RED NATION
CELEBRATION
INSTITUTE

The Creative Enterprise by Natives delivering to all people the stories that shape our world is the longest-running Native Women-Led Indigenous Media Arts and Cultural non-profit enterprise in the history of the entertainment industry.

Natives in Charge of Their Narrative

Native Indigenous Student Academy For Cinematic Arts

Native Indigenous Student Academy For Cinematic Arts Film Festival

April 10 – 13, 2023

Native Indigenous Student Award Winners 2023

Silver

Game Night

Director Cadence Grace Barreda | Live Action

The Sound of Drums

Director Megan James | Live Action

Gold

Lost Travelers

Director Isaac Boss | Animation

Deprived

Director Megan James | Live Action

Bronze

Remembering the Children: The Red Deer Indian Industrial School

Director Penny Gullion | Documentary

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Courtesy of Bucky Harjo

The Native Indigenous Student Academy for Cinematic Arts is a program of Red Nation Celebration Institute amplifying emerging Native Indigenous student filmmakers. Each year, students from North American Indian, First Nation Peoples of Canada, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and International Indigenous Peoples from Mexico, South America, New Zealand, age range 10-25 years (College, University), enrolled (full-time or part-time) in a degree-granting program at an eligible school when the film was made or from a Native Reservation or Native based school compete for awards with films being judged in the following categories: Animation, Documentary, Live Action Narrative and Alternative/Experimental.

Other programs include RNCI Student Film Labs ‘Mentorship’ and Screenwriters’. 

The Native Indigenous Student Academy of Cinematic Arts is an international student academy of excellence in film competition, first established in 1995 with the name Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It.  Since 1995, Native and Indigenous students have always been included in the submission process for RNCI program ‘Red Nation International Film Festival’ however in 2021, RNCI Board of Directors recognized that the students needed their own stand alone film festival and awards ceremony.  

In 2022, RNCI reimagined the contributions that Native and Indigenous Students have brought to the table through their lens hence Native Indigenous Student Academy for Cinematic Arts was born. 

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Awards Ceremony
Student Film Academy
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Mentorship Lab
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