Fellows and Creative Advisors Gather May 13-18 in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Los Angeles, CA — Two emerging Native storytellers,
Erica Tremblay (Seneca-Cayuga) and
MorningStar Angeline Wilson (Navajo, Blackfeet, Chippewa Cree) will participate in the
2018 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab, continuing the Institute’s year-round work in the discovery and
development of artists from diverse backgrounds.
The Lab takes place May 13-18 in Santa Fe, NM. During the Lab, Fellows work with a cast, crew, and supervising producer to
shoot workshop versions of scenes from their short films under the expert creative mentorship of Program alumni and other
established industry professionals and Program staff. The Lab encourages Fellows to hone their storytelling and technical
skills in a hands-on and supportive environment. After the Lab they will receive targeted support from supervising producers,
grants to fund the production of their short films and will attend the annual Native Forum at the January 2019 Sundance
Film Festival for ongoing support on their projects.
N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), director of the Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Program, said, “The Lab creates a unique
environment nurturing creativity and collaboration among these talented Native and Indigenous storytellers and advisors.
The Institute has a long history supporting Native filmmakers and we are happy to continue that tradition with Erica and
MorningStar to help their short stories come to life.”
The Native Program has built and sustained a unique support cycle for Indigenous artists through grants, labs, mentorships,
fellowships, the platform of Sundance Film Festival, and screenings in Native communities to inspire new generations of
storytellers. The Institute has established a rich legacy of commitment to Native filmmaking, supporting more than 300
Native and Indigenous filmmakers over the years, including Taika Waititi (Te Whānau-ā-Apanui), Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Creek
Nations), Billy Luther (Navajo/Hopi/Laguna Pueblo), Andrew Okpeaha MacLean (Iñupiaq), Aurora Guerrero (Xicana), Sydney
Freeland (Diné), Blake Pickens (Chickasaw Nation), Ciara Lacy (Kanaka Maoli),Razelle Benally (Oglala Lakota/Diné), Lyle
Mitchell Corbine Jr. (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe) and Shaandiin Tome (Diné).
The filmmakers serving as Creative Advisors for this year’s Native Lab include: Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis) (
Wakening,
Wappawekka), Blackhorse Lowe (Navajo) (
Shimasani, 5th World), Jennifer Phang (
Half-Life, Advantageous) and Chelsea Winstanley (Ngati Ranginui/Ngati Pakeha) (
Ebony Society, Night Shift, Waru). Peer Advisors for this year’s Native Lab include: Razelle Benally (Oglala
Lakota/Diné) (
I Am Thy Weapon) and Shaandiin Tome (Diné) (
Mud, Hastl’ishnii
). Both are Native Lab alumni (Benally, 2015 and Tome, 2017).
Artists and projects selected for the 2018 Native Filmmakers Lab:
Little Chief
Erica Tremblay
The lives of a Native woman and nine-year-old boy intersect over the course of a school day on a reservation in Oklahoma.
Erica Tremblay belongs to the Seneca-Cayuga Nation and is also of Wyandotte heritage. As a documentary filmmaker
and activist based in New York City, her projects have screened at numerous film festivals and her work has been featured
on PBS and CNN. Tremblay’s films explore topics including violence against Indigenous women, restorative justice
and issues impacting the two-spirit community. She has worked with many grassroots organizations, including the National
Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Wica Agli and the Monument Quilt Project. In 2016, Tremblay was awarded a Native
Arts and Cultures Foundation Artist Fellowship and she was recently honored as a 40 Under 40 Native American.
Ahéhee’ Shizhé’é (Thank you, Father)
MorningStar Angeline Wilson
A young woman struggles to come to terms with the legacy left to her after her father passes away from an unknown virus
in a post-apocalyptic world. Through a series of dreams, she finds the strength to carry the traditions and medicine that
was left to her.
MorningStar Angeline Wilson belongs to the Navajo, Blackfeet, Chippewa Cree Tribes. She began acting in theatre
from an early age and was cast as Nizhoni Smiles in Sydney Freeland’s
Drunktown’s Finest. This debut role earned her the Best Supporting Actress Award from The American Indian Film
Festival in 2014. In 2016, Wilson contributed as a camera operative to VICE TV’s series
Rise which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. She worked in production on projects such as
Scalped and
WACO. Angeline was awarded ‘Best Acting Performance’ at the Institute of American Indian Arts for her role as Jade
in Razelle Benally’s
Raven, a short narrative that premiered at the 2017 IMAGINENative Film Festival. That same year she was selected to
be Marie Claire’s 2017 June Guest Editor. The New Mexico Film & Television Hall of Fame honored Wilson with the ‘Rising
Star’ award in 2018. She currently divides her time between Albuquerque, NM and Los Angeles, CA.
The Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Program is supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Surdna Foundation,
Time Warner Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, SAGindie,
Comcast-NBCUniversal, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Consulate General
of Canada, Indigenous Media Initiatives, Fenton Bailey and Billy Luther, and Sarah Luther.
Sundance Institute
Founded in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization that provides and preserves the space
for artists in film, theatre, and new media to create and thrive. The Institute’s signature Labs, granting, and mentorship
programs, dedicated to developing new work, take place throughout the year in the U.S. and internationally. The Sundance
Film Festival and other public programs connect audiences to artists in igniting new ideas, discovering original voices,
and building a community dedicated to independent storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported such projects as
Mudbound, Get Out, The Big Sick, Strong Island, Blackfish, Top of the Lake, Winter’s Bone, The Wolfpack, Dear White People,
Trapped, Brooklyn, Little Miss Sunshine, 20 Feet From Stardom, Beasts of the Southern Wild
,
Fruitvale Station,
Spring Awakening,
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and
Fun Home. Join
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