NAPT Announces 2012 Open Call for Media Makers

The Native American Public Telecommunications announced March 16th deadline for proposals.

The NAPT Public Media Content Fund will support video projects with significant Native involvement – particularly compelling projects that profile Native American leaders for the series Native Word: Stories Past & Present.

“The purpose of the Content Fund is to increase the diversity of voices in public media,” said NAPT Executive Director Shirley K. Sneve (Rosebud Sioux). “There are very few avenues open to documentary filmmakers, and NAPT believes that our organization has a great responsibility to support the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media. NAPT also believes that support from NAPT can help open other doors for various forms of other funding.”

Projects in any phase of production are eligible to apply for funding with NAPT. Awards for research and development range from $5,000 to $20,000, awards for production or completion can be up to $100,000 and New Media awards range from $5,000 to $20,000.

Learn more about the 2012 Public Media Content Fund here.

Tags: film funding, NAPT, Native American, Production

NAPT Announces 2012 Open Call for Media Makers

Native American Public Telecommunications, Inc. (NAPT) announced a March 16 deadline for proposals from media makers. With funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the NAPT Public Media Content Fund will award support to video projects with significant Native involvement — particularly projects that profile Native American leaders, activists, and artists — and help bring the projects to national broadcast on public television. Submitted proposals must be postmarked by March 16, 2012.

“The purpose of the Content Fund is to increase the diversity of voices in public media,” said NAPT Executive Director Shirley K. Sneve (Rosebud Sioux). “There are very few avenues open to documentary filmmakers, and NAPT believes that our organization has a great responsibility to support the creation, promotion and distribution of Native media. NAPT also believes that support from NAPT can help open other doors for various forms of other funding.”

Projects in any phase of production are eligible to apply for funding with NAPT. Awards for research and development range from $5,000 to $20,000, awards for production or completion can be up to $100,000, and New Media awards range from $5,000 to $20,000. NAPT does not fully fund programs, and awardees are required to seek additional funding from other sources. Projects funded through NAPT will be considered for additional distribution opportunities, such as educational and home DVD distribution through VisionMaker; theatrical; non-theatrical; television (free, pay syndicated, and video-on-demand); multimedia; and Internet broadcasting (including podcasting and streaming).
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Tags: film funding, NAPT, Native American, Production

Reel Injun Revisited on Independent Lens

Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian by Neil Diamond — which premiered on Independent Lens last season — is an exciting, insightful and entertaining documentary about the evolution of the image of North American Native people (“The Indians”) in famous Hollywood movies, from the silent era to today. The film earned a George Foster Peabody Award last year and will air this week as an encore performance.

Tags: Hollywood, Independent Lens, Native American, Peabody, reel injun

ITVS in the News

A sampling of coverage from The Huffington Post, Hyphen, Indian Country Today and more…

The Huffington Post: Two Spirits: Overlapping Identities for First Nations People
The story of Fred Martinez’s life and death is a compelling story for so many reasons. Particularly the fact that the movie was the first time I have seen the story of Two Spirit people highlighted, front and center. I am grateful to the filmmakers and participants who brought Fred’s story forward.
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Tags: huffington post, Hyphen, Indian Country Today, Native American, Pride, Two Spirits

Call for Entries from imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

The submission deadline for the 12^th annual imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival is June 1, 2011.  This year’s festival runs from October 19-23, 2011 in Toronto.

imagineNATIVE is an international Festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples at the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio and new media.
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Tags: canada, film festival, imagine native, media arts, Native American

Native Kids React to Hollywood’s Portrayal of Indians

We hope you enjoyed Neil Diamond’s documentary Reel Injun: On the Trail with the Hollywood Indian last night on Independent Lens.

With the film still fresh in your head, check out how a classroom of Native children react to a Hollywood version of an Indian massacre in the film Little Big Man (starring Dustin Hoffman).

Let us know what you think on our Facebook page.
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Tags: america ferrera, Independent Lens, longoria affair, Native American, neil diamond, reel injun, sacheen littlefeather

Tuesday on Independent Lens: Reel Injun

Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian premieres tonight at 10 PM on Independent Lens (check local listings). The documentary by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond is an entertaining trip through the evolution of North American Native people (“The Indians”) as portrayed in famous Hollywood movies, from the silent era to today.

Traveling through the heartland of America, and into the Canadian North, Diamond looks at how the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding — and misunderstanding — of Natives.

Check out the trailer below and enjoy this interview with filmmaker Neil Diamond on the new Independent Lens Blog.

Join the conversation on the Independent Lens Facebook page.

Tags: america ferrera, Independent Lens, Native American, neil diamond, reel injun, sacheen littlefeather

America Ferrera Kicks Off Native American Heritage Month

America Ferrera hosts the ninth season of Independent Lens

The film Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian airs this Tuesday, November 2 on Independent Lens. Director Neil Diamond’s documentary explores the depiction of Natives on the big screen and television throughout modern cinema — from the noble savage, to the grinning right-hand man to the white hero, to recent inroads made in films by and about Natives people themselves.

Watch this clip of Independent Lens host America Ferrera as she recognizes the film and Native American Heritage month.

Tags: america ferrera, Independent Lens, Native American, native american heritage month, neil diamond, reel injun, sacheen littlefeather

Reel Injun Stirs Debate in Portland

Pat Kruis, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Pat Kruis, from Oregon Public Broadcasting, reports on a recent Community Cinema screening of Reel Injun in Portland, OR. The event was hosted by OPB and the University of Oregon School of Journalism. Find upcoming Community Cinema events near you and join the conversation on our Facebook page.

Community Cinema reminds me of how much I miss watching films in the company of others. I’ve fallen prey to the isolation of Netflix, Red Box, and the DVR.

When I watched Reel Injun: On the Train of the Hollywood Indian alone, I had a mild-mannered reaction, thanking the filmmaker for his light touch when he could have been angry.

Watching it again in a room full of eighty people sprinkled with Native Americans, put me closer to the sting as the film slapped their heritage with insult after insult. › Continue reading

Tags: aboriginal, indie film, Native American, OPB, PBS, portland, reel injun, university of oregon

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