| MEET THE CANDIDATES FOR THE VERY FIRST FNFVF BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMING SOON! |
The purpose of the First Nations Film and Video
Festival is to provide a venue for Native American film
and video makers of all skill levels.
The First Nations Film and Video Festival (FNFVF)
advocates for and celebrates the works of Native
American film and video that break racial stereotypes and
promotes awareness of contemporary Native American
issues and society.
-o-
Though depicted in film almost from the creation of the
craft, Native Americans have had little control in how
others present them. From the savage warriors of early
westerns to the stoic environmentalists of today, Native
film and video makers for so long have gone without
recognition and without a means to voice their perspective
on our shared society.
There needs to be a venue for all Native American film
makers to be able to tell and show their side of the story,
their history and their perspective on today’s societies and
issues. Native Americans need to be in control of how
others see them and thereby gain that power back that
was taken from them in the eras of colonization and
assimilation. For so long the voice of a evolving
contemporary society has gone without representation in
today’s media-driven landscape. The control of these
images have been out of the hands of the Native
American film makers themselves.
That is, until now.
History
The FNFVF was established in 1990 by Beverly Moeser
(Menominee), the Festival Artistic Director, as a one-day
festival which screened thirty videos at Facets
Multimedia. Beverly was a film student with a passion for
exploring Native issues through the medium of film and
videos. With Beverly’s dedication to film the festival
expanded to a three-day event. The FNFVF was housed
at Facets Multimedia until finally going on hiatus in 1994.
Then in 1999, it returned with major venues such as the
Chicago Cultural Center, the Field Museum and Truman
College. After which it went on hiatus once more.
Dave Spencer, (Choctaw/Navajo) a member of the
Chicago Native community dedicated to Native American
first-voice representation in the arts, with the help of the
Red Path Theater Company resurrected the FNFVF in
2002 as a presentation of the American Indian Center.
Dave Spencer first came aboard the FNFVF Committee
in 1992 and took on Coordinator duties in 2002.
In 2004, it expand into a week-long festival with as many
as ten different venues and screened over 45 films and
videos. It has since featured over one-hundred and fifty
new works from Native artists from all the Americas and
has had programs at over thirteen venues across Chicago
and its surrounding suburbs.
In 2005, Ernest M. Whiteman III (Northern Arapaho)
took over as FNFVF Coordinator. Ernest is an
independant movie/video maker and knows first-hand the
difficulties of gaining a venue to express his voice as well
as the obstacles facing Native American film makers in
gaining self-representation when there are so many other
places which speak about and for Native Americans.
Ernest is dedicated to turning that trend around and
securing greater Native American first-voice control in
media.
While leadership has changed, dedication to the purpose
of the FNFVF remains intact. FNFVF is the only film
festival whom deals exclusively with Native American
film and video makers and to provide them a venue,
indeed, sometimes the ONLY venue, for expression.
Festival is to provide a venue for Native American film
and video makers of all skill levels.
The First Nations Film and Video Festival (FNFVF)
advocates for and celebrates the works of Native
American film and video that break racial stereotypes and
promotes awareness of contemporary Native American
issues and society.
-o-
Though depicted in film almost from the creation of the
craft, Native Americans have had little control in how
others present them. From the savage warriors of early
westerns to the stoic environmentalists of today, Native
film and video makers for so long have gone without
recognition and without a means to voice their perspective
on our shared society.
There needs to be a venue for all Native American film
makers to be able to tell and show their side of the story,
their history and their perspective on today’s societies and
issues. Native Americans need to be in control of how
others see them and thereby gain that power back that
was taken from them in the eras of colonization and
assimilation. For so long the voice of a evolving
contemporary society has gone without representation in
today’s media-driven landscape. The control of these
images have been out of the hands of the Native
American film makers themselves.
That is, until now.
History
The FNFVF was established in 1990 by Beverly Moeser
(Menominee), the Festival Artistic Director, as a one-day
festival which screened thirty videos at Facets
Multimedia. Beverly was a film student with a passion for
exploring Native issues through the medium of film and
videos. With Beverly’s dedication to film the festival
expanded to a three-day event. The FNFVF was housed
at Facets Multimedia until finally going on hiatus in 1994.
Then in 1999, it returned with major venues such as the
Chicago Cultural Center, the Field Museum and Truman
College. After which it went on hiatus once more.
Dave Spencer, (Choctaw/Navajo) a member of the
Chicago Native community dedicated to Native American
first-voice representation in the arts, with the help of the
Red Path Theater Company resurrected the FNFVF in
2002 as a presentation of the American Indian Center.
Dave Spencer first came aboard the FNFVF Committee
in 1992 and took on Coordinator duties in 2002.
In 2004, it expand into a week-long festival with as many
as ten different venues and screened over 45 films and
videos. It has since featured over one-hundred and fifty
new works from Native artists from all the Americas and
has had programs at over thirteen venues across Chicago
and its surrounding suburbs.
In 2005, Ernest M. Whiteman III (Northern Arapaho)
took over as FNFVF Coordinator. Ernest is an
independant movie/video maker and knows first-hand the
difficulties of gaining a venue to express his voice as well
as the obstacles facing Native American film makers in
gaining self-representation when there are so many other
places which speak about and for Native Americans.
Ernest is dedicated to turning that trend around and
securing greater Native American first-voice control in
media.
While leadership has changed, dedication to the purpose
of the FNFVF remains intact. FNFVF is the only film
festival whom deals exclusively with Native American
film and video makers and to provide them a venue,
indeed, sometimes the ONLY venue, for expression.
FNFVF Staff:
Ernest M. Whiteman III
FNFVF Coordinator
Dave Spencer
FNFVF Arts Advisor
Isabel Tovar
Denver Region FNFVF
Representative
Ernest M. Whiteman III
FNFVF Coordinator
Dave Spencer
FNFVF Arts Advisor
Isabel Tovar
Denver Region FNFVF
Representative
