Student projects to be screened at Durango Arts Center
The KSUT Tribal Media Center announces 2024 Native Lens Media Fellowship alongside Rocky Mountain Public Media (RMPM), Vision Maker Media, and the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media. Out of over 70 applicants the nine fellows are:
Sommer Lopez: An Onk Akimel O’odham representing the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. Movies, art, and storytelling are their passions, and a mission to help their community preserve their stories for generations to come
Tyler Socé: A citizen of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Tyler resides in Whiteriver, Ariz. Their interest in filmmaking since adolescence has led to this opportunity to collaborate with other Indigenous creatives in the process of filmmaking.
Sierra Buffalohead: Sierra Marie Buffalohead, and whose Ponca name is Hah Wah Teh (White Deerskin Woman), is a first-year college student attending the University of NE at Omaha, Neb. studying Studio Arts with a K-12 certification and a minor in Native American Studies. Besides their studies they are a multimedia artist; painter, sculptor, creative writer, slam poet, photographer, videographer, graphic designer, and regalia sewer.
Ellyse Fredericks: Ellyse Fredericks is from the Hopi Reservation in Arizona studying at Fort Lewis College, majoring in Journalism and Media Studies with a minor in Writing. She will be graduating in the fall of 2024 from Fort Lewis College.
Tonya Tolino: Tonya Tolino is from the Navajo Nation and a recent graduate from Dartmouth College whose interests include photography and painting. They hope their time in the fellowship can show the beauty and diversity that exist in Indigenous communities around the world.
Evan Smith: Evan Smith, who is originally from Missoula, Mont. and he has loved film since his childhood. Some of his favorite films are Paris, Texas, Ali: Fear Eats the Soul, Godzilla (1954), and American Splendor. He received his degree in digital filmmaking from IAIA in Santa Fe, N.M.
Nika Arce: Nika Arce grew up in Phoenix, Ariz. and is from the Hopi village of Shungopavi. They love the deeply chaotic nature of art, cinema, and writing. Movies are their favorite medium because of theirc ombination of different art forms to tell a story.
Eva Bear: Eva is Mandan, Hidatsa, Oglala Lakota and enrolled in the 3 Affiliated Tribes in North Dakota and lives in Durango, Colo. Her interest in the Native Lens Fellowship was piqued at the opportunity to learn camerawork, photography, and videography.
Jules Joe: Jules is an Anthropology student finishing their bachelor’s at Fort Lewis College. Their personal mission in life is to bring high quality education to the public that discuss accessibility and equity.
The Fellowship will take place from Feb. 25 through March 2, where the Fellows will create two Native non-fiction short films with the guidance of professional film and television workers.
The projects will be screened on Saturday, March 2 at 5 p.m. at the Durango Arts Center for a special showcase of Native film at the Durango Independent Film Festival. This free screening includes the premieres of the 2024 Native Lens Media Fellowship films, as well as the COFTM Film Exposure Program’s short documentary A Place to Explore.
Before the screening there will be a reception for the Native Lens Fellows at Sorrel Sky Gallery 858 Main Avenue in Durango will precede the screening at 3 p.m. Both the screening and reception are free and open to the public.