Brandon Martinez (Jicarilla Apache) ’24

Brandon Martinez (Jicarilla Apache) ’24 began his creative journey in film in late 2019. He has recently graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematic Arts and Technology with his key interests centering in directing, cinematography, and editing. Martinez’s work has been featured in several IAIA Student Showcases, as well as selections in other festivals such as Los Angeles Skins Fest and the Tucumcari Film Festival. Recent works include Foresight (2022), Stay on the Path (2023), and This Means Forever (2024). 

While at IAIA, Martinez worked as an intern with the Stagecoach Foundation and as an intern with AMC’s Dark Winds series.  

“Every day we had a different task to do,” Martinez says. “We got a chance to see how things are run—watch the variety of meetings that happen, seeing what the conversations are like. I got a chance to see how the show was managed and took some of that and applied it to my own projects. I got a chance to work with director, Chris Eyre (Cheyenne and Arapaho). He came into the episodes with a clear vision in mind. To be able to tell people what you want is a big thing. It was cool to see how confident he was. I think in the long run it will help me be more confident in my own voice.” 

Martinez says working with the Stagecoach Foundation helped him to see what New Mexico has to offer young filmmakers. “It’s going to be the next Hollywood,” he says. “It’s a blossoming place for everyone, not just Indigenous filmmakers.” 

“I had the privilege of having Brandon Martinez as an Intern at Stagecoach Foundation for two semesters during his senior year,” says Elizabeth Kianu Stahmer (Wyandotte, Cherokee, Blackfeet, and Scots-Irish) ’18, DAOM, Executive Director, Stagecoach Foundation. “He impressed me with his integrity and commitment to his craft and telling a deeply personal story with authenticity and heart in his senior project This Means Forever. I’m so proud of Brandon and to be part of his journey. I can’t wait to see his future endeavors and the impacts he makes in the world.” 

Martinez’s focus now is “helping my former classmates on their upcoming projects. As far as personal projects go, I am currently developing a short film and a feature length film with the hopes of entering production sometime next year.” 

“The short film is about a young man struggling with the loss of his partner, trying to stay awake to avoid having to deal with his grief. The feature film is about an interesting individual named Infinity. He is a clever young man who uses time travel to aid in his endeavors. The film follows a mystery case that he is working to solve, that ends up digging up issues of his past he thought was buried deep within himself.” 

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