National Geographic Society

Floyd Red Crow Westerman passed away Thursday morning after fulfilling an assiduous life as an activist, folk singer and actor. On several occasions, Westerman served as the presiding elder for All Roads events including the festival's first welcome event in 2004. Born on the Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota Sioux reservation in South Dakota in 1936, Westerman gained international acclaim as a folk-singer championing Human Rights for Indigenous People of the World, touring all over Europe, North, South and Central America. In the early 90's he again toured the globe with Sting to help raise funds for the Rain Forest Foundation Project in support of his commitment to help stop the cutting of the Rain Forest in the Amazon jungle. As an actor he made his big screen debut in the 1989 film Renegades where he played "Red Crow" the Lakota Sioux father of Lou Diamond Phillips. Since this debut, he gained a myriad of roles both on the silver screen and network television, where he was nominated for a Golden Globe for the HBO film Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. His spirit lives on through this work and those touched throughout his rich life.

National Geographic All Roads filmmakers collected three awards in international competition this weekend at the Santa Fe Film Festival.

Director Darlene Johnson's "Crocodile Dreaming" won for Best Short Film, Director Billy Luther's "Miss Navajo" won Best Indigenous Film, and Alanis Obomsawin, Canada's most prominent indigenous filmmaker, was one of three recipients of the Luminaria Award for lifetime achievement.

More than 20,000 attendees descended upon the Land of Enchantment for the festival, which offers a wide selection of independent films, documentaries, narratives, international films, gala presentations of films from major distributors, retrospective screenings and educational workshops as well as opportunities for working filmmakers to network and reach out to the public.

All Roads has had an increasing presence in Santa Fe since debuting at the festival in 2005. According to Deputy Director Stephen Rubin, “All Roads brings a cache of international flavor to the Santa Fe Film Festival.”

In addition to the dynamic filmmakers, films, photographers and photography presented on behalf of All Roads in Santa Fe, NG World Music, which is a major component of the festivals in Hollywood and Washington D.C., made its debut this year with a memorable showcase.

In a scene punctuated by hypnotic desert grooves, chaos in the aisles, restrained delirium, and the occasional intervention of management, the African desert rock group "Tinawaren" shook the Lensic Performing Arts Center to the brink of bedlam during its Friday night performance.

The 800-plus attendees were taken for an emotional ride, driven by the music into the aisles. Then they were forced back to their seats, as management stopped the concert on two occasions, threatening to shut the place down.

In addition to the screenings and showcases offered, All Roads presented two special screenings to more than 700 local students, followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers.

All Roads also worked with the New Mexico State Film Office to select three Governor's Cup Film winners in a partnership to honor and support new independent filmmakers.

It was a scene full of chaos, restrained delirium, and enforcement of authority, all driven by the hypnotic, traditional Toureg, desert blues of Tinarewin at the All Roads Film Festival performance at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe. Attendees were taken for an emotional ride where they were driven by the music to let loose in the aisles and then driven back to their seats as management almost had to shut the venue down on two occasions due to bedlam caused by the almost anarchical enthusiasm in the room.

More to come...