AMPAS MEMBERS & INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS JOIN 13th ANNUAL NATIVE WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION IN ALL MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL REPRESENTATION MATTERS
PRESENTED BY RED NATION CELEBRATION INSTITUTE AND RED NATION TELEVISION NETWORK WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND RNCI CREW WORLDWIDE
LOS ANGELES, California
March 18, 2022
NWIFTV (Native Women In Film & Television in All Media) announces Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members and Industry Professionals to this year’s Festival line-up. The 13th Annual NWIFTV Film Festival will be streamed on Red Nation Television Network during the week leading up to the Academy Awards, March 20 through the 24. The event is set to be hosted by Award winning director producer and NWIFTV Founder Joanelle Romero with traditional performance by Alex Rose Holiday of the Navajo Nation.
NWIFTV will kick off Oscar® week with 40 films directed by Native and Indigenous women and allies including five events, all virtual this year.
WOMEN DECOLONIZING THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ‘Conversation Series’ features
Native & Indigenous Women in Hollywood
- K.O. Mequininoag Reis Cohen – “Catch the Fair One”
- Nora Dale – “Yellowstone”, “Severance” Ben Stiller director, “The Oath” stars Billy Zane and Eugene Braverock
- Kimberly Guerrero – “The Glorias”, “Reservation Dogs”, “Catch the Fair One”
- Tina Lameman – “Monkey Beach”
Producers Group Women of Color
- Loretta Todd – Director “Monkey Beach”
- Katsitsionni Fox – director “Ohero:kon – Under the Husk”, “Without a Whisper”
- Emily Cohen Ibanez – “Fruits of Labor”
RNCI Crew and Allies
- Marcei Brown – Film producer, Co-Founder “Crewvie”
- Mike Fantasia – former president LMGI – Location manager “Killers of the Flower Moon”
- Cyndy McCrossen – Albuquerque Film Office
- Carma Harvey – “Dark Winds” / Prop Mistress/Master
Who Tells The Story Matters Representation
- Georgina Lighting – Director “Older Than America”
- Dr. Alma Martinez – “Bosch: Legacy” “Gentefied” “Queen Sugar”
- Michelle Shenandoah – founder of “Rematriation”
- Connie Perez-Andreesen – “UFW” Chief Administrative Officer
A Native High Tea Indigenous Knowledge
- Tipiziwin Tolman – Lakota Nation: Winter Count Keeper)
- Linda Black Elk – Korean Mongolian and Catawba: Food Sovereignty Educator
- Lori New Breast – Amskapipikuni Blackeet Nation: Storyteller
- Melaw Nakenhk’o – Dehcho and Denesuline Dene: Alejandro G. Iñárritu Leonardo DiCaprio “The Revenant” and Traditional Moose Hide Tanner
"Although there are no Native Women nominated nor considered in any field for this year Academy Awards, NWIFTV hopes to change that for next year,"
said Joanelle Romero, CEO President of Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) – the only native woman short-listed for an Academy Award and the first Native woman to be invited as a member of AMPAS
"Film has the power to bring us all together and it's crucial in today's entertainment industry to be inclusive in representing Native Indigenous talent, especially Native women. The disheartening statistics regarding Indigenous representation in Hollywood continues. In 1977, marked the first time a Native actress carried a leading role in a contemporary movie. The Girl Called Hatter Fox. It took Hollywood 42 years to produce another one, Netflix’s ‘Chambers’ in 2019. From 2003 to 2019, it had been 16 years that America had not seen a Native actress on episodic television on ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX; these networks completely wrote out the Native narrative in regards to Native women, not one single native actress worked in a co-star role, guest-star, or series regular. NWIFTV board created an Industry Guide Impact Report to help the entertainment industry become more responsible in their inclusion initiatives. For our youth to be able to see themselves on the silver screen is RNCI's mission. RNCI is in its 27th year of producing content in all media platforms, including Festivals and a Streaming Company predating Netlfix."
NWIFTV champions these success stories through initiatives including the #WhyWeWearRED campaign, and #OnlyOneWater campaign and Native Indigenous Student Academy for Cinematic Arts along with sister film festival Red Nation International Film Festival -the largest Native Indigenous film festival in the Country.
About NWIFTV in All Media
Founded in 1995 and started as a Native Women in Music Festival in Santa Fe NM. #NWIFTV went on to have its own program of screenings at the annual Red Nation International Film Festival (RNIFF), films directed by women screenedannually in November. In 2003, Native Women in Film & Television in All media became a stand alone Film Festival leading up to The Academy Awards, out of a direct need to keep our image at the forefront of the entertainment industry. NWIFTV is the only film festival dedicated to Native & Indigenous women filmmakers, hence Native Women in Film & Television in All Media Festival was born.
At the height of #MeToo actor/director/founder/humanitarian Joanelle Romero (AMPAS) founder of NWIFTV coined and founded #WhyWeWearRED with a media coalition to address a Global Call to Action initiative that aims to bring awareness to Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women & Girls and the lack of inclusion of Native Women in Film & Television. Every year in February, leading up to the Academy Awards the annual Native Women in FILM Festival takes place along with the Conversation Series. NWIFTV in All Media advocates for Native and Indigenous Women’s Rights in all media platforms, with a focus on equal opportunities for Native & Indigenous women in front of and behind the camera, encouraging the creative narrative, exploring and empowering authentic and honest portrayals of Native and Indigenous women, expanding empowerment initiatives and campaigns in the arts, media, social justice, civic engagement, economic empowerment, research, training, professional development programs, grants and international relation.
NWIFTV serves under its fiscal partner Red Nation Celebration Institute The Creative Enterprise by Natives delivering to all people the stories that shape our world. RNCI the pioneer longest standing Native Women-Led Indigenous Media, Arts & Cultural nonprofit in the City of Los Angeles, Empowering Native and Indigenous Storytellers.
About Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI)
Founded in 1995, RNCI is the longest standing Native woman-led, Indigenous media arts and cultural nonprofit enterprise in the City of Los Angeles, celebrating its 25th year (August 2020/2021) of service to Indian Country and the entertainment industry. RNCI mission replaces racist, erasive American Indian stereotypes with recognition, new vision, arts, culture and economic prosperity by placing American Indian & Indigenous Filmmakers at the forefront of the entertainment industry while amplifying cinematic excellence with an emphasis on initiatives for Native women, girls, and youth. #WhoTellsTheStoryMatters
#NativesInChargeOfTheirNarrative Creating systemic change through the arts and media. Storytelling is what we do. We have increased the visibility of American Indian & Indigenous filmmakers and communities through our ground-breaking programs, initiatives, events in creating content with the revitalized vision of our own narrative as contemporary people. We work in a variety of media platforms and educational institutions, in conjunction with partners from around the world.
RNCI’s leadership actively implements a vision for the future of cinema: one in which American Indian perspectives are authentically pictured, recognized, and valued in a way that promotes strong Native identities, economic outcomes, equity, and wellness for our communities. We deliver increased representation of Native peoples in popular culture, both in front and behind the camera with our Film Festivals, RNCI Crew, a Native Studies Center at USC and Red Nation Television Network the first online streaming company. #WhyWeWearRED
RNCI Board of Directors www.rednationff.com/board-of-directors
For more information on the Red Nation Celebration Institute, including upcoming programming visit https://www.rednationff.com
Red Nation Celebration Institute’s year round programs.
Red Nation Television Network
Red Nation Television Network (Red Nation TV) is the first of its kind. Red Nation Television Network is the pioneer steaming television channel of American Indian & Indigenous content. Established in 2006, as being the first and best American Indian & Indigenous Network, predating Netflix and three months before the major networks announced their launch of programming on the internet. In regards to online streaming; Before there was Netflix or Hulu, there was Red Nation Television Network (2006), Netflix and Hulu launched in 2007. Unlike Netflix and Hulu with their subscription based streaming channel, RedNationTV’s launch was based on building its audience and fan base from 2006 to 2015, as a free streaming channel. Red Nation TV began its subscription-based service July 2015 with its Red Nation TV “On-Demand-Specials.” Red Nation Television Network-Native is Here is 24/7 high definition (HD) multi platform digital media vehicle, being the largest native content provider.
In 2010, Red NationTV reached 10 million viewers; and is in 37 countries. Red NationTV is growing daily worldwide.
Red Nation TV, Inc. is an American provider of on-demand Internet streaming media available to viewers in all of North America and the world. Currently, viewers in North America and South America, except Cuba, and parts of Europe (Denmark, Finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Germany). The company was established in 2006, cementing the name as the first American Indian Television Network, headquartered in Los Angeles, California.
About the Sponsors
National Endowment for the Arts
The American Rescue Plan was signed into law in March 2021 when the National Endowment for the Arts provided $135 million for the arts sector. The funding for organizations is the third installment providing more than $57.7 million for arts organizations. In April 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts announced $52 million (40 percent) in American Rescue Plan funding would be allocated to 62 state, jurisdictional, and regional arts organizations for regranting through their respective programs. The second installment in November 2021 allocated $20.2 million to 66 local arts agencies for subgranting to local artists and art organizations.
For more information on the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan grants, including the full list of arts organizations funded in this announcement, visit www.arts.gov/COVID-19/the-american-rescue-plan.
RNCI Crew
RNCI NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS CREW WORLDWIDE.
Creating Systemic Change through Film & Television.
The program is led by Red Nation Celebration Institute with Global partners, it’s a pathway that focuses on entry-level, below-the-line opportunities for Native and Indigenous talent, providing economic development on tribal lands in fostering the next generation of talent within the entertainment industry along with RNCI Crew’ California Native Film Commission and New Mexico Film Commission.
For more information on RNCI Crew Worldwide, Visit https://www.rednationff.com/rnci-crew/
Note: This event is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or licensed by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences or the Oscars®.
CONTACT: For more information, please contact Linda Tenequer at Red Nation Media 818.665.5753 | media@rednation.com
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