Native film festival set for this weekend

By Alysa Landry
The Daily Times, Farmington, N.M.
(MCT)

KAYENTA, Ariz. — While citizens across the country are celebrating Independence Day this weekend, hundreds of native filmmakers are commemorating a much older history.

More than 40 native-themed documentaries, feature-length films and short vignettes will play on the big screen this weekend during the 2009 Monument Valley Film Festival. Subjects include everything from historic warriors to the modern search for identity.

The number of films screening nearly doubled since last year.

''The festival grows every year," said Shonie de la Rosa, owner of the Kayenta-based Sheephead Films and organizer of the annual film festival. "Word gets out."

The festival, held at the Kayenta Town Hall, showcases a collection of films written, produced or directed by the country's native residents. Screenings begin Friday.

De la Rosa has produced several films set on the Navajo Nation, including "Milepost 398" and "G Methamphetamine." He organizes the film festival to help other aspiring filmmakers gain recognition.

''People will see films they don't normally get to see," de la Rosa said. "Most native film festivals are a long way away and people don't have the means to get to the places where films are being screened. We bring the films here for people to see."

In its third year, the three-day festival attracts as many as 500 audience members to the Navajo Nation. But only a handful of the filmmakers are Navajo, de la Rosa said. Artists come from across North America to show their films.

A highlight of the weekend is the showing of "Geronimo," written, directed and produced by Dustinn Craig. Craig, of Mesa, Ariz., is a member of the White Mountain Apache tribe. His film was featured in the PBS documentary series, "We Shall Remain."

But it failed to reach much of native America, Craig said.

''(PBS) is obviously not geared toward native America," he said. "It's toward people who have myths and misconceptions about native America."

''Geronimo," which runs 120 minutes, is a historic documentary, Craig said. It played on national television, but reached an audience largely unacquainted with American Indian heritage.

''As a native filmmaker, you have to really think about getting people up to speed because few people know much about native America to begin with," he said. "I always have the Native American community in mind as my audience."

Most of the films featured this weekend were produced or directed by first-time filmmakers, something festival organizers encourage, de la Rosa said.

''It's hard to get your film seen by anybody," he said. "We usually don't show films that we've shown before. We really are looking for new material."

Screenings start at 10 a.m. daily today through Sunday. Admission is free, and the screenings include 38 films and eight music videos.