Video Extra: SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON

This is the companion piece to SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing this month on public television, which tells the story of an unexpected collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer that led to a unique work of art.

In this video extra, teenager Jesse Desrosier gives an intimate look into daily life on the Blackfeet reservation and attending the Nizipuhwahsin School. DesRosier captures the challenges he faces as a young American Indian living in two worlds: modern mid-America and that of his traditional heritage.

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON airs this November on public television (check local listings).

Learn more about SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON from filmmaker Hugo Perez >>

Tags: Blackfeet, Montana, Native American, Poetry, video extra

POWER PATHS Premiering Tonight on Independent Lens

“Ten percent of the United States’ energy comes from American Indian lands… Independent Lens explores the efforts of American Indian tribes—including the Sioux of the Great Plains and the Navajo and the Hopi of the Southwest—to protect their natural resources and bring renewable-energy projects to their communities”
- The New York Times

It’s time to cut our dependence on fossil fuel and pursue renewable energy. But how can it be done? Native American tribes turn to solar and wind sources to provide clean sustainable energy for cities across the West. Their traditional values toward conservation and the Earth offer real solutions to America’s energy crisis.

POWER PATHS premieres tonight, November 3, at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings).

Tags: energy, Hopi, Native American, Navajo, solar

Filmmaker Hugo Perez Recounts Unlikely Collaboration

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November on public television, tells the story of the unlikely collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer, which resulted in a provocative symphony about the Lewis and Clark expedition from the perspective of American Indians today. Filmmaker Hugo Perez recounts the adventurous story of how the collaboration occurred and how he and composer Rob Kapilow were accidentally mistaken as federal agents.

Stanley and Livingston. Holmes and Watson. Calvin and Hobbes. Who can forget the first time they encountered these dynamic duos? As the director of SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, I had the fortune to be present for the first fateful meeting of Rob Kapilow and Darrell Kipp––the subjects of my documentary.

I had begun my film journey following the story of maverick (have we rehabilitated that term yet?) composer Rob Kapilow on his quest to compose a symphony inspired by the Lewis and Clark expedition. Where else could this lead us but to the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission Convention in Great Falls, Montana where a certain Blackfeet writer and educator named Darrell Kipp was the keynote speaker? I have to admit that the groggy encounter between Darrell and Rob by the indoor pool at the Best Western––where we were all staying––lacked a certain electricity. However, it ended with an invitation from Darrell to come and visit him on the Blackfeet reservation. And we did come back to Montana and had a wonderful visit with Darrell at the Nizipuhwasin Blackfeet Language Immersion School.

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Tags: Blackfeet, Montana, Native American, Poetry

Native American Heritage Month: Upcoming ITVS Programs

POWER PATHS, airing November 3 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November 2009 on public television

As the nation observes Native American Heritage Month throughout November, PBS will air programs that examine and celebrate the many aspects of Native American life and history. Be sure to check out these two new compelling ITVS documentaries:

POWER PATHS, airing November 3 at 10:00 on Independent Lens (check local listings), looks at how Native American tribes are turning to solar and wind sources to provide clean sustainable energy for cities across the west. Their traditional values regarding conservation and the earth offer real solutions to America’s energy crisis. A co-production of NAPT.

SUMMER SUN WINTER MOON, airing in November 2009 on public television (check local listings), tells the story of an unexpected collaboration between a Blackfeet poet and an unconventional classical composer that led to a unique work of art from the perspective of American Indians today.

Encore presentations of ITVS programs this month also include:  TRUE WHISPERS: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers, MISS NAVAJO and MARCH POINT.

Get broadcast listings and more information about upcoming ITVS programs >>

Tags: environmental, Native American, Poetry, women

NAPT Public Television Program Funding Deadline

Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT) works with Native producers to develop, produce and distribute educational telecommunications programs for all media including public television and public radio.

NAPT is currently accepting proposals for their 2009 Public Television Program Fund (deadline: July 15).

Projects submitted must be intended for national public television broadcast and can include genres such as documentary, performance, cultural/public affairs and animation.

This application is for projects that are in any phase or production––from research and development to completion. Awards range from $10,000 to $25,000 for Research and Development, and up to $100,000 for production or completion.

Do you have a project that would be a great match?

Visit NAPT’s website to download an application, find out eligibility requirements and information on the selection process >>

Looking for tips on how to put together a winning proposal? NAPT Executive Director Shirley Sneve and Assistant Director Georgiana Lee discuss the process––from detailed budgets to Native American production involvement. Learn about what’s involved and the beginnings of producing for public television.

Listen to the audio interview >>

Tags: film resources, Native American

Watch WAILA! MAKING THE PEOPLE HAPPY This Month on Public Television

Waila, the contemporary dance music of southern Arizona’s tribal communities, is often called “chicken scratch.” Played at tribal functions, this fun, lively music offers relief from the hardships of reservation life. WAILA! MAKING THE PEOPLE HAPPY explores the history of the music and looks at the Joaquins, a family of musicians, and their journey from a remote tribal village to performing at Carnegie Hall.

Check out the clip below:

WAILA! MAKING THE PEOPLE HAPPY premieres this month on public television (check local listings)

This film received LINCS funding and will be distributed by the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA).

Tags: Native American, NETA, Waila

Watch MARCH POINT Tonight on Independent Lens

Tonight at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings), a special encore presentation of MARCH POINT: Meet Cody, Nick and Travis––three teenagers from the Swinomish Tribe. After hard times on the rez lead to rehab and drug court, they are offered an alternative: to make a documentary about the impact of two oil refineries on their community. A collaborative coming of age story, MARCH POINT follows the ambivalent and once-troubled teens as they come to understand themselves and the threat their people face.

Indian Country Today: “MARCH POINT questions for the first time the legality of the reservation boundary adjustment and documents the refineries’ environmental impacts.”

Check out a preview below:

MARCH POINT airs tonight at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS (check local listings)

Tags: environmental, Native American, online video