35th FNFVF FEATURE FILMS
Various Program Dates

  • "NiiMisSak: Sisters in FIlm"

    NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film is a compelling feature-length documentary that weaves together the shared truths and raw personal experiences of being an IsKweWak (Indigenous female) storyteller in British Columbia's film and documentary industry. The film spotlights five Indigenous directors at various stages of their careers, alongside the inspirational matriarch of Indigenous film, renowned Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawiin from Montreal.

    Director: Jules Koostachin

    Screening at FACETS, November 5, 2025

  • "Incendios" (59:03)

    After legalization of burning of the forest in Bolivia, voluntary firemen stand against the worst fires Bolivia ever experienced. Chaqueo is Bolivian practice of burning down the forest in order to gain cultivable land, in 2019 this practice was made legal recognizing fire as a legal tool for the cultivation of the land. Soon after, the fire in the country got out of control. The movie introduces the problematic of the Chaqueo and shows the effort of voluntary firemen groups, that are trying to save most vulnerable places such as human settlements and natural reservations. The main emphasis of the film is to make the viewer contemplate the reasons this situation is happening and the direction that humanity is taking.

    The whole movie was shot by two people in a very limited time frame using small personal budget with a partial support of crowdfunding community. The whole post-production was also realized by voluntary participation.

    Directed by Martin Trabalik and Geraldine Zambrana Velez (Quechua)

    Screening at Citlalin Art Gallery, November 9, 2025

  • "Slash/Back"

    In Nunavut, four girls who like horror and alien movies, love their phones and even their poor elders who believe in shapeshifters because "they didn't have the internet" realize local disappearances are linked to a shapeshifting alien.

    Director: Nyla Innuksuk

    Screening at the Music Box Theatre, Theater 2, November 12, 2025

  • "Hey Viktor!"

    Twenty years removed from childhood fame as Little Viktor in 1998’s Smoke Signals, CODY LIGHTNING has been forced to move home to his reserve in northern Alberta. He still believes himself to be famous— even though the only parts he gets these days are porn & fracking commercials.

    Director: Cody Lighting

    Screening at the Music Box Theatre November 13, 2025

35th FNFVF Screening Schedule and Venues

“The Other 51%: Native American Women Directors”

November 6, 2025
Film Program

  • Jane & the Wolf (9:45)

    "Jane & the Wolf is a hybrid documentary that incorporates cinéma vérité, archival photographs and animation. In the 1960s, Pagwa River was a booming railroad town populated by 2nd generation Crees. During one cold winter, the community was being stalked by a lone wolf. Every attempt to kill the wolf failed. Jane recognized the wolf as a spirit sign from the ancestors. Ridiculed for her beliefs, Jane set out alone to killing the wolf using the old ways.

    Narrated by Jane’s Great Granddaughter Rachel Garrick, Jane’s story is interwoven with Rachel’s own journey to bring her mother Minnie Garrick to her final resting place. Minnie was a story teller, a surviver, and a woman who reclaimed her life despite many personal challenges. Minnie had passed on the story of Jane to Rachel at a time in her life when Rachel most needed to hear about the strength that is inherent in their family.

    Directed by Nadine Arpin (Métis)

  • She is Water (13:00)

    Mary, an Ojibway teenager is taken by a stranger after a day out with her friends. She returns to Mother Earth and the Natural World seeks retribution.

    Directed by Darlene Naponse (Ojibway)

  • Battles (3:42)

    At nightfall, Karen decides to leave the party where a friend is in the process of losing herself. A life metaphor, this battlefield.

    Directed by Karen Pinette Fontaine (Uashat)

  • In Our Own Hands (11:00)

    A group of women plan rescue efforts when one of their own goes missing from their reservation. Directed by Jennifer Varenchik (Tohono O'odham)

  • Nothing about Moccasins (3:42)

    There will be no film on moccasins.

    Directed by Eden Mallina Awashish (Atikamekw)

  • Raven (10:46)

    A woman contemplates suicide and decides that her life is worth living after all. After arriving on her motorcycle in the snowy woods, she finds a beautiful but lonely tree where she gets lost in the moment of a decision she has been struggling to keep and experiences an ethereal dream where she comes face to face with the little one that could have been.

    Directed by Razelle Benally (Diné / Oglala Lakota)

  • THE SHORT CUT (10:42)

    A teenager is running late for his curfew. And is informed about another missing girl in the community. While taking the short cut home he is stalked by a paranormal force. And he encounters two men disposing a body. The film was shot in Canada, NS, Cape Breton Island, 2020. This film is shot on the Iphone XR.

    Directed by Dawn Wells (Canadian Mi’kmaq Aboriginal)

  • The Daily Life of Mistress Red (10:33)

    The Daily Life of Mistress Red is a mockumentary that explores the world of kink, native women and defeating white supremacy on one's own terms. Taylor is a blogger for an Indigenous women's website and wants to interview her favorite idol Marie Callingbird; a Native fashion boutique owner by day and to her surprise, Mistress Red. This project focuses on issues within the circle of indigenous women, racism and the acceptance of sexuality. This story follows a journey or what sexuality is to indigenous women and what it can do to empower them.

    Directed by Peshawn Rae Bread (Comanche)

  • Self Portrait (3:15)

    Struggling with gender identity, sexual orientation, and cultural identity has been a normal aspect of my life. Being pulled in and out of native culture and feeling like my queerness was unwelcome by my people, I separated myself for years. Now I explore my relationship with my culture by decolonizing myself and others by sharing my identity openly and honestly.

    Directed by Faun Harjo (Muskogee)

  • Postcards (3:20)

    I went on a trip out west two summers ago. We hit major national parks and monuments. One week from Norman to Southern California, and one week back. Every time we stopped I bought a few postcards. Sorting through them I realized I had only bought portraits of Native American leaders, national park advertisements, and wildlife/landscape photos. I saw the thin white line between what was a conservation effort or assimilation effort by the government.

    Directed by Faun Harjo (Muskogee)

  • Douk (16:31)

    A Native American family confronts the harsh reality of being split apart from their daughters.

    Directed by Michelle Hernandez (Wiyot)

35th FNFVF Screening Schedule and Venues

FNFVF Short Films Retrospective
November 7, 2025
Film Program

  • No Reservations (11:04)

    "What if the moccasin was on the other foot?”

    Written and directed by Trevor Carroll, NO RESERVATIONS is political satire inspired by true-life events, giving a hypothetical look at what life would be like if the roles in Standing Rock were reversed. Protests erupt as an upper-middle class Caucasian neighborhood attempts to thwart the construction of a pipeline from an Indigenous Corporation.

    Starring Lorne Cardinal as Joseph Stillwater, No Reservations aims to provide an alternative point of view of the political threads that have become so tense after the events in North Dakota. Bravely challenging its viewer from the perspective of both First Nations and Caucasian cultures, the film presents a unique point of view in its statement, and a voice of accountability to the Indigenous people of North America."

    Directed by Trevor Carroll (Ojibwe)

  • Never Give Up (8:43)

    "Although the state of Oklahoma has one of the largest prison systems in the US, it provides released

    prisoners with little post-incarceration support. Many struggle to find their way on the ―outside‖ and are eventually re-incarcerated. In the early 2000s, the Muscogee Creek Nation set out to tackle this problem. The Nation’s Reintegration Program works with tribal citizens before and after they leave prison, paying attention to everything from jobs and housing to counseling and spiritual needs."

    Directed by Sterlin Harjo (Muscogee Creek Nation)

  • Soup For My Brother (10:14)

    "Today is a special day for Jimmy’s brother, Danny. As Jimmy prepares a batch of soup for his brother, we learn this documentary is about tradition, brotherly love and loss. This documentary was filmed entirely on the Seneca Nation Territory which is located 50 miles south of Niagara Falls.

    Directed by Terry Jones (Seneca Nation of Indians)

  • "Canoe Connections"

    An essential element of maintaining culture in First Nations communities is nurturing the practice of knowledge keepers passing on their cultural wisdom. For the Canoe Cultures program in Vancouver Canada, an Indigenous-lead non-profit carving centre, Mike Billy Sr. and Jr. are an example of the transference of knowledge from one generation of Squamish Nation War Canoe builder to the next.

    Director: Reeva Billy (Squamish Nation Canada, West Coast)

  • Kii Nche Ndutsa (Time and the Seashell) (13:00)

    A young Indigenous boy imagines his future while listening to the sounds of a seashell. An Indigenous man recalls his past listening to the same shell. The man remembers birds and fireflies in his childhood, that are no longer there. The short film is invites an audience to consider past, present and future of a changing landscape and vanishing biodiversity.

    Directed by Itandehui Jansen (Mixtec of Mexico)

  • Wapikoni 20th Reel (1:10:00)

    ATASOKEWEN – OUR STORIES

    20 Years of Stories at the Heart of Indigenous Peoples

    This program features some of Wapikoni’s most powerful films, offering a glimpse into the themes explored over the past 20 years while highlighting the creativity of the filmmakers and their perspectives on their realities and cultures. Special attention was given to the impact these works have had on the careers of the filmmakers, as well as on both Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences. Their talents have been recognized on the international stage, at prestigious festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Sundance, and the Cannes Film Market. The stories and voices of Indigenous Peoples will continue to resonate for years to come.

35th FNFVF Screening Schedule and Venues

FNFVF Animated Short Films Retrospective
November 8, 2025
Film Program

  • Rabbit Stories (25:00)

    Rabbit Stories is a Cherokee series that captures the essence of Cherokee culture, entirely in the Cherokee Language. This show is made possible by the Cherokee Nation, and the talented Cherokee cast, which includes the renowned academy award winning Wes Studi, who is nothing short of exceptional. The director, Joseph Erb, brings his unique vision to life, creating a show about the Cherokee community.

    The first episode of Rabbit Stories, "Granny Is an Outlaw", introduces us to Granny, an old woman who has lived her whole life on the reservation. Granny is a rule follower, but one day, she finds herself on the wrong side of the law. In a bid to escape the authorities, she embarks on a thrilling adventure, running from the police and trying to evade capture but then ends up running for her life with supernatural events. As the story unfolds, we see the close bond between Granny and her family, and we root for them every step of the way.

    What sets Rabbit Stories apart is its masterful blend of action, suspense, and family values. The story takes us on a journey through the Cherokee culture, highlighting themes of tradition, the supernatural, and resilience. This show is not just entertainment but a celebration of a proud culture that deserves to be shared with the world. Starring Academy Award winner Wes Studi.

    Directed by Joseph Erb (Cherokee)

  • Jane + The Wolf (9:45-reprise)

    "Jane & the Wolf is a hybrid documentary that incorporates cinéma vérité, archival photographs and animation. In the 1960s, Pagwa River was a booming railroad town populated by 2nd generation Crees. During one cold winter, the community was being stalked by a lone wolf. Every attempt to kill the wolf failed. Jane recognized the wolf as a spirit sign from the ancestors. Ridiculed for her beliefs, Jane set out alone to killing the wolf using the old ways.

    Narrated by Jane’s Great Granddaughter Rachel Garrick, Jane’s story is interwoven with Rachel’s own journey to bring her mother Minnie Garrick to her final resting place. Minnie was a story teller, a surviver, and a woman who reclaimed her life despite many personal challenges. Minnie had passed on the story of Jane to Rachel at a time in her life when Rachel most needed to hear about the strength that is inherent in their family.

    Directed by Nadine Arpin (Métis)

  • Where Smoke Rises (6:32)

    "Pua ka uahi is a wonder-filled Indigenous animation following Pele, a hot tempered fire goddess, who has been challenged by the shapeshifting trickster Kamapuaʻa in a race from Puna to Hilo. Pele traverses through the land and helps a few friends along the way. Will she win, or will she enjoy the journey even if it means losing the race?

    Directed by Kalilinoe Detwiler (US-born Native Hawaiian)

  • Sundressed Woman (9:34)

    "Sun Dressed Woman" is a short film in experimental animation cinema, which narrates Liah's journey of inner search, which follows in her life experiences the problems of being and the challenging task of existing. Accessing the memories of other lives and dimensions, she encounters ancestral beings, who help her to find her own conscience again.

    Directed by Patrícia Moreira Santos (Pataxó)

  • Nangulvi (5:21)

    An Andean Bear and an Afro-Ecuadorian musician named Cotobito venture on a journey to find magical characters to help them fight against mining in the Intag-Ecuador valley.

    Directed by Wayra Ana Velásquez (Kichwa Otavalo-Ecuador)

  • Spirit of the Bluebird (5:45)

    Using spray paint on a fence and garage where Blackfoot mother and grandmother Gloria Black Plume was brutally murdered in 1999, Cree artist Jesse Gouchey paints a large scale animation of a bluebird in flight. The beauty and freedom of the bluebird's motion is contrasted with remembrances of Gloria's surviving family members, who give an emotional glimpse of a woman lost to violence and the injustice of the legal system. 'Spirit of the Bluebird' is a fitting tribute to a woman who embodied the bluebird spirit and speaks to deeper themes of Canada's ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, including the criminal justice system, and the long term negative effects of the Residential School system. Music by Kainai singer Jonathan Tall Man, Gloria Black Plume's gifted nephew, weaves effortlessly throughout.

    Directed by Jesse Gouchey (Cree)

  • Tiny (16:21)

    Tiny is a contemplative stop motion film which tells the story of ‘Nakwaxda’xw Elder Colleen Hemphill’s childhood. The film portrays modern day Colleen as she reflects on her past, and re-enacts the stories she tells of her youth, as a young girl growing up on a float-house in the wild and unpredictable Pacific Northwest and its waters. As she retells her story, Colleen notices how different her way of life was when she was young, and how much more harmonious her community was with nature. The film aims to celebrate the life and identity of Colleen by sharing the gift of her presence and stories with audiences.

    Directed by Ritchie Hemphill (Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw) with Animation by Ryan Haché

  • Crash Site (13:00)

    Crash Site tells the story of a displaced young girl, her overwhelmed older sister, and a superhero that brings them together.

    Directed by Sonya Ballantyne (Canadian Swampy Cree)

35th FNFVF Screening Schedule and Venues