Red Fork Native American Film Festival Marks 10 Years at TCC

Tulsa Community College will host the annual Red Fork Native American Film Festival on Friday, Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19. This year’s event marks the 10th anniversary of the festival at TCC West Campus, 7505 W 41st Street South. The event is presented each year in association with the TCC Native American Studies Program.

To mark this milestone, Red Fork Native American Film Festival will present a film retrospective including “American Indian Graffiti” written and directed by Steven Paul Judd and Tvli Jacob; “The Dead Can’t Dance” written and directed by Rod Pocowatchit; “Unrest” written and directed by Mark Williams; and the 2012 Festival Audience Choice Award Winner, “Shouting Secrets,” directed by Korinna Sehringer.

“These films are the best of the best from the last 10 years and we have mixed in some exciting new films for our festival audience,” said Festival Director Steven Woods. “We really want to show our appreciation to those who have supported our festival as one of the longest – if not the longest – continuously running film festival in Oklahoma.”

The Festival Feature Premiere Film will be “Every Emotion Costs” directed by Darlene Naponse, who was the first film-maker to attend the festival. Naponse (Ojibway) as well as Mark Williams (Choctaw) and Tvli Jacob (Muscogee Creek) will be featured guests during the two-day film festival.

In addition to the films, there is an art market with works of art for sale by regional Native American artists. This year’s featured artist is acclaimed basket weaver Dana Sanders Talbert. Art demonstrations by Talbert and beading artist Michel Laudermilk will be presented Saturday afternoon. The art market will be open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 18 and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 19.

The annual festival presents a variety of independent films that showcase the work of Native American actors, directors and producers as well as films that focus on the experiences of indigenous peoples.

The festival is free and the public is invited to attend; donations are appreciated.

For more information, call (918) 595-8295, or see a complete schedule of events online at http://www.facebook.com/redforknaff.

TOP PHOTO: Darlene Naponse (Ojibway) is a writer and director from Atikameksheng Ashinawbek in northern Ontario. Her short films and feature films have screened in different film festivals across the world including the Sundance Film Festival in 2001/2002/2003. Her art based video work has been installed in various galleries and her films have been aired nationally and internationally. Her work is deeply connected to her community, First Nations realities of the 21st century and Mother Earth. She is the founder of Pine Needle Blankets Productions, an Anishnaabe multimedia company based on the Whitefish Lake First Nation.

BOTTOM PHOTO: Scene from “Every Emotion Costs,” a film that explores the reality of returning home on the reserve to face family, community and death. We follow Quilla and her sister June as they return to bury their mentally ill mother.

Red Fork Native American Film Festival

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 18th—

7:00 p.m. – “Stumbling Bear”

7:05 p.m. – “The Dead Can’t Dance”

8:45 p.m. – “Unrest”

“Wheelock Academy, Native American Paranormal Project”

Saturday, October 19th

1:00 p.m. — “Derby Kings”

“American Indian Graffiti”

3:15 p.m. — “Shouting Secrets”

5:00 p.m. — “Search for the World’s Best Indian Taco”

“Dancing Cop”

"The Sixth World”

7:45 p.m. — “Every Emotion Costs” (Feature Festival Premiere)