Twelfth Annual Student Filmmaker Showcase

The IAIA Community, new faces from the public, and talent from the film industry attended a sold-out viewing on Wednesday, May 8, during the Institute of American Indian Arts’ (IAIA) Cinematic Arts & Technology’s Twelfth Annual Student Filmmaker Showcase at the Violet Crown Cinema.

The showcase featured a selection of the best films produced during the 2023–2024 academic year, including senior projects. “It is astonishing to witness the creative and technical growth of our Cinematic Arts & Technology students—day by day and year after year. The quality of their work reflects not only their personal dedication and craft but also the exceptional guidance of our professors. I eagerly anticipate their future productions, which will surely be remarkable successes,” said Jason Ordaz, IAIA’s Communication Director, who attended the screening.

The screening was followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and a presentation of the Audience Award. The following films were screened at the showcase, and the listing also includes the category winners.

Official Selections

• Broken Mirrors, Directed by Desmond Hayes
• Camera Roll, Directed by Juliana Brown Eyes (Oglala Lakota)
• Carin, Directed by Ethan Nopah (Navajo Nation)—Best Sound, Best Editing, and Best Film
• Gerry Carthy: The Castlebar Cowboy, Directed by Michael Carthy
• Hook, Directed by Jordan M. Martin (Blackfeet Tribe)
• My Friend Andrew, Directed by Kendrick Whiteman (Northern Arapaho)
• Poetic Beauty, Directed by Ashley Reese—Best Actress
• Stories From the Tohono O’odham Nation Tribe, Directed by Chris Rios (Tohono O’odham Nation)—Best Documentary
• The Last Western, Directed by Echota Killsnight (Northern Cheyenne and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians)—Best Cinematography and Best Director
• This Means Forever, Directed by Brandon Martinez (Jicarilla Apache)—Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Audience Award
• Unearthing the Past, Directed by Rhyka Nelson (Iñupiaq)
• With Heart, Directed by Avery Hale (Mandan, Hidatsa, San Carlos Apache, and San Felipe Pueblo)

For more information about the Cinematic Arts & Technology program, please contact Cinematic Arts & Technology Department Chair Kahlil Hudson at kahlil.hudson@iaia.edu.