The Native Cinema Showcase is a welcome addition to the popular Santa Fe Indian Market, taking place in the capital city this coming week. The 11 th annual Showcase will run Monday, Aug. 15, through Sunday, Aug. 21. A yearly collaborative partnership between the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the Native Cinema Showcase spotlights the vitality and diversity of Native filmmaking around the globe. Monday kicks things off at 7 p.m. with a screening of the Classification X winners. This represents a brand-new category of art for Indian Market. According to the program, awards for Narrative Short, Documentary Short, Animation Short and Experimental Short “recognize an artist’s dedication and skill in working with traditional materials and techniques as well as experimentation with new media and innovative art forms.” This puts the medium of film on par with pottery, jewelry-making and other more traditional Native arts. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the winners.Throughout the week of Indian Market, there will be a wide selection of film and video works from Indian Country. Wednesday morning at 11 a.m., for example, is KidsFLIX!, a collection of short films aimed at children. That afternoon at 1 p.m. is International Indigenous Art on Film, a sampling of short films spotlighting the creation of Aboriginal art forms. On Thursday, Aug. 18, the showcase will present its “opening night” film, On the Ice —an Alaskan-shot drama about a mysterious death among a trio of Iñupiaq seal hunters. Writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean and producer Cara Marcous will be on hand to introduce the film. All screenings and programs will take place at the New Mexico History Museum (113 Lincoln) and are free to the public. Special guests and moderators are present at nearly every screening, allowing fantastic insight into the creators behind these works. For a complete list of shorts, features and documentaries on display this year, log on to Native Networks.
Reel World: Kids Today! Kids Today!
Warehouse 21 (1614 Paseo de Peralta) will host the Santa Fe premiere of the award-winning documentary Play Again , on Wednesday, Aug. 17, beginning at 7 p.m. The film looks at today’s “virtual” teenagers, who spend between five and 15 hours a day behind computer screens. The filmmakers took a group of average European teenagers, unplugged them and sent them out on their first wilderness adventure—sans computers, cell phones or electricity. The film is presented by Bioneers, a network of innovators looking for “practical solutions to our most pressing environmental and social issues.” There will be a Q&A following the screening with the film’s Norwegian director Tonje Hessen Schei. Tickets are $8, or $6 for students and seniors.
