Film: American Indian Film Festival, Season 47

Program 2 • Shorts Program, 1–3:15 p.m.

Firecracker Bullets

Through spoken word poetry, a young water protector from the Standing Rock occupation contemplates his PTSD while working at a Native firework stand on the 4th of July.

The Trails Before Us

Follows 17-year-old Nigel James, a Diné mountain biker as he hosts the first Enduro race in the Navajo Nation. Through revitalizing livestock and wildlife trails on his grandparents’ land, Nigel and a new generation of riders honor the connection to their land, community, and culture.

TEMOSEN

Charles Elliott (TEMOSEN) is a renowned Coast Salish artist from Tsartlip First Nation, whose carving practice is embedded in intergenerational knowledge, imagination and resistance. Beyond his exemplary work and mastery, Charles is also a loving Father, Husband and pillar of cultural strength, dignity and grace. Told by Indigenous film-makers through Indigenous storied film methods, the purpose of this film is to explore the meaning and practice of Coast Salish artwork as inter-generational resurgence, storytelling and traditional governance practices. We will exhibit and showcase the community impact of Charles Elliott's work along with meaningful interviews from community, family and Art-leadership this film asks Who is TEMOSEN and how does this work guide the next generations forward?

Bill Reid Remembers

The late Bill Reid – the renowned Haida artist – had a deep affection for his homeland Haida Gwaii (once known temporarily as the Queen Charlotte Islands). Born to a Haida mother and a European father, Bill Reid spent his early life away from his nation’s culture. While working for CBC Radio, Reid was drawn to sculpture, using Haida techniques and images, a move that would forever change his life and the Canadian artistic landscape. Bill Reid Remembers is a beautiful tribute from Alanis Obomsawin to her friend’s life, his legacy and his connection to his homeland.

GRASSDANCER  

The story of Trenton Wheeler, a Northern Plains grass dancer. It was important to carry on the tradition of Grass dancing by documenting this wonderfully unique art form. There is a responsibility to preserve largely unseen traditions by making them visible to a wider audience. GRASSDANCER explores the duality of living in the present while preserving the past.

Founders

Lionel R. Bordeaux’s world was forever altered when, as a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota, he received an unexpected phone call from a Sicangu Lakota elder who informed him, “We’ve changed your plans for you.” Thus started Bordeaux’s tenure as head of Sinte Gleska University, one of the first Tribal Colleges and Universities in the United States, where he has presided for over 50 years. Now close to the end of his journey, Dr. Bordeaux looks back through the decades at his role in bringing autonomy to Indian education and preserving the wolakota, the tribal way of life. He is the last of Sinte Gleska’s great founders, but his vision for the university will endure.

13 Eggs

13 eggs is the number of eggs that were retrieved when I froze them. Over four years I collected footage to talk about my experience trying to make a baby. I stopped halfway through because I failed and had to figure out how to make a film about failing in this commonly shared life goal. Grieving people who never were is harder than it seems.

From Nov. 5–10, AIFF 47 will offer free film screenings at SFPL’s Main Library, Koret Auditorium.

Since its inception in 1975, the mission of the American Indian Film Festival (AIFF) has steadfastly been the cultural exchange—through the power of film—of Native American and Canada’s First Nations cultures. While the content is by, for and about Indigenous storytellers, AIFF remains a film festival for all audiences—from filmmakers whose intent is to inform, educate, enlighten and entertain all viewers. With the American Indian Film Institute director Mytia Zavala at the helm, and carrying on the work of her late father, founder Michael Smith, AIFF welcomes film fans back to the Bay. After two years of virtual film festivals, the American Indian Film Institute is excited to bring AIFF 47 in-person to film fans in San Francisco, featuring live events, panel discussions, food demos and an award show to showcase and celebrate the best of Native film.  

The AIFF47 film schedule and information is available at aifisf.com.

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