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42nd Annual American Indian Film Festival Will Run Nov. 3-11 in San Francisco

Native Americans continue to look forward despite the barriers they face, embracing medicine, language, the fortitude to be a distinct nation within a nation, and of course, our history and culture.
We celebrate the challenges our people have overcome, and the unity we feel as a people.

SAN FRANCISCO For thousands of years, Indigenous persons have inhabited North America, before there were borders between the United States and Canada. There are shared histories, reserves, treaties, boarding schools, assimilation, and current issues that they face in the modern world, no matter where they live in the continent. Battling social welfare issues, impoverished urban conditions, homelessness, mineral exploration and exploitation, media apathy, missing and exploited women, and more, the Native people continue to face an unprecedented number of challenges. It is the relationship between tribes in the United States and Canada that thrives. Native Americans continue to look forward despite the barriers they face, embracing medicine, language, the fortitude to be a distinct nation within a nation, and of course, our history and culture. That is what the American Indian Film Festival celebrates every year. We celebrate the challenges our people have overcome, and the unity we feel as a people. And we will continue to do this at the 42nd annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco from Nov. 3-11, 2017.

The public is invited to enjoy film screenings, appearances by filmmakers, actors and directors, Q&A sessions, and memorable entertainment during the nine-day event, capped by the American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show.

“AIFI is proud to launch its 42nd annual American Indian Film Festival. This assembly of new film works of the USA American Indian and Canada First Nations is presented to foster public truth and understanding to the social and economic culture and ways of life of contemporary Indian peoples. Despite a history of genocide and exploitation of our nation’s people and land base, we have persevered… We have maintained and rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, spirit, culture and language. This is our truth, and we look forward to sharing it with our audiences in the coming days,” said AIFI founder and president, Michael Smith (Sioux). “Film is an important tool that we can use to educate and entertain our audiences, and this is the best of Native cinema in the world.”

The festival will be held at the Brava Theater Center in San Francisco (2781 24th Street). The full program can be found online at http://www.aifisf.com/film-schedule-2017. Tickets can also be purchased on the website, with an intricate look at the captivating and emotional films that will be featured. The awards ceremony will be held on the evening of Nov. 11.

The festival kicks off on Nov. 4 with the film The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Marie Clements, which connects a pivotal moment in Canada’s civil rights history, the beginnings of Indian Nationalism in the 1930s, with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today. The Road Forward‘s stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada’s finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connect past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. A rousing tribute to the fighters for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action. The show begins at 7 p.m.

American Indian Film Institute/Facebook

Other notable moments of AIFF 42 include: Dynamic Women’s Series on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 12-10 p.m., featuring six powerful documentaries displaying the Native American women’s fight for justice.

Nov. 7: Bainbridge’s documentary feature, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, a 103-minute feature film, which dives into Native American influences on music history.

Nov. 9: Wind RiverTaylor Sheridan’s 111-minute feature. The film follows a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Jeremy Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death. The film also stars Gil BirminghamGraham GreeneJon BernthalJulia Jones, and Kelsey Asbille.

November 10Directed by Jeremy Torrie and starring Adam BeachEmma Tremblay, and Roseanne Supernault, the film Juliana & The Medicine Fish tells the story of 12-year-old Juliana. The 110-minute feature film looks into a complicated relationship between a father and a daughter, and the power of believing in oneself.

The festival’s formidable artwork was done by Crow Indian artist Del Curfman. The poster “Standing for Justice” is an inspiring piece of art, and perfectly encapsulates the meaning of the festival.

The 42nd annual American Indian Film Festival® is sponsored by: San Francisco Grants for the Arts, The Hewlett Foundation, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Chickasaw Nation, Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, The George Lucas Family Foundation, and CBS.

The American Indian Film Festival® is open to the general public-at-large and invites all communities to celebrate November American Indian Heritage Month.

Advance tickets for the film festival and awards show are available through aifisf.com.

41st Annual American Indian Film Festival kicks off November 4-11 in San Francisco

41st Annual American Indian Film Festival Kicks Off November 4-11 in San Francisco (PRNewsFoto/American Indian Film Institute)
41st Annual American Indian Film Festival Kicks Off November 4-11 in San Francisco (PRNewsFoto/American Indian Film Institute)

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — AIFI stands in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North Dakota and their thousands of native and non-native allies in the struggle to protect their waters and homelands against bio oil and the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline. This is the most recent of the ongoing struggles of indigenous peoples of this continent to protect and preserve their homelands and ways of life against colonial and capitalist interests. AIFI has presented these stories and many others of cultural affirmation, resistance and survival over the years and they will continue to be featured through the 41st Annual American Indian Film Festival, to be presented November 4-11 in San Francisco.

The public is invited to enjoy film screenings, appearances by filmmakers, actors and directors, Q&A sessions, and memorable entertainment during the 8-day event– capped by the American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show on November 11.

“The contemporary medium of cinema as a tool for a very ancient art – storytelling – has always been at the core of the American Indian Film Institute, and our festival,” notes AIFI founder and president, Michael Smith (Sioux). “As we move into our fifth decade, we’re more committed than ever to spotlight and share these vital stories – films, by, for and about American Indian and First Nations peoples – with all communities. This is the best of Native cinema, and we’re excited to celebrate the 41st annual American Indian Film Festival with our filmmakers, entertainers and audiences.”

The AMC Van Ness 14 theaters (1000 Van Ness Ave.), is the venue for the festival’s line-up of live short, animation, documentary and feature films, plus public service and music videos, and youth films from AIFI’s Tribal Touring Program.

The full schedule of 13 film programs, with both matinee and evening screenings, is available online at: http://www.aifisf.com/film-schedule

Notable films of AIFF 41 include:

November 4: The Saver, an 88-minute feature film starring Imajyn Cardinal directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld

November 5: The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic of North America is spotlighted in recording artist Crystal Shawanda’s Pray Sister Pray,a music video directed by Joseph Osawabine; followed by the short: Sister, Daughter, directed by Nathaniel Arcand (Into The West; Blackstone) and the feature On the Farm starring Elle-Maija Tailfeathers

November 7: Fractured Land, a documentary feature directed by Fiona Rayher and Damien Gillis

November 8: Lisa D. Olken and Larry Pourier’s documentary feature, Red Power Energy, along with The Northlander, a 98-minute feature film directed by Benjamin R. Hayden, and starring Roseanne Supernault, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black-Antelope, Corey Sevierand Nathaniel Arcand.

November 9: A 97-minute feature Before the Streets/Avant Les Rues, starring Rykko Bellemare, Kwena Bellemare-Boivin, Jacques Newashish, Janis Ottawa, Martin Dubreuil and Normand Daoust

November 10: AIFF41’s Closing Film Program wraps with producer-recording artist Robby Romero’s music video, “Earth Revolution” featuring UN youth ambassador Ta’Kaiya Blaney; Kyle Bell’s behind-the-scenes look at the epic art of Steven Paul Judd; followed by the feature film Te Ata, starring Q’Orianka Kilcher (The New World), acclaimed Oneida actor Graham Greene (The Green Mile, Dances With Wolves, Die Hard With A Vengeance), and Comanche actor Gil Birmingham (Twilight, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, Rango;and the recent Hell or High Water), alongside Academy Award-winner, Jeff Bridges.

AIFI’s American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show starts at 7 pm (doors open at 6 pm) on November 11, at the Fillmore Heritage Center (formerly Yoshi’s), 1310 Fillmore Street, San Francisco. The show will be co-hosted by Metis-Cree actress Roseanne Supernault(Rhymes For Young Ghouls; Maina; Blackstone), and Tlingit, Koyukon-Athabascan actor Martin Sensmeier (The Magnificent Seven, Longmire), and features live entertainment from Twice As Good (a father and son duo from the Pomo Tribe); Hard Rock Records recording artist Spencer Battiest (Seminole Nation of Florida) along with his brother Zachary aka Doc; Ta’Kaiya Blaney, accompanied by Robbie Romero; and the Navajo comedy duo James & Ernie. The American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show includes presentations for Best Film, Best Music Video, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Documentary, and many more.

Kiowa-Choctaw creative force, Steven Paul Judd returns as AIFF 41’s Official Festival Artist. Judd’s poster, “Endeavour to Persevere,” is an homage to film dialogue spoken by the late, legendary First Nations actor and leader, Chief Dan George, in the iconic Western, The Outlaw Josey Wales. The unforgettable Chief Dan George was the inspiration for the creation of the American Indian Film Festival®.Catch a glimpse of Judd’s amazing, art-filled life, in the documentary short film, Dig It If You Can, directed by Kyle Bell.

The 41st annual American Indian Film Festival® is sponsored by: Comcast NBCUniversal, Jackson Rancheria CA, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe WA, Comcast Streampix; Media Partners: Chickasaw Nation Oklahoma, National Indian Gaming Association, CBS NY, Tulalip Tribes WA; Venue Sponsor: AMC Van Ness 14; Foundation Partners: The San Francisco Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, George Lucas Family Foundation; and the San Francisco Grants for the Arts.

The American Indian Film Festival® is open to the general public-at-large; and invites all- communities to celebrate November American Indian Heritage Month.

Advance tickets for the film festival and awards show are available thru aifisf.com.

http://aifisf.com/

https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/san-francisco/amc-van-ness-14

http://www.thefillmoredistrict.com/lmac_pages/comm_jazzheritage.htm