ACROSS TRIBAL SKIES
ALASKA AIRLINES x AIFI • SEASON THREE Film Series
“ACROSS TRIBAL SKIES” – WINNERS AND NOMINEES FROM THE 46th ANNUAL AMERICAN INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL – SEASON 3 NOW STREAMING ON ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHTS
SAN FRANCISCO – Season 3 of “Across Tribal Skies,” featuring award-winning and nominated films from the 46th annual American Indian Film Festival, returns on Alaskan Airlines flights, Nov. 1, 2022-Oct. 31, 2023. On the heels of November’s Native American Heritage Month, these feature, documentary and live short films, along with music videos, is content created by and about American Indian and Canada’s First Nations people, and intended for all audiences. The American Indian Film Institute’s long-running film festival showcases the best of Indigenous cinema, and selections from Season 3 of “Across Tribal Skies” are no exception:
The power of the animation genre should not be underestimated, as vividly illustrated in The Train Station, a 2-minute tale of surviving the Catholic Church-administrated Lejac Indian Residential School, which operated in British Columbia, Canada from 1922 through 1976. The innocuous nature of animation, juxtaposed against the atrocities of genocide, indoctrination and spiritual persecution, elevates this enlightening film to an unforgettable one, earning it a nomination for Best Animated Short at AIFF 46. Lyana Patrick, Director.
Weaving powerful rap rhythms with smooth, melodic vocals, Dream, starring Seminole brothers Doc Native and Spencer Battiest, is an in-depth look at the hopes, dreams, struggles and challenges of contemporary Indian life. The lyrics of AIFF 46’s winner for Best Music Video reveals the peace of finding a redemptive balance of the bittersweet and the beauty: “I fight back, just to keep the dream alive… I still fight, oh, just to save my life… and I’m so wide awake, open to a brighter day, I walk a path of resistance with eerie step I take. It’s the heart of the People that keeps me going strong, and I’m a living testimony to keep holding on. No matter the cost, I’m gonna pay the price.” Adam Conte, Director.
Shoot Your Shot (Nominee, Best Live Short; Madison Thomas and Meegwun Fairbrother, Dirs.) is a sci-fi/action comedy that follows Tover, a teen battling on the frontlines of a future alien invasion. What’s actually terrifying to Tover, though, is the daunting idea of asking out his crush, Savoy, a fellow soldier. From aliens to dating angst, “Shoot Your Shot” is delightfully entertaining.
Fry Bread, feat. Connor Chee, the AIFF 46 Nominee for Best Music Video, is a treat for the senses. Accompanied by Chee’s original piano music, “Scenes from Dinetah,” the video also features Doris Etcitty (Dine) demonstrating the nuances of making traditional Navajo fry bread, as Chee commands the piano in this memorable music video. (Michael S. Etcitty, Dir.)
Witness one First Nations family’s anguishing loss, and their hopes for answers, closure and justice in Dear Friend, nominated for Best Documentary Short. Directed by Trevor Solway/Petie Chalifoux, the heartbreaking tragedy shines a spotlight of the unsolved death of 25-year-old Bella Laboucan-McLean, a “bright and beautiful” Cree woman, unfolded on July 20, 2013, when she plummeted to her death from the 31st floor of a downtown high-rise in Toronto. This powerful film is a voice for Bella and her family as they continue their search for the truth.
Cree-Scandinavian storyteller Christa Couture’s intense story of losing her leg, her children, her marriage and her voice is vividly retold in her memoir, How to Lose Everything: A Field Guide, winner of the Best Animated Short Award at AIFF 46. An award-winning performer, recording artist, broadcaster and filmmaker, Couture made her mess her message with the field guide, co-directed the short with bekky O’Neil.
Thlopthlocco Creek filmmaker Kyle Bell is a Tulsa-based Emmy Award winner whose film, Spirits, was nominated for Best Live Short at AIFF 46, and he weaves the story like a master. As a young Indian, Bon has been raised by his grandmother, who has instilled in him a deep appreciation for his Muscogee Creek culture. As he’s about to depart for college and a future in basketball, the thought of leaving his loved ones behind troubles him. Bon’s memorable last conversation with his grandmother spurs him to look to the past, and his deep roots in Oklahoma, which ultimately uplifts and strengthens him for his future. An Emmy Award winner, Kyle Bell directed Spirits, just one of the films propelling him to his own bright future.
Dancing Through (Nominee, Best Documentary Feature) is an unflinching look at Metis artist and educator Madelaine McCallum’s battle against breast cancer – and the redemption of dance, music and art. Directed by Anika Syskakis and Madelaine McCallum, a Toronto-based Metis professional dancer, theater performer, actor, motivational speaker, youth mentor and emcee. This tenacious, dynamic performer is a compelling story subject.
Best Documentary Short winner, Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again, chronicles Earley’s endeavor for Indigenous rights, women’s rights and human rights – and the priceless value of being seen and heard in this insightful film, directed by Courtney Montour.
American Indian Film Festival
The 48th Annual American Indian Film Festival is slated for Nov. 3-11, 2023 in San Francisco. It is the first and longest-running festival showcasing independent films dedicated to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and First Nations culture and stories. For the past forty-eight years, the film institute has supported and celebrated generations of Native filmmakers, performing artists, and audiences while simultaneously drawing into its circle of support: celebrities, industry professionals, student filmmakers, seasoned festival-goers, and newcomers. The institute and festival have become a trusted guide for those seeking to gain a multi-dimensional and realistic understanding of the heterogeneity that exists in Indian Country.