Return to flip book view

2022 Festival Program 1

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT The North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival acknowledges that our festival is held on Indigenous peoples traditional homelands including the Anishinaabe the Mandan Hidatsa and Arikara and the Lakota Dakota and Nakota peoples These proud Indigenous Peoples are not only a part of our past They are an essential part of North Dakota today Our festival recognizes the ever present systemic racism that perpetrates inequities against these cultures in our state and we commit ourselves indefinitely to respecting and reconciling this long history of injustice 2 3

CONTENTS Welcome 6 How to Fest 7 How to Watch Online 8 Theatrical Schedule 9 Award Winners 10 The Films 18 Community Conversations Restoring N ke em ne Loren Kasey Waters 2021 4 5 42

WELCOME HOW TO FEST In 2020 following a trend of seeing high quality story driven films about the climate submitted to our Human Rights Film festival The Human Family endeavored to create a home to lift those narratives VENUES How to buy tickets The pandemic and first wave of closures hit weeks before our inaugural festival was scheduled at the Fargo Theatre So we delayed a year and our vision moved online in 2021 We re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring these films now to the theatrical space In Person Screenings The Fargo Theatre 314 Broadway N Fargo ND 58102 fargotheatre org Theatrical and online All Access passes go on sale Wednesday March 16 Individual theatrical tickets and la carte online tickets go on sale Wednesday March 23 Doors open 30 minutes before the event Passes and tickets are available online at Human Family org or at The Human Family box office at 417 Main St Suite 401 Fargo ND 58104 Tickets will be emailed and available via the Box Office will call the night of the event As available at the door sales will be available the day of each screening at The Fargo Theatre It is our pleasure to celebrate Earth Day 2022 with 21 films from filmmakers worldwide This year s festival identifies the most pressing issues of our time through an eclectic blend of documentary narrative animated and experimental styles Filmmakers document the loss of species worldwide and the unexpected discovery of that thought extinct We examine the impacts of colonialism on conservation and the courageous leaders fighting for the rights of rivers and land We look at the effects of climate change and its implications on the ongoing pandemic we re experiencing Finally we hear from innovative voices working to shift the sustainability models of their farms and ranches to lessen their impacts on the environment Welcome to the second annual North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival We ll see you at the Fargo Theatre Sean Coffman Festival Director North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival Executive Director The Human Family Online Screenings The Human Family www NDERFF org Online Film Portal Passes and tickets Online and Box Office payment Cash Check Visa MasterCard Discover and American Express are accepted Educator Access Free Teachers home school educators and professors can request a free All Access pass for use in classrooms All orders are final No refunds exchanges or replacements If a screening is canceled attendees will have an opportunity to attend a rescheduled screening or receive a refund All Access Pass 35 Provides access to all films and community conversations in person and online Theatrical Pass 25 Provides access to all in person events at The Fargo Theatre Online Pass 25 Provides access to all films online All screening venues are wheelchair accessible ASL interpretation is provided at select introductions and post screening Q A sessions To request specific accommodations email NDERFF human family org Individual Theatrical Tickets 10 Tickets to individual film screenings at the Fargo Theatre April 21 23 la carte online Feature Films 10 Watch any individual feature online la carte Online Short Films 5 Watch any individual short online A Viral Spiral Steve Cutts 2021 6 Accessibility 7

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE Getting Started To access NDERFF online visit our festival on the Eventive Platform The interface allows you to screen films to your television on your desktop or laptop computer system or via your tablet or mobile phone The online festival is available at THEATRICAL SCHEDULE You must first unlock content on a computer or mobile device before you can view it via either of the apps Video on Demand Thursday April 21 1 PM https watch eventive org nderff22 You can also find a link to the online festival on our main website at www nderff org Create Your Log in When you make your first purchase of a pass or individual ticket you will be asked to create an Eventive log in You will need this to sign in on your devices to watch Watch on YOUR Device Once you ve created your login and purchased a pass or ticket simply go to the film or program you would like to view and click Unlock You ll have immediate access to the film on any of your desktop laptop tablet or mobile devices Please Remember Due to licensing restrictions certain films may be limited to their screening radius or screening time Be sure to review the requirements of a particular film prior to purchasing a pass or ticket Once you hit play you have 7 days to watch that feature or shorts package You can pause stop and restart at any time during that time period You can only watch from one device at a time 1 PM 1 30 pm All of the films in the festival are available Video On Demand That means you can watch films as your schedule allows SATURDAY APRIL 23 FRIDAY APRIL 22 1 PM 1 30 pm 1 30 pm Forest of Hope K K ET Walking with Caribou 1 44 pm 1 50 pm 1 55 pm The Bat Man and Woman of India In Our Nature A Viral Spiral 1 51 pm The I s Have It 2 2 15 pm PM The Peace Pipeline 2 2 00 pm PM Taiao 2 2 19 pm PM The Last Vaquita 2 30 pm A Food Story The Regen 2 19 pm Living in a Postcard EXPEDICI N TRIBUG 2 06 pm Mar Cielo 2 25 pm Who Runs the Atrato River 4 PM 4 PM 5 PM 5 PM 5 PM 6 PM 6 PM 6 PM If you are experiencing technical difficulties click on Need Help from your browser Films in the NDERFF have not been rated for content Viewer discretion is advised OPENING NIGHT Watch on Your Television 7 7 00 pm PM Rural Revival OPENING NIGHT 7 7 00 pm PM Recognition of Local Warrior Women 7 30 pm Eventive allows you to screen the films in the festival via your television several ways If you re an AppleTV or Roku device user you can download the Eventive App from the app store to your device Once the application is installed you ll receive instructions on how to link your device with your online profile Alternatively you can also cast from your browser to your SmartTV Followed by Q A with Loren Waters 7 25 pm The Tree 7 29 pm We are Water Protectors Followed by Q A with Kalpna Singh Chitnis 8 7 40 pm PM Living in the Time of Dying OPENING CLOSING NIGHT 7 7 00 pm PM Restoring N ke em ne 8 7 33 pm PM Warrior Women Oyate 8 PM 8 40 pm 8 35 pm 9 Community Conversation PM Climate Impacts in North Dakota 8 Filmmaker Q A Dr Elizabeth Castle Madonna Thunder Hawk Marcella Gilbert 9 and Gina Peltier PM 9 9 00 pm PM Filmmaker Q A Brandon Jackson Emil Benjamin Jennifer Martell Phyllis Young Ruth Buffalo Stuart James

AWARD WINNERS 10 11

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Warrior Women Restoring N ke em ne Warrior Women is the story of mothers and daughters fighting for Native rights in the American Indian Movement of the 1970s The film unveils not only a female perspective of history but also examines the impact political struggles have on the children who bear witness Since the 19th century Native American children were sent to boarding schools designed to Kill the Indian Save the Man destroying Tribal languages cultural values practices and traditions through assimilation In Oklahoma generations of Native Americans were educated through the Concho Indian School from 1871 to 1984 The abandoned school buildings have remained for 40 years riddled with toxins that have leached into the community Restoring N ke em ne follows environmentalist Damon Dunbar who has a dream of restoring the land preserving tribal history and honoring the attendees of the Concho Indian School in order to speak truth to history Directed by Christina D King and Elizabeth A Castle Dr Elizabeth Castle is a scholar activist and media maker working in collaboration with Native Nations and underrepresented communities Warrior Women is based on the research done for her book Women were the Backbone Men were the Jawbone Native Women s Activism in the Red Power Movement Dr Castle was a professor in the Native Studies Department at the University of South Dakota and is the founder and Executive Director of The Warrior Women Oral History Project Castle is a committed anti racist ally and descended from the Pekowi band of the Shawnee in Ohio Christina King is an enrolled member of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma Her work spans broadcast news commercials documentary film and television with a focus on human rights issues civic engagement through storytelling and democratizing filmmaking opportunities for marginalized voices King is based in un ceded Lenape land in Brooklyn New York Learn more about the film on page 38 Directed by Loren Kasey Waters Loren Waters is a filmmaker photographer and artist focusing on the intersection of film Indigenous storytelling and the environment She s a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the Kiowa Tribe Waters is a filmmaker photographer and artist focusing on the intersection of film Indigenous storytelling and the environment She s a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the Kiowa Tribe Learn more about the film on page 30 12 13

BEST ANIMATED SHORT BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT A Viral Spiral The Tree World renowned artist Steve Cutts created an animated film for the Nicolaas G Pierson Foundation in which he not only visualizes the factors that cause pandemics but also points at the urgent measures that are needed to reduce the risk of future pandemics The Tree is an experimental short which draws attention toward environmental concerns such as deforestation and its effects on wildlife and our ecosystem Directed by Steve Cutts Steve Cutts is an illustrator and animator based in London England His artwork satirises the excesses of modern society His style is inspired by 1920s cartoons as well as modern comic books and graphic novels In 2012 Cutts created his most popular film MAN which has environmentalist and animal rights themes Created with Adobe Flash and After Effects Cutts describes the film as looking at man s relationship with the natural world As of March 2021 the video has over 49 million views on YouTube In January 2016 a Cutts couch gag for a season 27 episode of The Simpsons featured an homage to 1980s action TV shows such as Miami Vice As of March 2021 the video has over 24 million views on YouTube Cutts made Ridley Scott s curated list of just 12 for the New Directors Showcase at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in June 2018 Of the final reel Scott said The range of the work submitted this year has been remarkable We ve taken great care to ensure that the 2018 reel not only reflects great ideas but also considered craft and production Learn more about the film on page 21 Directed by Kalpna Singh Chitnis Kalpna Singh Chitnis is an Indian American filmmaker based in Greater Los Angeles She studied Film Directing at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in Hollywood from where she graduated in 2004 She is known for her awardwinning short film Girl With An Accent and debut feature Goodbye My Friend 2011 Her experimental short The Tree September 2021 addresses environmental concerns Learn more about the film on page 37 14 15

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY JURY AWARD K K ET WALKING WITH CARIBOU OYATE The Bathurst caribou herd have roamed Canada s arctic since time immemorial Tragically in just the last 30 years their population has dropped from half a million to less than ten thousand The T ch people have an intimate connection with the Bathurst The herd has been a source of food clothing and deep culture However a future without the Bathurst has become a very real possibility Cinematographer Vince Arvidson Directed by Chad Galloway Chad Galloway is an awardwinning director and editor based in Vancouver Canada For ten years he has been the key creative at Trail Films a client focused creative studio specializing in socially beneficial documentary His work has taken him into the Canadian arctic up the Mayan coffee mountains of Chiapas Mexico and deep into the backstreets of Kampala Uganda as he crafts authentic cinematic portraits of people and their communities His work has screened internationally winning a number of wards including Best Documentary and Best Director His recent documentary Sadika s Garden is currently airing on both the CBC and Knowledge Network craft and production In the wake of the Dakota Access Pipeline Protests Indigenous People across the nation are using their newfound platform to shed light on the wide array of injustices committed against them for centuries in an effort to wake up the world and embark upon the process of decolonization Directed by Brandon Jackson and Emil Benjamin Brandon Jackson has traveled the world documenting oppression and human rights violations from refugee camps in Lebanon to the protests in Standing Rock Emil Benjamin is a writer director producer cinematographer and editor based out of New York City Emil is the founder of Irrelevant Media an international production company that has screened and won awards at Venice Cannes Berlin and more Learn more about the film on page 29 Learn more about the film on page 25 16 17

THE FILMS 18 19

A FOOD STORY THE REGENERATIVE RANCHER A VIRAL SPIRAL World Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 23 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins The soil grows healthy plants the healthy plants grow healthy animals healthy animals grow healthy people says regenerative rancher Greg of Green Pastures Farm in Rucker Missouri Climate change seems like a problem of a far distant future We go on with business as usual But climate change just like the loss of biodiversity and the current pandemic is a consequence of how we treat nature Corona is a wake up call that has disrupted all of our lives The future of the land the animals and the soil is a vital conversation that we need to keep having in the most thorough way possible So the team at MarketPlace headed out to Green Pastures Farm to immerse themselves in the world of Greg and Jan Judy regenerative ranchers Over several days we asked questions listened observed and documented our time there through the camera and on the page which we re excited to be able to share with you In the end we left with a deeper category of knowledge regarding this aspect of the food industry and we brought back with us genuine awe and respect for people like Greg and Jan We also returned with a renewed sense of gratitude that we get to spend time focusing on food animals and health and wellness All attention goes towards solving the current problem controlling the SARS CoV 2 virus But prevention is better than cure To do this we have to look at how infectious diseases emerge and spread World renowned artist Steve Cutts created an animated film for the Nicolaas G Pierson Foundation He visualizes the factors that cause pandemics and points out the urgent measures needed to reduce the risk of future pandemics I switched to regenerative farming when the status quo wasn t working anymore What I was doing was not sustainable Why Because the soil is dead it can t hold any water Any society in history that has destroyed their soil has ceased to exist We need to change We need to care about the soil Directed by Crystal Buckey Brown Documentary Short 5 min 30 seconds 2021 United States Learn more about the film Directed by Steve Cutts Documentary Short 4 min 19 seconds 2021 Netherlands Learn more about the film EwK K 20 21

EXPEDICI N TRIBUG FOREST OF HOPE U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 23 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins More than a documentary film EXPEDICI N TRIBUG is a citizen movement that seeks to raise awareness in the world about the importance of conserving one of the most biodiverse places on the planet The Tribug Gulf currently threatened by the construction of what is projected to be the country s second seaport hosts unexplored ecosystems and interactions communities that live in balance with their environment and one of the greatest riches in this country immense biodiversity Forest of Hope is a short length documentary film presented by Mary Kay Inc Written directed and produced by an all female team it is a journey to the frontlines of the battle to save our planet from the impending threats of climate change and destructive human behavior where we see the difference one person can make Consistent with our collaborative project philosophy we have shared our documentary film for free for two weeks with the world to sensitize the largest number of people The film was premiered on the website www expediciontribuga com where it reached more than 207 000 views becoming a focus of attention to many activists influencers journalists and people from local communities National and International whiling to join the movement and stand for the conservation of these vital ecosystems for our planet Thanks to this movement the construction of the port has been put aside for now and more and more people are joining the conversation towards finding the best development model for the region At the heart of our film is Angelica Torres a 71 year old eco warrior in Mexico who cares deeply for her community and nature Angelica s journey has seen her become both a female entrepreneur and a symbol of female empowerment to the women in her community From growing up with a 6th grade education to running an eco sustainability initiative she s not only bringing life back to her community s surrounding forests but also helping women in her village make a living This parallel between compassion for her environment and her community demonstrates how intertwined the two are Our work in the territory continues where we currently develop projects that seek to support local communities to accompany them to develop sustainable development models that help protect the natural resources on which we all depend Directed by Luis Villegas Felipe Mesa and Francisco Acosta Documentary Feature 53 min 41 seconds 2021 Colombia Directed by Cris Graves Documentary Short 9 min 18 seconds 2021 Canada Learn more about the film EwQPK 22 23

IN OUR NATURE KQ K ET WALKING WITH CARIBOU U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins A visual portrait of the Dutch in their attempt at mending their broken relationship with nature They have been faced with their most challenging adversary yet themselves The Bathurst caribou herd have roamed Canada s arctic since time immemorial Tragically in just the last 30 years their population has dropped from half a million to less than ten thousand IN OUR NATURE revolves around the battle between humans and nature in the Netherlands The T ch people have an intimate connection with the Bathurst The herd has been a source of food clothing and deep culture However a future without the Bathurst has become a very real possibility This hybrid of documentary and dance film by filmmakers Jorick Buurstra and Bastiaan de Haas investigates the absurdity of the relationship between man and nature hidden within our way of living The film shows a humankind who wants to take better care of nature yet struggles with the conflict between its prosperity and the ecosystem Dance scenes show the emotional journey of a dancer who rediscovers her connection with nature Slowly but surely she starts to see how her mindset towards nature is the greatest threat she must protect Directed by Jorick Buurstra and Bastiaan de Haas Documentary Short 24 min 13 seconds 2021 Netherlands Learn more about the film Directed by Chad Galloway Documentary Short 24 min 14 seconds 2021 Canada Learn more about the film K K 24 25

LIVING IN A POSTCARD LIVING IN THE TIME OF DYING U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 23 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 7 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins For years tourism has sold an idealized image of tourist destinations creating economic growth but also transforming and distorting these postcard images LIVING IN THE TIME OF DYING is an unflinching look at what it means to be living amid climate catastrophe and finding purpose and meaning within it Recognizing the magnitude of the climate crisis we face independent filmmaker Michael Shaw sells his house to travel worldwide looking for answers Filmmaker Christian Nicoletta lives in the CinqueTerre an Italian destination and wanted to see for himself these transformations In 2019 and the problems caused by over tourism have become evident to the tour operators and administrators They look for solutions but lack the means and a shared vision to solve the problem To understand more the filmmaker flies to London at the World Travel Market where experts teach how to balance tourism with residents and the environment He goes to Venice where the citizens have organized themselves into civic groups that ask the administration not to look at tourism as the only resource for the city The filmmaker also goes to Barcelona where the problems started with the arrival of online tourism platforms which propose the same tourism model in every destination Another global tourism economy is cruise tourism From big cities like Venice to small Norwegian fjords cruise ships generate massive flows of tourists which cannot be managed properly Soon we begin to see how deep the predicament goes along with the systems and ways of thinking that brought us here Stan Rushworth a Native American Elder brings an especially enlightening viewpoint to these questions It becomes clear that climate change will ruin our way of life but this then opens up a whole new set of questions How did we get here How do we choose to live and what actions make sense now The people interviewed in the documentary all highly regarded and well known spokespeople on the issue argue it s too late to stop catastrophic climate change but in no way too late to regain a renewed life giving relationship with our world Covid 19 arrived in March 2020 and tourism stops the problems associated with tourism have gone But have the pronblems really disappeared Directed by Michael Shaw Documentary Feature 53 min 07 seconds 2021 Australia Directed by Christian Nicoletta Documentary Feature 52 min 2021 Italy Learn more about the film Learn more about the film EK K 26 27

MAR CIELO OYATE Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins One day before the Chilean National Referendum gives each voter the possibility to approve or reject the drafting of a New Constitution Oscar and Marcelo two brothers with opposite views share a trip along the country s desert coast In 2016 the world turned its eyes to the people of Standing Rock as they formed a coalition of unprecedented magnitude to defend their land and water from the threat of the Dakota Access Pipeline Suspicious of Marcelo s reckless involvement in the protests against the local coal plants Oscar constantly confronts his brother s environmentalist position On the way the emotional complexity of their relationship will trigger a revelation that will end up influencing both their future and that of an entire nation An inflection point for human rights and environmental justice the NoDAPL struggle became a rallying cry for Indigenous people everywhere to take a stand against the myriad injustices committed against them for centuries OYATE elevates the voices of Indigenous activists organizers and politicians as they offer their perspective on that complicated history contextualize the NoDAPL movement illuminate the interconnectivity between the issues facing Indian Country today and look towards a more sovereign and sustainable future for their people Featuring perspectives from Chase Iron Eyes Phyllis Young Secretary Deb Haaland Tokata Iron Eyes Stuart James and more Directed by Brandon Jackson and Emil Benjamin Documentary Feature 91 min seconds 2021 United States Directed by Roberto Zamora and Roc o Huerta Narrative Short 19 min 26 seconds 2021 Chile Learn more about the film Learn more about the film EQK EQK 28 29

RESTORING N SKE EMANE RURAL REVIVAL Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Since the 19th century Native American children were sent to boarding schools designed to Kill the Indian Save the Man destroying Tribal languages cultural values practices and traditions through assimilation RURAL REVIVAL dives into the life and work of Will Harris owner of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton Georgia Will has changed his conventional cattle farm over the last twenty years to a regenerative operation that helps mitigate climate change while utilizing over ten species of animals In Oklahoma generations of Native Americans were educated through the Concho Indian School from 1871 to 1984 The abandoned school buildings have remained for 40 years riddled with toxins that have leached into the community Unfortunately consumers are often misinformed or hopelessly confused and overwhelmed by the plethora of certifications and labels they encounter in the grocery store White Oak Pastures has flipped the industrialized system back into how it operated for hundreds of years Restoring N ke em ne follows environmentalist Damon Dunbar who has a dream of restoring the land preserving tribal history and honoring the attendees of the Concho Indian School in order to speak truth to history Directed by Loren Kasey Waters Documentary Short 11 min 30 seconds 2021 United States Directed by Katie Bell Documentary Short 31 min 19 seconds 2021 United States Learn more about the film QK 30 31

TAIAO THE BAT MAN AND WOMAN OF INDIA U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 22 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins TAIAO explores how we as multicultural people use New Zealand s natural environment through a nonverbal documentary experience comparing the wonders of our taiao our nature and the advent of man Chiropterologists Chelmala and Bhargavi Srinivasulu are researchers at Osmania University in Hyderabad India They have been called the bat man and bat woman of India Communicating the consequences of our industries and our reckoning with colonization non verbally allows us to glimpse a sustainable equitable future while acknowledging an unsustainable present The title suits them they say And their chiropteran infused love has guided their passion for finding studying and ultimately helping to protect endangered bat species all over India And it is what launched them on a strange and at times dangerous journey to find a bat that had not been seen in two decades the Kolar leaf nosed bat Directed by Micah Te Kaponga Winiata and Andrei Talili Documentary Short 12 min 2021 New Zealand Directed by Emily Driscoll Documentary Short 6 min 49 seconds 2021 United States Learn more about the film EQK 32 33

THE I S HAVE IT THE LAST VAQUITA U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Saturday April 23 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins the I s have it explores responding to the innermost voice Filmed in the dense forest of Northern Minnesota the setting creates a space equal to the depths of one s mind challenging the dancer cinematographer and viewer to allow themselves to get lost listen deeply and perhaps find something new With the Vaquita Porpoise on the brink of extinction two brothers who collaborate as wildlife artists leave their studio behind and head to a small fishing town in Mexico They board the M V Farley Mowat to experience the front line fight between ocean conservationists Sea Shepherd and the poachers backed by the Mexican cartel who are devastating countless marine species Caught up in a tale of greed and corruption they witness a battle that seems all but lost and find themselves questioning their place in the world Can they use their craft to take action amidst today s Sixth Mass Extinction Directed by Kayla Schiltgen Experimental Short 7 min 51 seconds 2021 United States 34 Directed by Ed Harrison Documentary Short 13 min 20 seconds 2021 United Kingdom 35

THE PEACE PIPELINE THE TREE U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Regional Premiere Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Comedians and activists Gitz Crazyboy and Tito Ybarra pose as a indigenous energy company sharing plans to reroute Enbridge s Line 3 pipeline through the wealthy white suburbs of Duluth MN to more fairly share the risks oil pipelines bring to indigenous lands with shocking and hilarious results THE TREE is an experimental short which draws attention toward environmental concerns such as deforestation and its effects on wildlife and our ecosystem Directed by Gitz Crazyboy and Tito Ybarra Documentary Short 24 min 23 seconds 2021 Canada Directed by Kalpna Singh Chitnis Experimental Short 7 min 30 seconds 2021 United States Learn more about the film DK 36 37

WARRIOR WOMEN WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins World Premiere Theatrical Screening Friday April 22 7 00 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins WARRIOR WOMEN is the story of mothers and daughters fighting for Native rights in the American Indian Movement of the 1970s The film unveils not only a female perspective of history but also examines the impact political struggles have on the children who bear witness In the 1970s with the swagger of unapologetic Indianness organizers of the American Indian Movement AIM fought for Native liberation and survival as a community of extended families When a black snake threatens to destroy the Earth and poison her people s water one young water protector takes a stand to defend Earth s most sacred resource Warrior Women is the story of Madonna Thunder Hawk one such AIM leader who shaped a kindred group of activists children including her daughter Marcy into the We Will Remember Survival School as a Native alternative to government run education Together Madonna and Marcy fought for Native rights in an environment that made them more comrades than mother daughter Today with Marcy now a mother herself both are still at the forefront of Native issues fighting against the environmental devastation of the Dakota Access Pipeline and for Indigenous cultural values Through a circular Indigenous storytelling style this film explores what it means to navigate a movement and motherhood and how activist legacies are passed down and transformed from generation to generation in the context of colonizing government that meets Native resistance with violence Co Directed by Christina D King and Elizabeth A Castle Documentary Feature 60 min 04 seconds 2018 United States Directed by Galen Fott Animated Short 7 min 15 seconds 2021 United States Learn more about the film EK 38 39

WHO RUNS THE ATRATO RIVER U S Premiere Theatrical Screening Thursday April 21 1 30 p m Online premiere Saturday April 23 Midnight 24 hour on demand window begins Experience Downtown Fargo s True Character A river in Colombia poisoned by illegal gold mining is recognized as a living being by the country s highest court What does this mean for the people who live there The rights of nature is a global trend the Ganges in India and the Whanganui River in New Zealand are also part of the story Convivial yet chic comforting yet refined Jasper Hotel welcomes travelers and locals alike to experience our city for the first time or in an all new way Dan Francis Photography Directed by Carlos Gomez Documentary Feature 55 min 2021 Colombia Farm to Fargo Comfortable delicious and never pretentious our hyperlocal take on farm to table dining celebrates hearth cooking and traditional Dakotan sensibilities Dine Breakfast Brunch Lunch and Dinner in the heart of Downtown Fargo with offerings from James Beard Nominated Chef 40 Austin Covert www jasperfargo com 701 532 2150 41

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS 42 43

WARRIOR WOMEN Community Discussion Friday April 22 following the screening of the film WARRIOR WOMEN Will be streamed live to the North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival Facebook Page Gina Peltier will lead a community conversation about the film WARRIOR WOMEN with co director Dr Elizabeth Castle Joining the discussion will be Madonna Thunder Hawk and Marcella Gilbert whose stories are featured in the film Dr Elizabeth Castle Co Director Producer Dr Castle brings almost 20 years of experience as a scholar activist and media maker working in collaboration with Native Nations and underrepresented communities Warrior Women is based on the research done for her book Women were the Backbone Men were the Jawbone Native Women s Activism in the Red Power Movement Dr Castle was a professor in the Native Studies Department at the University of South Dakota and is the founder and Executive Director of The Warrior Women Oral History Project Castle has numerous publications including The Original Gangster The Life and Times of Red Power Activist Madonna Thunder Hawk Castle is a committed anti racist ally and descended from the Pekowi band of the Shawnee in Ohio both shape how she engages with community based scholarship and organizing Warrior Women is Castle s directorial debut Madonna Thunder Hawk Madonna Thunder Hawk an Oohenumpa Lakota is a veteran of every modern Native occupation from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee in 1973 and more recently the NODAPL protest at Standing Rock Born and raised across the Oceti Sakowin homelands she first became active in the late 1960s as a member and leader in the American Indian Movement and co founded Women of All Red Nations and the Black Hills Alliance In 1974 she established the We Will Remember survival group as an act of cultural reclamation for young Native people pushed out of the public schools An eloquent voice for Native resistance and sovereignty Thunder Hawk has spoken throughout the United States Central America Europe and the Middle East and served as a delegate to the United Nations in Geneva In the last three decades at home on Cheyenne River Thunder Hawk has been implementing the ideals of self determination into reservation life She currently works as the tribal liaison for the Lakota People s Law Project in fighting the illegal removal of Native children from tribal nations into the state foster care system She established the Wasagiya Najin Grandmothers Group on Cheyenne River Reservation to assist in rebuilding kinship networks and supporting the Nation in its efforts to stop the removal of children from Native families 44 Marcella Gilbert Marcella Gilbert is the daughter of Madonna Thunder Hawk and a Lakota and Dakota community organizer with a focus on food sovereignty and cultural revitalization She earned a Master s Degree in Nutrition from South Dakota State University Gilbert was a 2014 Cohort of the Bush Foundation s Native Nations Rebuilders Program Her formative years were influenced by the activism of her extended family s leadership in the American Indian Movement She was a seventeen year old delegate to the newly established International Indian Treaty Council to Geneva in 1977 and a graduate of the We Will Remember Survival Group This alternative school run by and for Native people was a remarkable tool for decolonizing and healing the intergenerational damage caused by boarding school Her goal is to reintroduce sustainable traditional foods and organic farming to her reservation as an expression of the most fundamental form of survival and empowerment She is working on launching the pilot project of her own survival school Waniyetu Iyawapi Winter Count Mobile learning experience Marcella currently works for Simply Smiles Inc a non profit organization that locates one project on the Cheyenne River reservation in South Dakota She manages the garden project that includes wild food identification harvest and food processing Gina Peltier Gina Peltier is a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band Born and raised on the lands of the Pembina and Red Lake Bands of Ojibwe and the Dakota Oyate Gina attended Lake Region State College and then the University of North Dakota Still not knowing what she wanted in life after graduating college Gina acquired many skills while working different jobs Finally after being an activist for many years Gina landed the job of her dreams for Honor the Earth Now even in her free time Gina is an indigenous activist fighting for the environment and the well being of every being including mother earth 45

OYATE Community Discussion Saturday April 23 following the screening of the film OYATE Will be streamed live to the North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival Facebook Page Joe Williams will lead a community conversation about the film WARRIOR WOMEN with co directors Brandon Jackson and Emil Benjamin and producer Jennifer Martell Joining the discussion will be Phyllis Young Ruth Buffalo and Stuart James whose stories are featured in the film Brandon Jackson Co Director Producer Story Producer Brandon Jackson has traveled the world documenting oppression and human rights violations from refugee camps in Lebanon to the protests in Standing Rock He got his start in film serving as a producer on This Is Honduras Afterwards he worked as a story consultant on White Boy a crime documentary unveiling government coercion to keep a man in jail for life and as the lead world tour producer on Black White Stripes The Juventus Story a film marking one of the biggest sports comebacks in history Brandon was a consultant and assoc producer on Junebug which premiered at the American Black Film Festival Emil Benjamin Director Producer Cinematographer Editor Emil Benjamin is a writer director producer cinematographer and editor based out of New York City Originally from Cleveland Ohio he recently received his MFA in Film from Columbia University where he also taught undergraduate screenwriting His short films White People We Can Do It and The Breakdown Parables have screened and earned prizes at dozens of festivals around the world and his narrative feature It Would Have Been Enough was an official selection of the Cine Qua Non Revision Lab Emil is the founder of Irrelevant Media an international production company that has screened and won awards at Venice Cannes Berlin and more Jennifer Martel Director Producer Cinematographer Editor Jennifer Martel is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and works as the Sitting Bull College Visitor Center Coordinator on the Standing Rock Reservation She was a key organizer during the Standing Rock protests directing thousands in and out of the reservation and developing protocols for national media outlets Jen is a founding member of the Indigenous People s Movement a worldwide advocacy group for first nation sovereignty and rights She was key in developing the Oceti Sakowin Treaty Conference a revival of a 150 year old tribal leader tradition and continues to develop Indigenous empowering conferences around the world 46 Phyllis Young A member of Standing Rock in North and South Dakota Phyllis Young has been an American Indian rights activist Lakota Dakota for more than 40 years She is most widely known for her leadership role in the anti Dakota Access Pipeline struggle in 2016 and 2017 Young is a longtime member of the American Indian Movement and as such she worked for and with Russell Means during his lifetime and other national Native American activists In 1978 she co founded Women of All Red Nations with Madonna Thunder Hawk Between 1993 and 2008 Young served on the board of the National Museum of the American Indian and in 1977 she helped coordinate the first conference on Indians in the Americas by the United Nations in Geneva Switzerland Ruth Bufflao Ruth Buffalo is originally from Mandaree North Dakota which is located along the southwestern edge of the Ft Berthold Indian Reservation She is a citizen of the Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation and a descendant of the Chiricahua Apache She currently resides in south Fargo with her husband and four children She recently was elected into office in 2018 to serve North Dakota as a House Representative for District 27 in south Fargo Ruth is a public health professional and educator She is a volunteer to several local statewide and national boards which focus on improving the quality of life for all people She is an independent consultant with a focus on research and advocacy community capacity building and continued reconciliation efforts through education Stuart James Stuart James is a Dakota Sioux Native American born and raised on the Spirit Lake Reservation Through his hip hop he spreads peace and positivity Joe Williams Williams is an artist storyboard designer for film podcaster and the Director of Native American Programs and Director of Community Education at the Plains Art Museum Following the screening of OYATE Williams will guide the filmmakers and protagonist of the work through a discussion about the film 47

48 WWW HUMAN FAMILY ORG