Art Project

Host over 100 students from 7 schools Hire one or more indigenous filmmakers to attend each of eight screenings centered on indigenous stories. Support these filmmakers to engage in meaningful dialogue with students and community members, with a focus on how indigenous narratives are important for all of us to know and learn from. Connect students and educators with opportunities to continue learning before and after the festival, by sharing pre-made study guides and classroom activities that supplement the screenings. Share a traditional meal together. Celebrate the drum through a traditional opening ceremony and a Taiko performance. Uplift the work of indigenous artists by paying them stipends and lodging; giving them a platform to teach their stories; connecting them with our local audience who will follow, share and support their ongoing work; celebrating their work and awards online and in person. We will be successful if we meet the goals/outcomes listed above. We hope to inspire conversation in various settings both in and around the festival, including in the classroom and in camp. To measure our success, we will document the event with photographs. We will have conversations with students, educators, filmmakers, community members, and festival team members. We will survey individuals from each of the groups listed above to gather anecdotal evidence about the values and effectiveness of this program. We will also collect responses from feedback cards provided by the festival. We hope to make this an annual program with the Ely Film Festival. We would like to see more opportunities for students to practice modern storytelling skills. We would like to see student films featured as part of this program in the future. We believe that the relationships we are cultivating today will lead to this vision becoming a reality.