The 2nd annual Lumbee Film Festival Highlights Indigenous Excellence!
(Beats, Bears, and Kayaks to Intergenerational Activism.)
We are ecstatic to announce the 2nd annual Lumbee Film Festival’s programming lineup! The festival exclusively spotlights Native American filmmakers and is kicking off May 16th & 17th in Pembroke, NC. Although the films are exclusively made by Native Americans, audiences from all backgrounds are encouraged to attend. Festival tickets are the small price of FREE!
Each day of the festival kicks off at 5:30pm with a block of shorts that highlight a variety of voices, including the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Colville Confederated Tribes, Canadian First Nations, and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. Festival Director Kim Pevia shared, “Following last year’s huge success, I wasn’t sure we could top it. I am excited to say we will. We grew from 1 day to 2 days and more than doubled the entries. I laughed and I cried as I watched the films submitted this year. I was entertained and intrigued and I know you will be too.”
Sundance favorite Words From a Bear shares the story of iconic Kiowa author N. Scott Momaday, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1969. Directed by Jeffrey Palmer (Kiowa tribe member), the film plays just after the festival’s opening party on May 16 at 7:30pm.
Kayak to Klemtu chronicles a teenager’s adventurous journey, eccentric family, and environmental activism. The narrative feature closes the festival on Friday night immediately following an awards ceremony and reception. The film was directed by Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Heiltsuk/Mohawk), known for Mohawk Midnight Runners (2013) and One-eyed Dogs Are Free (2006).
Short films cover the range of the artform from animation to documentary and comedy. Lumbee Tribe members are prominently represented in the shorts category from youth to emerging directors. The Unlocking Silent Histories indigenous youth film project landed multiple spots in the festival with shorts like Lumbee Art Legacy and Maintaining Cultural Identity as Lumbee Women. A Sundance Film Festival staff member, Adam Piron (Kiowa/Mohawk), also snagged one of the coveted shorts spots with his film Gutk’odau (Yellow).
Here is the full schedule for the 2nd annual Lumbee Film Festival.