Creative Spirits Short Film Festival

Creative Spirits Short Film Festival

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly a decade after the release of "Smoke Signals," there has yet to be a Native American-made film to achieve comparable commercial success. James Lujan, the man behind the "Creative Spirit" initiative, the lack of a Native voice in the popular media is what drives him to elevate the status of American Indians in Hollywood.

The first step is getting the work out there.

On Saturday, November 10, four short films from the American Indian-themed Creative Spirit Script-to-Screen Competition will unspool at Paramount Studios' Sherry Lansing Theater, as the featured event of L.A. Skins Fest, a film festival endorsed by the City of L.A. as part of Native American Heritage Month. The 2007 LA SKINS FEST is a film and video celebration of Native American culture in Los Angeles. The LA SKINS FEST is coordinated by Ian Skorkan, (Choctaw) and November 9 -11; check the website for the weekend's program http://www.laskinsfest.com/.

The screening will include the 2007 Creative Spirit winners, "Two Spirits, One Journey," about the taboo subject of homosexuality on the reservation, written by Shawn Imitates Dog (Oglala Lakota) and "Ancestor Eyes," following the spiritual journey of a young woman and her mother coming to terms with a terminal illness, written by Kalani Queypo (Blackfeet/Hawaiian). According to Lujan, "Both films show the power and potential of Native American storytelling on the big screen."

Lujan, a USC School of Cinema-trained filmmaker and playwright from Taos Pueblo, launched Creative Spirit in 2006 after being hired by the nonprofit Southern California Indian Center (SCIC). "There's a need to provide more employment and training opportunities for American Indians in the film industry," says Lujan. "The talent is out there, but for whatever reason, Indians aren't being hired and their stories aren't being told."

In June 2006, with limited funding from SCIC's Lujan announced a nationwide call for short scripts from Native American writers. Two winners were selected, brought to Los Angeles, supplied with a cast and crew and, over the course of a week, their films were shot, edited and screened, with the premiere held at the House of Blues in November 2006.

Since then, "Pow Wow Dreams," a family drama written by Princess Lucaj (Gwich'in Athabascan), and "He Can't Be Caught," a horror-comedy written by Clementine Bordeaux (Sicangu/Oglala Lakota), have hit the film festival circuit and will also be featured.

"Creative Spirit really energized the Native film community in L.A.," says Lujan. "It showed that, in spite of limited time and a low budget, we had the talent and the motivation to produce two professional-caliber films. I can see a day where Native people are making movies that can be successful at the box office."

Saturday November 10th at 1 pm a series of short films about the American Indians in Southern California will take place at Los Angeles City College. Films that are screening include the Emmy Nominated "Survival in the Weave," about the ramifications of the USA/Mexico border on the Kumeyaay Nation. The screening program will reflect the histories of the Luiseno, Chumash and Cahuilla.

Sunday November 11th, is the festival's youth and student day program. We will have youth films from the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and instructor Tom Allard will be present to talk about his workshop. The program will also showcase college level student productions and Delanna Studi will be on hand to sign autographs. This is followed by our closing night reception at the Autry National Center. All events are free. RSVP on-line required at rsvp@laskinsfes.com; http://www.laskinsfest.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Southern California Indian Center

CONTACT: Paula Starr of Southern California Indian Center,
+1-714-962-6673, pstarr@indiancenter.org

Web site: http://www.laskinsfest.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment