American Indian Film Festival Gets Rolling
SAN FRANCISCO - National American Indian Heritage Month is celebrated every year in November to honor and recognize the original people of this land. The first “American Indian Day” was declared by the State of New York in 1916, but a month long recognition of Native Americans was not achieved until 1990. In that year President George H. W. Bush signed a joint congressional resolution designating November 1990 as National American Indian Heritage Month. The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) encourages the broader community to recognize the significance of National American Indian Heritage Month and support organizations and events that foster historical and cultural values inherent to native peoples. Since 1975, the American Indian Film Festival has presented over 2000 films providing inspiration and educational value to the community-at-large and support for Native film projects. AIFI encourages filmmakers to bring to the broader media culture the Native voices, viewpoints and stories that have been historically excluded from mainstream media; to develop Indian and non-Indian audiences for this work; and to advocate tirelessly for authentic representations of Indians in the media. The 35th annual American Indian Film Festival, presented over nine days, will run Nov. 5-13 at the Landmark Embarcadero Center Cinema, One Embarcadero Center, Promenade Level; and conclude Nov. 11-13 at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3301 Lyon St. @ Bay Street. The American Indian Film Festival will premiere over 80 new feature films, shorts, public service, music videos and documentaries of USA American Indian and Canada First Nation communities. Some highlights include: Feature Documentary, A Good Day to Die, a bio pick of AIM Activist, Dennis Banks on Nov. 11; AIFI’s Tribal Touring Program, a Summer Indian youth film workshop program supported by Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, CA; Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, CA; Nisqually Indian Tribe, WA on Nov. 12 at Pier 39 Theatre; AIFI’s American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show which honors filmmakers, actors and showcases contemporary Native American talent, on Saturday, November 13, 6:00 pm at the Palace of Fine Arts. ### The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) is a non-profit media arts center founded in 1979 to foster understanding of the culture, traditions and issues of contemporary Native Americans.
