The FNFVF was established in 1990 by Beverly Moeser (Menominee), the Festival Artistic Director, as a one-day festival which screened thirty videos at Facets Multimedia. Beverly was a film student with a passion for exploring Native issues through the medium of film and videos. With Beverly’s dedication to film the festival expanded to a three-day event.

The FNFVF was housed at Facets Multimedia until going on hiatus in 1994. Then in 1999, it returned with major venues such as the Chicago Cultural Center, the Field Museum and Truman College. After which it went on hiatus once more. Dave Spencer, (Choctaw/Navajo) a member of the Chicago Native community dedicated to Native American first-voice representation in the arts, with the help of the Red Path Theater Company resurrected the FNFVF in 2002 as a presentation of the American Indian Center. Dave Spencer first came aboard the FNFVF Committee in 1992 and took on Coordinator duties in 2002.

In 2004, it expanded into a week-long festival with as many as ten different venues and screened over 45 films and videos. It has since featured over two-hundred and fifty new works from Native artists from all the Americas and has had programs at over thirteen venues across Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

In 2005, Ernest M. Whiteman III (Northern Arapaho) took over as FNFVF Coordinator. The FNFVF screened over 45 films at over at 12 venues in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Ernest Whiteman continued as the Coordinator until 2008, holding an annual film series, showcasing one feature film at multiple venues in Chicago and in Denver, Colorado before going on hiatus once again.

In 2010 the First Nations Film and Video Festival returned with a full three-day festival showcasing the latest in Native American-produced films and videos. In August of 2011, the FNFVF became First Nations Film and Video Festival, Inc being certified a non-profit corporation with Spencer and Whiteman leading as co-managers. In 2012, after the departure of Dave Spencer, Ernest M. Whiteman III has remained as Director to guide the festival. In 2015, FNFVF Inc expanded to two festivals a year with spring and fall editions.

In 2021, the FNFVF introduced a new online panel discussion program. In 2022, Samantha Garcia (tribe) took on the role of Co-director, after serving on the board, and expanded the reach of venues, and instituted the new Outdoor Screening program in partnership with the Chi-Nations Youth Council and Chi-Nations Garden. The festival remains a grassroots festival which has served Native American film and video makers the best these past years. The FNFVF remains dedicated to working with organizations that share its passion for contemporary representations of Native people. Dedication to the purpose of the FNFVF remains intact. FNFVF is the only film festival whom deals exclusively with Native American film and video makers and to provide them a venue, indeed, sometimes the ONLY venue, for expression.