TUES 6 APRIL 2004
American Indian film festival replaces old Hollywood standard
By Jessie M. WaddellArgonaut Staff
A new generation of American Indian filmmakers is replacing Hollywood’s one-dimensional image of the old West with realistic, developed characters and scripts.
“When an Indian makes a film, the act itself is so improbable that it is inherently a glancing blow against stereotype and a new page in American film history,” filmmaker Randy Redroad said.
DANIEL BICKLEY / ARGONAUT / Pieces like this one can be seen as part of Sarah Swett’s exhibition at City Hall.
Two of Redroad’s short films were shown Tuesday during the ceremonial opening of the festival.
The festival featured films written, directed and acted by American Indians and was meant “to combat simplistic images of Indians in American cinema and to celebrate Indians telling their own stories through the medium of film,” according to the festival Web site.
“I feel really good about it,” said Jan Johnson, festival organizer and visiting assistant professor of English and American Indian studies at UI. “The attendance has been as high as I could have possibly expected … especially for the shows in the middle of the week.”
Johnson said there were 120-150 audience members every night.
Johnson, who also organized last year’s festival, said she was especially excited about the turnout as there were fewer choices of new films this year.
She said there were many options of low-budget feature-length films released in the recent past, but she found them much harder to find.
“You can read all about them, but finding out who currently has the distribution rights is much more difficult,” Johnson said. “I hit a lot of dead ends.”
She said the featured films ended up being a mixture of the ones she first chose and the ones she could find.
Johnson said everyone she talked to about the festival, including representatives of the Film and Video Center of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, was very excited and supportive.
“I’ve had tremendous support trying to stage something like this,” Johnson said.
Saturday’s film, “Christmas in the Clouds,” has not been released, but it has been shown in film festivals, Johnson said.
In addition to the films, audience members had the opportunity for open discussion with community members familiar with the issues, including authors, filmmakers, professors, historians, activists and tribal chair people.
Johnson said the discussions gave audience members a chance to ask questions they usually wouldn’t have the opportunity to ask.
“It’s a really good way to foster intercultural communication,” she said.
Julie Ketchum, executive director of the Kenworthy, said the festival is consistent with their desire to promote different art forms — like independent films.
“Having a whole festival dedicated to Native American film is wonderful because it brings people from all over the region and showcases films that are not readily available anywhere else,” Ketchum said.
“If we don’t do it and U of I doesn’t do it, who’s going to?” she said.
Johnson rented the Kenworthy for five days at a nonprofit rate.
The festival honored the American Indian students at UI and was funded by the American Indian Studies Program at the university, the Office of Diversity and Human Rights and a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council.
In addition to the spring festival, the American Indian Studies Program sponsors a series of speakers during the fall semester.
Schedule for Eastside Cinemas
“Dawn of the Dead” R (2:45) and 9:20 p.m.“Taking Lives” R (2:50) and 9:35 p.m.Ê
“Secret Window” PG-13 (12:35), 5, and 7:10 p.m.
“Hidalgo” PG-13 (12:50), (3:40), 6:30 and 9:20 p.m.
“Starsky and Hutch” PG-13 (12:35), 5:05, and 7:20 p.m.
“Home on the Range” PG (1:30), (3:20), 5:10, 7 and 8:50 p.m.
“Walking Tall” PG-13 (1:30), (3:30), 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
Schedule for U4 Cinemas
“Hellboy” PG-13 (1:30), (4), 7 and 9:30 p.m.“Prince & Me” PG (1), 4:30, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.
“Scooby Doo 2” PG (1), 4, 7 and 9:30 p.m.
“Lady Killers” R (1:30), 4:30, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.
Showtimes in ( ) are for Saturday and Sunday only.
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