Each November, the Short Film Program at Red Nation Film Festival showcases between 30 to 50 shorts, helping to support careers working in the form while also discovering new talent in filmmaking.

Every type of filmmaking style is welcome: animation, documentary, narrative, and experimental stories are chosen to reflect the diversity from over 500+ Native Nations from each year’s pool of submissions.

Red Nation Film Festival accepts content that is 45 minutes or under for the Short Film category from North America and Indigenous countries.

Red Nation Film Festival (short program)

Native Women in FILM (shorts)

Native FILM Lab (shorts)

Native Film Market (distribution)

Native Youth Matter Film Series (shorts)

HISTORY

Red Nation Film Festival celebrates the short form worldwide, from the Entertainment Capital of the World to the Desert of New Mexico, to the online realm. Red Nation Film Festival’s Short Film Program has long been the Home to the Native Documentary Voice, established as a place to discover talented directors, such as past alums Kody, Theda Newbreast, Montano Rain,
and many others.

Since 1995, our focus has been on Native Youth, in supporting their creative outlet in telling their stories, through film, music performances, photography, dance and sports. From sending Native youth to Africa with Jane Goodall, to interviewing A-List celebrities in Hollywood, to motivational speakers (role models) to South Dakota, Navajo Reservation, Mescalero Reservation, to live performances in New Mexico, to performing at Awards Show, to leading climate change march in Santa Monica CA, to volunteering at Red Nation Film Festival, to screening 300+ Native youth films-directed written-produced by youth, to on-hands filmmaking. We engage the youth and throw them in to the mix from the get go. They learn as they go. This has been the most exciting and rewarding experience for our youth.

Native Youth Matter Film Series

Each November, the Short Film Program highlights Native Youth. Over the 22 year legacy of Red Nation Celebration Institute, its screened over 300+ Native youth films, directed, written and produced by Native Youth. Each year, the Institute partners with other Native organizations. 2017 partners include: Outta Your Backpack Media and La Plazita Institute.

For more details on submitting your short film to the Red Nation Film Festival, Click Here.

For more information on Native Youth Matter – If I Can See It I Can Be It, Click Here.