First Nations Film and Video Festival November 8, 2008

The First Nations Film and Video Festival will screen its Path Less Traveled Native Film Series on Saturday, November 8, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, 3001 Central St., Evanston.

The centerpiece of the festival will be "Four Sheets to the Wind" (2006, 91 min.), the feature film debut for director Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Creek). The award-winning drama had its world premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The film, shot in Oklahoma, tells the story of a young man spurred by the sudden death of his father to discover the larger world around him.

Also showing is the ensemble drama "American Indian Graffiti: This Thing Life" (2003, 120 min.), written and directed by Tvli Jacob (Choctaw) and Steven Judd (Choctaw/Kiowa). It tells the story of four Native American young adults whose lives intertwine over a single summer as each struggles to overcome feelings of guilt, loss, rejection, loneliness, and alienation. Their separate stories come together at the end of the narrative.

Among the short films to be screened is "The Boundary of Moab," written and produced by Dawn Pettigrew (Creek/Cherokee).

According to the organizations Web site, the First Nations Film and Video Festival advocates for and celebrates the works of Native American film and video that break racial stereotypes and promotes awareness of contemporary Native American issues and society. Though depicted in film almost from the creation of the craft, Native Americans have had little control in how others present them. From the savage warriors of early westerns to the stoic environmentalists of today, Native film and video makers for so long have gone without recognition and without a means to voice their perspective on our shared society.

Admission to the screenings is included with an entrance donation to the Mitchell Museum. Suggested donation is $5 for adults; $2.50 for seniors, students, and children. Maximum suggested admission per family is $10. For information, phone (847) 475-1030. On the Net: http://www.mitchellmuseum.org.

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of natsilv.