2010 Sundance Film Festival Reports OnNativeGround!

Last night at the Filmmaker Lodge, the Native Forum at the Sundance Film Institute hosted the reception of the week. It was filled with people of all tribal nations as well as a global community of filmmakers [ONG's Exec Prod JACK KOHLER attended], writers, producers, directors, publicists [MICHELLE SHINING ELK was repping it for ONG and Shining Elk Entertainment] talent, film crews...and the Native community showed up to support them all! [Tina Reszler of Mooretown Rancheria and yours truly, me.]

The ONG youth reporters were too young to enter this over 21 venue; however, they were checking out the animation spotlight [w/BR AD TAYLOR, cimc vista] at the Holiday Village Cinema III.

Earlier, we began our day with a hearty breakfast at Pizza n Noodle on Main Street. Next, we moved on over to our launching pad, "The Filmmakers Lodge," and we walked up the three flights of stairs anticipating our first face-to-face introduction to SHIRLEY SNEVE, Executive Director at the Native American Public Telecommunications [http://www.nativetelecom.org/]. As we headed out to the Native Forum workshop at the New Frontier, we met up with a talented band "Bramble" [banjo, charango, guitar, accordian, percussion.] performing on Main Street. ONG reporter Nick Ortiz interviewed BRAMBLE and then ONG headed out to the New Frontier where we met up, once again, with SHIRLEY SNEVE to attend:

Making Indigenous Shortfilms: Featuring Shímásání by Blackhorse Lowe

Shímásání (in Navajo with English subtitles is a short,b/w) and N. BIRD RUNNINGWATER, director of Native American and Indigenous Programs for the Sundance Institute, hosted the screening/discussion with BLACHORSE LOWE. This short is absolutly beautiful! All the youth and mentors enjoyed Shímásání. The title translates to "Grandmother" in the Dine language. This film projects the perspective of a young woman during the 1920s who longs to attend school w/her older sister (who keeps running back home only to be returned by their Grandmother); however, her Grandmother tells her to stay back and tend "her sheep and her land" and in a very powerful tableau (freeze frame) at the end of at least two scenes made me feel that the young girl's dreams froze. Will she go to school? Or will she stay back and tend "her sheep and her land..." and take care of her Shímásání .

The day faded into an evening of watching "The Dry Land". A story of a soldier coming home to small town Texas from Iraq only to find that it is not possible to pick up where he left off. Due to the reality of post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), the soldier seeks to find the answer to 'what happened' in a hit made on his unit. sundance.bside.com

[1/29/10 will continue this blog later...off to the Sundance Headquarters to meet up with Publicist Michelle Shining Elk to conduct interviews with Jason Ritter (Dry Land, The), Bird Runningwater, and Heather Rae (Dry Land, The)] -patricia

Okay, it is now 10:24 p.m. and let's get the blog on the road...As I mentioned above, let's unfold Day 3. Tomorrow. -patricia

2010 Sundance Film Festival On Native Ground!

Greetings friends: We're back...and the Sundance Film Festival (SFF) in Park City UT is greater than ever in 2010. That's right, folks, this is the 2nd year that the On Native Ground (ONG) Youth Reporters earned press credentials.

We arrived to Park City late last night with all six ONG youth reporters in tow, along with ONG's Filmmaker/Executive Producer, Jack Kohler; our savy publicist, Michelle Shining Elk of Shining Elk Entertainment; CIMC's VISTA at Berry Creek Rancheria, Brad Taylor; Mooretown Rancheria's Teen coordinator, Tina Reszler; and yours truly, me:).

This morning as we made our way up to the New Frontier on Main Street to attend a forum on the 'Evolution' of filmmaking via the internet. Social networking is bringing much needed up-to-the minute reporting to indie filmmakers, too. The New Frontier forum at the SFF hosts film screenings, media installations, performances, and panels.

Next, we moved on over to the Filmmakers Lodge also on Main Street. While there, we set up our laptops, drank coffee, and began our own social networking. At the lodge, you will find the credentialed working press working on deadlines while listening to the televised panels like today's "Saving Democracy, One Story at a Time" forum which included Democracy Now's Amy Goodman, Alex Gibney, Laura Poitras and Michael Ratner.

Then off to the Press and Filmmakers reception at the Shabu on Main Street. It was a full house and the spirit was good. Before we knew it, we were at the Yarrow Hotel for a scheduled interview with Actress Misty Upham of "Frozen River" (thanks to our publicist Michelle Shining Elk).

As you can see, the ONG youth reporters along with their mentors are having the educational experience of a life time at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival...On Native Ground: Where Art Speaks!

"First you dream it! Plot it out. Ask Creator to bless it, Only then will you achieve it, On Native Ground!" -ppena, Kickapoo Nation KS