distinction of ‘Best of Fest’. MANKILLER also went on to win ‘Best Editing’ at UNAFF, the overall ‘Spirit Award’ from the Bozeman Film Festival, and ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at both the Rome International and Tulsa American fests. MANKILLER has screened all over the world, from Capitol Hill in D.C., where it was introduced by Rep. Tom Cole (Chickasaw Nation) and Rep. Adam Schiff, as well as Finland, Australia and New Zealand, where it won ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at the Maoriland Film Festival.
Upcoming screenings are scheduled for Iceland and Germany, among others.
Hurd asked the public, “We will be tweeting and we are asking if people can share the word”
She gave an example of a tweet:
Support #Indigenous film and filmmakers by purchasing @mankillerdoc, the story of the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation on DVD this Friday 8/31st! Follow the link to grab your very own copy: https://bit.ly/2PdNjjj #Mankiller
The DVD’s will be available Friday, For more info visit here.
Follow Indian Country Today’s associate editor and senior correspondent, Vincent Schilling (Akwesasne Mohawk) on Twitter – @VinceSchilling
