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Vision Maker E-News - October 2017

  October Film Specials | Native TV Station Loses Frequency
Native American Heritage Month | Because of You
New Viewer Discussion Guide | V eterans' Day Free Streaming
Find Us on the Road | Opportunities | Film Screenings
Columbus Day & Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Five Native Documentaries on Special for October
Home $24.95  Sale $14.95  
EDU $225   Sale $125

Home $19.95 Sale $9.95
EDU $225   Sale $125

Home $24.95   Sale $14.95
EDU $225   Sale $125

Home $24.95   Sale $14.95
EDU $150   Sale $75

Home $25  Sale $20
EDU $100  Sale $80
Fallout from Spectrum Auction Affects Native-Owned Station
The first Native owned-and-operated station in Oklahoma is looking for a new frequency. The results of the public broadcast spectrum auction last year marked a significant change for the station--Cheyenne and Arapaho Television--CATV47. Cell phone provider T-Mobile purchased the station’s frequency, which requires CATV47 to cease or modify operations on its current channel by Jan. 26, 2018.

Randy Burleson, director of operations estimates it will cost $80,000 to transition to another frequency. The non-commercial station is funded entirely by the Tribe. An increase in both the number of mobile providers and demand from consumers prompted the government to auction the rights to transmit signals over specific bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. It’s a step toward market-based management and privatization of public airwaves.

Even though the station is low power, the signal reaches 35 miles. One of only a handful of Native American TV Stations in the U.S., CATV47 provides 100 percent Native American television programming to their viewing audience 24/7. Operators strive to preserve and promote use of the Cheyenne and Arapaho languages by producing original language education programming aimed at both children and adults. In addition, the station was the first affiliate of First Nations Experience (FNX), America's first 24/7 Indigenous peoples network.

One children’s program, ‘Frybread Flats,’ features an animated host named Raven. The program introduces Native language, with alternating shows featuring Cheyenne and Arapaho languages.

“This Federally mandated transition is really putting a financial hardship on our Tribes. It would be a real shame to lose Oklahoma’s first and only Native broadcast TV station by January, " Burleson said.

For more information about CATV47, check their website and their YouTube channel.
New Films for Native American Heritage Month
We're excited to feature three new films available for Native American Heritage Month in November. The Mayors of Shiprock and On A Knife Edge come to WORLD Channel's America Reframed Nov. 6 and 7, respectively. In addition, Metal Road soon will be available to purchase for November.

The Mayors of Shiprock focuses on a group of young Navajo leaders who meet to decide how they will help their community. The Northern Diné Youth Committee gives youth opportunities to directly make changes within their community.

On A Knife Edge is set against a background of rising tension and protest. George Dull Knife becomes politically active with the American Indian Movement, confronts the challenges of growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation and wrestles with accepting leadership of his storied family from his aging father.

Metal Road explores the dynamics of livelihood, family and the railroads through the lens of a Navajo trackman. Follow three Navajo railroaders from the 9001 Heavy Steel Gang as they leave their homeland to replace aging railroad tracks from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean under extreme weather conditions.
Because of You...
Indian Country is home to compelling and important stories just waiting to be told and voices that need to be heard. Together we can ensure that happens. 

Your continued support makes  Native films available to a wider audience through special initiatives and by distributing documentaries to educational institutions and individuals through Vision Maker Media's distribution networks. We thank those of you who helped us reach our goal by Sept. 30. Support Vision Maker Media
New Viewer Discussion Guide: 
On a Knife Edge

Our newest viewer discussion guide was prepared for the film 
On a Knife Edge,  a stunning coming-of-age journey from the Pine Ridge Reservation. Set against a background of rising tension and protest, a Lakota/Northern Cheyenne teenager learns first-hand what it means to lead a new generation and enter adulthood in a world where the odds are stacked against him.

Filmed over a five-year period, On a Knife Edge provides a privileged view into the interior world of George Dull Knife as he becomes politically active with the American Indian Movement, confronts the challenges of growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and wrestles with accepting leadership of his storied family from his aging father.

Viewer discussion guides help increase the impact of Native content beyond the film's broadcast. Vision Maker Media works with qualified educators to develop grade appropriate materials (using core curricula standards) for classroom use. Viewer discussion guides also are developed for use by general audiences and/or in community screenings. Trailer
Veterans' Day Special
Free viewings: Nov. 9-12 on VMM's YouTube channel
In the turbulence of war, in a place where survival was just short of miraculous, the Aleuts of Alaska would redefine themselves and America. From indentured servitude and isolated internment camps, to Congress and the White House, this is the incredible story of the Aleut's decades-long struggle for our nation's ideals.
In 1918, not yet citizens of the United States, Choctaw members of the American Expeditionary Forces were asked to use their Native language as a powerful tool against the German Forces in World War I--setting a precedent for code talking as an effective military weapon and establishing them as America's original code talkers. 
Exploring the warrior ethic among Native Americans, this documentary reveals how Native communities have traditionally viewed their warriors and why, during the 20th century, Native men and women have signed up for military service at a rate three times higher than non-Indians. Way of the Warrior also examines the visceral nature of war and the bravery of Native American veterans.
Navajo Code Talkers - 27 minutes
A documentary film using interviews and archival footage to show the vital role a small group of Navajo Marines played in the Pacific during World War II. Includes 1940s archival footage of Navajo life as well as scenes of World War II. Featured are interviews with Navajo Chairman Peter MacDonald, artist and scholar Carl Gorman, and Taos artist R.C. Gorman. The film received a special Presidential commendation by Ronald Reagan.
Filmmaker Challenges
Best Practices for Checking Facts in Your Documentary
"The strongest documentary film will meld journalistic underpinnings with top-notch, artistic storytelling."   -- Lindsay Crouse, Solo fact-checker for  The New York Times Op-Docs.

Seasoned documentary filmmakers know the importance of checking their facts through multiple resources in order to gain authenticity for their film. This process can be difficult and time-consuming, but it's a key component of creating a quality documentary and a vital protection against liability.

Unlike news corporations that make documentaries and rely on an in-house fact-checking team, independent filmmakers often use producers to fact-check a more limited list of resources. What techniques and tools can filmmakers use to be prepared for external and legal review of their film?

A recent article by Nayantara Roy, published by the International Documentary Association, "How Journalistic Documentaries Check Their Facts," discusses fact-checking best practices used by filmmakers and investigative reporters in a variety of fields. Read more.
53rd Chicago International Film Festival
For over half a century, the Chicago International Film Festival has brought to Chicago an exciting selection of bold, new work from filmmakers around the globe.

They champion young filmmakers and daring visions, and present the latest from the masters of world cinema. This year's festival features 150 films from 50 countries: Oct. 12-26, 2017. MORE
NAJA Elects 3 New Board Members,
Selects 2017-2018 Committee
Native American Journalists Association elected three new members to the board of directors: Shyanne Beatty (Hangwichin Athabascan) from Anchorage, Alaska; Graham Brewer (Cherokee) from Oklahoma City; and Jacqueline Keeler
(Diné / Ihanktonwan Dakota) from Portland, Oregon, who will each serve a three-year term.

The NAJA Board of Directors also selected 2017-2018 officers during the first meeting with new members in September. Bryan Pollard and Jennifer Bell were unanimously elected to second terms on the executive committee. 

  • Bryan Pollard (Cherokee), President
  • Dr. Victoria LaPoe (Cherokee), Vice President
  • Jennifer Bell (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), Treasurer
  • Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton (Cherokee), Secretary

Darren Brown (Choctaw/Cochiti Pueblo) and Ramona Marozas (Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians) will remain seated for the duration of their terms. MORE
Native American Music Awards
The 17th annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA) announced the creation of two additional music video categories to honor performance and narrative videos as well as the original conceptual category.

The number of traditional music initiatives increased as well as the creation of songs about the many water protectors who were at Standing Rock last year. Both new and established artists share the list of nominations throughout a diverse array of 25 varied music categories. Among the nominees: Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, Spencer & Doc Battiest, Supaman. MORE
California
Open Until Position Filled

Deadline: Oct. 18

Deadline: Oct. 27

Deadline: Oct. 27

Deadline: Oct. 31

Deadline: Nov. 1

Deadline: Nov. 6

Deadline: Nov. 10

Deadline: Feb 15, 2018

Rolling Deadline

Deadline: Oct. 18
Deadline: Oct. 19

Deadline: Oct. 30

Deadline: Oct. 31

Deadline: Nov. 1

Interactive/Short Stream Grant
Deadline: Nov. 30

Deadline: Dec. 31

Rolling Deadline

Ongoing Deadline

Illinois
Scheduled: Oct. 12-26

California
Deadline: Oct. 24

North Carolina
Deadline: Oct. 31

Montana
Deadline: Nov. 5

Colombia
Deadline: Nov. 24

Deadline: Dec. 15
Blue Mountain Community College
Pendleton, Oregon - Nov. 16

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 9

Ellensburg Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 6-8

San Diego Film Festival,
San Diego, Califonia - Oct. 7

Tulsa American Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 11-15

Yellowknife Film Festival
Northwest Territories - Oct. 25

Indigenous Film & Arts Fest
Tulsa, Oklahoma - Nov. 8

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 7

Struthers Library Theater
Warren, Pennsylvania - Oct. 6

Seneca Nation of Indians Community Center, Irving, New York - Oct. 19

Bonaventure University
Olean, New York - Oct. 19

State University of New York College at Buffalo, New York - Oct. 26

Tulsa American Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 13

imagineNATIVE
Toronto, Ontario - Oct. 21

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 5

Tulsa American Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 14

imagineNATIVE
Toronto, Ontario - Oct. 19

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 9

Tulsa American Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 14

Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
Santa Fe, New Mexico - Oct. 21-22

South Dakota Public Broadcasting
415 Main Street,
Rapid City, South Dakota - Oct. 25

Edmonton Int'l Film Festival
Edmonton, Alberta - Oct. 7

Festival Visioni Dal Mondo Milano
Milan, Italy - Oct. 8

Milwaukee Film Festival
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Oct. 9

Festival Ciné Alter'Natif
Nates, France - Oct. 11

Festival Ciné Alter'Natif
La Turballe, France - Oct. 13

Doctober Film Festival
Bellingham, Washington - Oct. 13-19

Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Saugatuck, Michigan - Oct. 19

Vienna International Film Festival
Vienna, Austria - Oct. 19-Nov. 2

Tallgrass Film Festival
Wichita, Kansas - Oct. 20

St. John’s Int'l Women’s Film Festival
St. John's, Newfoundland - Oct. 22

Vermont Int'l Film Festival
South Burlington, Vermont - Oct. 23 & 28
 
Naples Int'l Film Festival
Naples, Florida - Oct. 26-29

Fort Lauderdale Film Festival
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - Nov. 3

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 7

Stockholm Int'l Film Festival
Sweden - Nov. 8-19

North Park Theater
Buffalo, New York - Oct. 10

Texas State University
San Macros, Texas - Oct. 12

Tulsa American Film Festival
Norman, Oklahoma - Oct. 15

Doctober Film Festival
Bellingham, Washington - Oct. 21 & 24

AFS Cinema
Austin, Texas - Oct. 22 & 28

Oklahoma Contemporary Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Nov. 2

Hollywood Theater
Portland, Oregon - Nov. 4

Texas Theater
Dallas, Texas - Nov. 5

Bushwick Film Festival
Brooklyn, New York - Oct. 15

Doctober Film Festival
Bellingham, Washington - Oct. 15 & 23

Goddard Riverside Community Center
New York, New York - Oct. 19

Adirondack Film Festival
Glen Falls, New York - Oct. 20-21

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 5

Olympia Film Society
Olympia, Washington - Nov. 10-19

Crandall Library
Glen Falls, New York - Nov. 14

Rialto Theatre
Loveland, Colorado - Oct. 7

Golden Door Film Festival
Jersey City, New Jersey - Oct. 6

American Indian Film Festival
San Francisco, California - Nov. 6

Boulder Main Library
Boulder, Colorado - Oct. 9