‘Native American Cinema’ project brings actress, film, workshops to campus

A focus on Native American cinema with film screenings and discussions, an introductory workshop to encourage prospective professionals, and a weeklong residency by prominent Cherokee actress DeLanna Studi are among the highlights of “Native American Cinema: A New Storytelling Tradition.” Activities take place at various Green Bay area locations Saturday, March 2, through Friday, March 8. UW-Green Bay is a co-host of the project along with the Green Bay Film Festival and the local American Indian Film Society. We’ll have more details including the list of special events in our next issue. See news release.

Wisconsin Humanities Council grant boosts interdisciplinary project
The “Native American Cinema” project is funded in part by a $10,000 grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council’s Greater Green Bay Area Humanities Fund, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The grant arose from a distinctly interdisciplinary collaboration. The project’s director, Prof. JP Leary, notes that the Green Bay Film Festival approached him last year for support in creating a track of Native films for the March 2013 festival. Michelle Danforth and Cyndee Sweetland asked him to assist with applying for the humanities council grant. Another supporter was Prof. David Coury, a Film Festival board member who also directs the Green Bay Film Society and was interested in bringing a full-length Native film to that series. At the same time, educator Norbert Hill of Oneida was looking to establish a Native film society locally. In addition, students with UW-Green Bay’s Intertribal Student Council were interested in scheduling a follow-up to their successful fall 2012 screening of the film Crooked Arrows. The strong local interest led Leary, who knew Studi through her work as an actress and advocate, to approach her about a possible residency in Green Bay.