Phoenix Film Festival's community spotlight features nine Native American-directed shorts highlighting Indigenous filmmakers and stories. This year's selection included multiple genres from horror and documentary to coming-of-age and comedy. Here's a look at five standout shorts from the screening.
"The Queen's Flowers"
This animated short depicts a native Hawaiian schoolgirl Emma in 1915 and the gift she makes for Hawaii's last reigning monarch, Queen Lili'uokalani. The short was a whimsical children's animation blending fantasy and reality.
Autumn Rose Williams, a member of the Shinnecock Nation who worked as a cultural consultant on another screened short film, "POW!", said she loved celebrating and learning from the Native shorts and that "The Queen's Flowers" taught her more about Hawaii's Native history.
"To see the diversity in tribal producers, directors, writers who submitted, allows you to open your world up to view and learn about those stories from those perspectives, whether you are Indigenous or not," Williams said.
"HAAGUA"
This Indigenous surf film represents 13 tribal nations and their connections to the ocean. The film highlights surfing as a cultural practice, showcasing it as more than just a sport, instead with a focus on ancestry and conservation. The short was made in partnership with Native Like Water, a non-profit dedicated to education and cultural conservation.
"POW!"
Another animated short, "Pow!" follows a boy's journey to find a charger for his video game console at a powwow. The short is a vibrant look at a universal feeling many kids experience when growing up and participating in their own cultural practices.
Director Joey Clift, a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, spoke on the short at the festival. He went into detail about the animation, why the short includes several different styles and what they represent.
"The 16-bit Super Nintendo video game style was because... he sees the world kind of as a video game," Clift said. "When we get into the powwow, and it's more vibrant, like watercolor design, that's sort of how the parents view the powwow, with more vibrancy and life to it. And then grandma's flashback near the end, that was patterned after ledger art, which is this Plain's Native art style."
"Cleaning's a Cakewalk"
A humorous coming-of-age story, "Cleaning's a Cakewalk" is a Navajo language short following a boy and his adventure cleaning his community chapter house. The film follows Albert, the main character, as he learns the value of community and how you have to give back to the people who give to you.
"An Ode for Leviticus"
This heartwarming and sorrowful short follows an older man at the doctor's office as audiences discover the truth behind his sickness and his relationship with his companion Toby. The short features beautiful shots with excellent use of lighting and a cast of well-known Indigenous actors like Gary Farmer and Tantoo Cardinal.
Wendy Weston, an ASU alumnus and member of the Navajo Nation, said this short was a favorite because it was so raw.
"That's a real human story. And that really lets everyone know that even though we're American Indians and we are 'other' in a lot of people's lives, we're still human beings," Weston said. "We still have those same emotions."
Phoenix Film Festival continues through April 6. Click here to view their schedule and explore more films.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Braccio, Tiya Talwar and Natalia Jarrett.
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Jazlyn is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication. This is her second semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Blaze Radio.
