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Native November: Indigenous, Independent, Innovative - The 34th Annual American Indian Film Festival
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Richard Ray Whitman (foreground) and Casey Camp-Horinek in Sterlin Harjo's "Barking Water",
The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) holds its 34th Annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco next month (November 6-14), with two of the City’s native sons, film director Peter Bratt and younger brother actor Benjamin Bratt attending the November 7 screening of the elder Bratt’s film “La Mission”, which had premieres at the San Francisco International Film Festival last April and Sundance in January. The Bratts were born and raised in the Mission District where “La Mission” is set. The film is about the volatile relationship between a father (Benjamin Bratt) and son in the sphere of machismo culture.
November is National Indian Heritage Month and the AIFI’s 34th Annual Festival will premiere more than 80 features, short films, and documentaries by Native American Indian communities from across North America. Several panel discussions will be held at the Radisson Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf, including one on Native American women and Hollywood stereotypes on the big screen. There will also be youth films and events at Pier 39 at Theater 39 (Beach Street at Embarcadero.) The festival’s first six days (Nov. 6-11) take place at the Landmark Embarcadero Center Cinema at One Embarcadero Center on the Promenade Level. The Festival’s final three days (Nov. 12-14) will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts (3301 Lyon Street at Bay Street) in the Marina District. (See venue photo slideshow below.)
AIFI Festival founder and director Michael Smith said in a statement that the festival offered a nationwide platform “for emerging and established filmmakers, entertainers and performing artists to convene, renew their artistic spirit and share their gifts.”
“People of the Seal”, a documentary feature about the Urangan people who face extinction, raises the curtain on the Festival on November 6. “Tungijuq”, a seven-minute short about the Inuit seal-hunting trade, precedes the opening night film. “Tungijuq” is produced by Zacharias Kunuk, who directed the highly-acclaimed “Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner”. The closing night film on November 13 is award-winning director Sterlin Harjo’s “Barking Water”, which stars Casey Camp-Horinek and Richard Ray Whitman. All three will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.
The last night of the Festival culminates in the American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show, at which fourteen awards will be presented including Best Film and Best Documentary.
For more information, including a complete schedule, visit AIFI’s website. Advance tickets are on sale now at the AIFI – call 415-554-0525 (for Visa and Mastercard patrons.) The Festival venues mentioned above will sell tickets only on the day of each show and not in advance.
For more of Omar's film stories, movie reviews and interviews visit his Popcorn Reel website and watch his film reviews on YouTube.
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