National Geographic Society

Canadian actress Tamara Podemski was honored with the Special Dramatic Jury Prize for Acting for her performance in "Four Sheets to the Wind."  The film, written and directed by All Roads Seed Grantee Sterlin Harjo, recently screened at a special All Roads event at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.  According to this review by the Hollywood Reporter, the film was was a "captivating crowd pleaser" at the festival, "in the best tradition of coming-of-age-films,  Four Sheets weaves a personal story that transcends any specific heritage or geographic setting."  For Podemski, her performance was honored for her fully realized physical and emotional turn as an American Indian whose carefree lifestyle leads her to the brink of tragedy.

(Photo courtesy of Carolyn Kester/Associated Press)

The All Roads Film Project is making an impact at the Sundance film festival.  On Sunday, January 21, All Roads partnered with LMU's School of Film and Television to celebrate a few of the project's "Distinguished Alumni."  Held at The Spur Bar & Grill, the event featured the screening of Sterlin Harjo's "Four Sheets to the Wind."  The film, which was produced in part by a grant from the All Roads Film Project tells the story of how a young Native American's previously uneventful life is turned upside down after his father's untimely death, when he flees the reservation for life in the big city with his sister.  Other distinguished alumni included producer Ted Kroeber (Four Sheets to the Wind), producer Effie Brown (Rocket Science) and director/writer Lincoln Ruchti (Chasing Ghosts).