The American Indian Film Festival is an annual

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film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upo ...

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. It is the world's oldest venue dedicated solely to Native American/

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

films and prepared the way for the 1979 formation of the American Indian Film Institute. According to the Institute, the Festival was first presented in

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in 1975 and moved in 1977 to San Francisco, where it remains today. In 1979, the Festival was incorporated. Over 3,100 films have been screened from Native American/First Nations communities in the U.S. and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

, and the festival includes events such as film screenings, panel discussions, an awards ceremony and networking events. This festival is not to be confused by the Native American Film and Video Festival, which was founded in 1979.

Winners

Recent festival winners include:AIFI
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Barking Water ''Barking Water'' is a 2009 independent feature film written and directed by Sterlin Harjo that premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Harjo's second feature film, it stars Richard Ray Whitman, Casey Camp-Horinek, Jon Proudstar, Aaron Ri ...

'', '' Given to Walk'', '' Le jour avant le lendemain'', ''

Imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

'', ''

Expiration Date An expiration date or expiry date is a previously determined date after which something should no longer be used, either by operation of law or by exceeding the anticipated shelf life for perishable goods. Expiration dates are applied to selecte ...

'', ''

Johnny Tootall ''Johnny Tootall'' is a 2005 television film written and directed by Shirley Cheechoo.Laura Stevens"Johnny Tootall to receive wider audience" ''Ontario Birchbark'', Vol. 5 No. 6 (2006). The film stars Adam Beach as the titular Johnny Tootall, a y ...

'', ''

Dreamkeeper ''Dreamkeeper'' is a 2003 film written by John Fusco and directed by Steve Barron. The main plot of the film is the conflict between a Lakota elder and storyteller named Pete Chasing Horse (August Schellenberg) and his Lakota grandson, Shane Chas ...

'', ''

The Doe Boy ''The Doe Boy'' is a 2001 independent drama film written and directed by Randy Redroad. It was selected as the United States winner of the Sundance Film Festival/NHK International Filmmakers Award in 2000. ''The Doe Boy'' was produced by filmm ...

'', ''

Unbowed ''Unbowed'' (; lit. "Broken Arrow") is a 2011 South Korean courtroom drama film starring Ahn Sung-ki and Park Won-sang. It was inspired by the true story of Kim Myung-ho, a math professor who was arrested for shooting a crossbow at the presiding j ...

'', '' Smoke Signals'', '' Healing of Nations'', '' PahaSapa... The Struggle for the Black Hills'', '' Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'', ''

Maïna ''Maïna'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2013.

'' *directors and filmmakers:

Chris Eyre Chris Eyre (born 1968), an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, is an American film director and producer who as of 2012 is chairman of the film department at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Films In 1998, Chris Eyre ...

, Nanci Rossov,

Randy Redroad Randy Redroad is a film director, film editor, writer and songwriter. He is best known for his films ''The Doe Boy'' (2001) and ''Among Ravens'' (2014). Early life and education Redroad was born Randolph Kendall Snapp on Chanute Air Force Base in R ...

Steve Barron Steven Barron (born 4 May 1956) is an Irish-British filmmaker. He is best known for directing the music videos for the songs "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, "Summer of '69" and " Run to You" by Bryan Adams, " Money for Nothing" by Dire Stra ...

, Rodrick Pocowatchit,

Shirley Cheechoo Shirley Cheechoo ( cr, ᔒᓕᒋᒍ born 1952) is a Canadian Cree actress, writer, producer, director, and visual artist, best known for her solo-voice or monodrama play ''Path With No Moccasins'', as well as her work with De-Ba-Jeh-Mu-Jig theat ...

Aaron James Sorensen Aaron James Sorensen (born June 6, 1966) is a Canadian musician, writer, producer, and film director living in Calgary, Alberta. He has written, produced and directed several films and a mini-series. He is the front man for the alt-country ban ...

Rick Stevenson Rick Stevenson is a writer, director, and producer from Seattle, Washington. Early life Stevenson holds a DPhil from Oxford University, a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor's degree in history from Whitman ...

Sterlin Harjo Sterlin Harjo (born November 14, 1979)Sam Lewin ''Native Times News'', reprinted in ''Canku Ota'', May 24, 2004 (article gives his age as 24 in 2004). is an American filmmaker. He has directed three feature films, a feature documentary, and the F ...

, Marie-Hélène Cousineau,

Madeline Ivalu Madeline Piujuq Ivalu is a Canadian Inuk filmmaker and actor from Igloolik, Nunavut. One of the cofounders of Arnait Video Productions, a women's video and filmmaking collective in Nunavut, she co-directed, co-wrote and starred in Arnait's first ...

Georgina Lightning Georgina Lightning is a First Nations film director, screenwriter, and actress. Biography Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she is an enrolled member of the Samson Cree Nation. She was raised off-reserve, near the Samson community in Edmonton, Alberta ...

Kevin Willmott Kevin Willmott (born August 31, 1959) is an Academy Award Winning American film director and screenwriter, and professor of film at the University of Kansas. He is known for work focusing on black issues including writing and directing ''Nint ...

*documentarians: Mel Lawrence, Peter von Puttkamer, *actors:

Adam Beach Adam Beach (born November 11, 1972) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in '' Smoke Signals'', Frank Fencepost in ''Dance Me Outside'', Tommy on ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', Kickin' Wing in ''Joe Dirt'', U.S. Marine ...

Jay Tavare Jay Tavare is a Native American actor and a former blogger for Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and inte ...

James Duval James Edward Duval is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the Gregg Araki ''Teenage Apocalypse'' film trilogy—''Totally F***ed Up'', ''The Doom Generation'', and '' Nowhere''. His other notable roles include Miguel in ''Independence ...

, Jeri Arredondo, Judy Herrera, Robert A. Guthrie,

Cody Lightning Cody Lightning (born August 8, 1986) is a Cree actor from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Kerry Benjoe, "Indigenous film world filled with people passionate about their art". ''Regina Leader-Post'', December 12, 2015. He is the son of Georgina Lightning ...

Tonantzin Carmelo Tonantzin Carmelo is an American actress. She is known for her acting roles in film, TV and stage productions including in the Steven Spielberg miniseries, '' Into the West'', for which she received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstandi ...

, Carla-Rae, Trevor Duplessis, Candace Fox, Wes Studi,

Misty Upham Misty Anne Upham (July 6, 1982 – October 5, 2014) was a Blackfeet actress. She attracted critical acclaim for her performance in the 2008 film ''Frozen River'', for which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Fem ...

, Casey Camp-Horinek, Winter Fox Frank,

Roseanne Supernault Roseanne Supernault is a Canadian film and television actress, best known for her roles as Natalie Stoney in the television series '' Blackstone'' and as the title character in the 2013 film ''Maïna''. Originally from East Prairie, Alberta, she i ...

Michelle Thrush Michelle Thrush (born February 6, 1967) is a Canadian actress and First Nations activist for Aboriginal Canadians and the other Indigenous peoples of the Americas. She is best known for her leading role as Gail Stoney in '' Blackstone'', for which ...

, Earnest "Ernie" David Tsosie III

Best Films

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

References

External links

American Indian Film Institute homepage
Native American film festivals Film festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area Indigenous peoples of California topics Native American history of California Arts organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco 1975 establishments in Washington (state) Film festivals established in 1975 {{California-stub