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Global Green Indigenous Film Festival

Posted on October 29, 2007 | 0 Comments

The first ever Global Green Indigenous Film Festival will launch in conjunction with the National Tribal Environmental Council's (NTEC) 15th Environmental Conference April 18-20, 2008 in Santa Fe, NM. According to NTEC Executive Director, Jerry Pardilla, an international film festival of this caliber will add a new dimension of awareness bringing innovative ideas together as a means for protecting the environment. The festival is currently acccepting submissions for films and videos (DVD, VHS, Beta SP) that address indigenous environmental concerns and issues from all countries.

Film entries should be mailed to:
2501 Rio Grande Boulevard, NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104, ATTN: Global Green Indigenous Film Festival.
Deadline for entries is January 18, 2008

All Roads in Iran...First look...

Posted on October 24, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

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Due to some unexpected connection issues we were unable to provide real-time updates to you from the field.  Alas, now that we have returned, a retrospective.  Everything you may have heard about the extent of Iranian hospitality is true.   As special invited guests of the first ever Cinema Verite Iranian International Documentary Film Festival, the whole notion of VIP has taken on new meaning.  From the moment we were able to clear customs, we were treated to an amazing experience of local culture, captivating films, and ever so gracious hosts.  It's a shame that Img_2131_2when visiting a new country, first impressions are usually made at the dreaded passport control.  Even upon re-entry back into the homeland, passport control and customs are never experiences one looks forward to.  Interestingly, many of the international flights entering Tehran come and go between the hours of 12am - 8am, only serving to magnify the anxiety of dealing with border control especially after a full day (and night) of travel. Customs issues aside, the true experience of the culture and specifically the film festival began the following morning as we were whisked away to the Felestin Cinema, serving as the festival's hub of operations.  Img_2103_2The support and turnout of the local populace to the festival was inspiring.  By the throngs of attendees we witnessed everyday, there is a strong craving in Iran for documentary films with national and international themes.  Speaking of international, many kudos are go out to the festival organizers for the cache of talent and industry professionals they were able to draw out to this inaugural event.  Both organizers and attendees took pride in the fact that this event truly was a global affair, where Iranian Cinema took the center stage.  It's fascinating to realize the scope of the history and richness of Iranian Cinema.  Our first official "field trip" was a visit to theImg_1939 Field Museum of Iran. I consider this a master stroke by the festival organizers because it set the context from which this tradition stands.  From the first crank of the gavmont model of the cinematograph in August 1900 to today's contemporary cinema, the Iranian Film industry is thriving both in the quality of work released as well as the local support for this art.

More to come...

Photos by Lenny Williams, Courtesy of National Geographic Society

As the 2007 festival season winds to a close, All Roads Seed grantees continue to find success on the circuit. Sterlin Harjo's "Four Sheets to the Wind" was honored as Best Dramatic Feature at the 8th Annual ImagineNative Film & Media Arts Festival. Other honorees include Billy Luther's "Miss Navajo" and Tearepa Kahi's "Taua" receiving Honourable Mentions in the categories of The Alanis Obomsawin Best Documentary Awards and Best Dramatic Feature respectively.

And the Winners Are...

Posted on October 15, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

Ar07_dc067_2The winners of the 2007 All Roads Film Festival are we, the audience who were able to witness these amazing works and the artists who were given this platform to share their stories.  That said, All Roads does give special recognition the the films voted on by the audience in the categories of "Best Short" and "Best Feature Film."  This year, there was actually a tie in the Short's category with Daf (Bahman Ghobadi) and Taua (Tearepa Kahi) sharing the honor.Ar07_dc036  Super Amigos (Arturo Perez Torres) received the top prize for Best Feature.  With the closing of the Washington D.C. run of All Roads, all of the filmmakers and photographers departed for their home destinations across the globe.  New relationships both professional and personal were realized here as this amazing diversity of talent were brought together for this landmark event.  In addition to the screening of these amazing works, the artists were also given intimate access to industry executives who lead such panels as, Marketing and Distribution on the International Market, Film Distribution and New Media,  Story Development and Distribution in the U.S. and Creative Funding Strategies. 

Images by Becky Hale, National Geographic Society

All Roads on the Move...

Posted on October 12, 2007 | 0 Comments

All Roads will be on the move this upcoming week with two big-time festivals on the dockett.
First up is Cinema Verite Iran International Documentary Film Festival in Tehran, October 15-19. Against the backdrop of the this beautiful and ancient city, the festival screens over 200 documentary films. Beside the international and national competitions, the festival consists of several non-competitive sections: South/North, East & Identity, Syrian doc films, Film on Iraq and Afghanistan, Africa: Pain and beauty, Rumi: Persian Poet of the world, Mirror of Hotdocs/IDFA and special screenings.

And in Toronto...ImagineNative,
an international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples on the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media.

All Roads Festival Fever!

Posted on October 12, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

All Roads Fever has struck, and this is what it looks like! (Click on the image)

Hope Santa Fe is ready...
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Photo by Becky Hale, National Geographic Society

All Roads from Larryland...

Posted on October 11, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

Check out the latest blog from Larry McNeil, All Roads Photography Program Boardmember.

All Roads DC...A Few Visuals...

Posted on October 10, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

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All Roads LA Perspective...

Posted on October 4, 2007 in Film | 0 Comments

Ar07_concert_mg_8934For a town that has seen it all as the entertainment capital of the world, Hollywood is still feeling the aftershocks of the 2007 All Roads Film Festival. Now in its 4th year, the festival has set a new standard for delivery of the trilateral palette of the arts in Hollywood. Through amazing films, captivating photography and live, ribald Mediterranean dancehall music, there was fervor and intrigue over the works of the All Roads global indigenous artists. Several of the festival attendees commented that they had never witnessed such an event in their experiences on the Los Angeles scene. Ar07_concert_mg_9247_2

As a result of outreach to a local high school, young students also had the opportunity to share in the appreciation of these powerful and unique stories. The film "Super Amigos" was especially engaging for youth, and they were surprisingly in tune with the social touch points raised in the film. The film was also a hit for Friday night's festival attendees. Indeed "super" can be appropriately applied to the reception the film received on this night. Amid two standing ovations and chants of social pride from the well-attended audience, Super Barrio made a triumphant appearance for an engaging question and answer session that delved into some of the hot button issues afflicting this continent's megalopolises.

The festival has had an equally strong impact on the artists as well; many are visiting the U.S. for the first time. During the question and answer session that followed the screening of "Dol," the film's producer Mehmet Aktas noted that All Roads is the only festival in the U.S. that has been willing and daring enough to screen his films, thus both were U.S. premieres. According to All Roads Photography Program awardee A Yin (China, Inner Mongolia), his peers were apathetic towards his honor because of the perception among them that National Geographic is too business-oriented. After five days with the festival, he said he cannot wait to tell his colleagues how wrong they were. He said he is moved by the opportunity granted by NGS to meet these other artists from around the world while providing a platform for each to express their stories. Ar07_concert_mg_8748Ar07_0317

About the All Roads Film Project

About the All Roads Film Project Blog

The All Roads Film Project is a National Geographic program dedicated to providing a platform for indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture storytellers around the world to showcase their works to promote knowledge, dialogue, and understanding with a broader, global audience.

 

About the All Roads Film Project Blog

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