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.
