WICHITA'S ONLY EVENT FEATURING FILMS
BY OR ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
4TH EDITION: NOV. 7-9, 2025
All events are at the Mid-America All-Indian Museum, 650 N. Seneca, Wichita, KS
(Please park in the Exploration Place parking lot and enter through the Keeper Plaza)
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF PRODUCER DEANIE EATON
All events are free and open to the public
DOWNLOAD THE SCREENING GUIDE BY DANIEL PEWEWARDY SOON
OPENING NIGHT, FRIDAY, NOV. 7, 2025
Presented by The Cotillion and Alex Thomas
Sugarcane
Directed by Emily Kassie and Julian Brave NoiseCat
(Documentary) An investigation into the abuse of and missing children at an Indian residential school sparks a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve in Canada. This was earlier this year nominated for a Best Feature Documentary Academy Award. It marks the first time that a North American Indigenous Filmmaker (Julian Brave NoiseCat) has ever been nominated for an Oscar.
(2024, 107 min.) 7 p.m.
Opening Reception, 6 p.m.
Featuring a special musical performance by AJ Harvey (Ponca/Pawnee), who wowed audiences on NBC's music competition show "The Voice" in 2024. He also appeared in Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon." With free small bites and limited beer and wine in the museum's Kiva space.
SATURDAY, NOV. 8, 2025
Shorts program, 3:30 p.m. (Total run time:53 min.)
Anonymous
Directed by Colby Luper and Ryker Sixkiller
Chaos erupts at an AA meeting when a new member reveals his true intentions. (10 min.)
Incident at Juniper Ridge
Directed by Brandon Barber
In the midst of a hot summer's day, two young shepherds stumble upon a wounded stranger, armed with a rifle and seemingly on the run. (25 min.)
People of the Heartland
Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
Shown at the International TBEX summit, this is an introduction to the Native American community in Wichita, shown to content creators and influencers from across the globe. 10 min.)
Abby Scott: The Rezball Legacy
Directed by LaRonn Katchia and Brutis Baez
The film offers an intimate portrait of Abby Scott (Warm Springs), a coach whose passion for mentorship goes beyond the game. From elementary to high school athletes, she guides with a focus on mental, physical, and spiritual growth. (6:29 min.)
“The Dead Can’t Dance” 15th anniversary screening
Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
(Horror/Comedy/Drama) ANFF founder/director Pocowatchit’s seminal cult classic follows three Comanche men who discover they are somehow immune to a virus that's turning everyone else into zombies. The film played at festivals for years and won several awards. (2010, 97 min.)
4:45 p.m., followed by Q&A with director and cast members
SATURDAY CENTERPIECE EVENT, NOV. 8, 2025
Presented by Northstar Comfort Services, Inc.
Centerpiece Meet the Directors Cocktail Hour
Featuring free small bites and limited beer and wine in the museum's Kiva space with directors Rodrick Pocowatchit and Shonie De La Rosa. 6:30 p.m.
The Arrangement
Directed by Shonie De La Rosa
(Comedy/Drama) This takes place on the Navajo reservation and is told almost entirely in the Diné (Navajo) language. It centers on a young Navajo man who navigates his cultural identity and a potential arranged marriage, highlighting the importance of the Navajo language and traditions. (2024, 70 min.)
7:30 p.m. A Q&A with De La Rosa follows.
Special Guest: Writer/Director Shonie De La Rosa
Shonie De La Rosa made his first film on Super 8 with his childhood best friend at age 10 — a 1977 sci-fi short about an astronaut battling an alien. He’s been creating ever since.
Based in Kayenta, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, Shonie runs Sheephead Films, producing music videos, documentaries, and feature films that have earned numerous awards and recognition. His documentaries have even helped change Navajo Nation laws: “G: Methamphetamine on the Navajo Nation” led to meth being added to the list of illegal substances, and “Pirates of the Navajo Nation” inspired the Unauthorized Recording Act.
His 2007 debut feature, "Mile Post 398," the first full-length film written, directed, and performed by an all-Navajo cast and crew, is widely regarded as the most authentic Navajo movie ever made. It remains a powerful work used in Indigenous recovery programs worldwide.
With his newest feature, "The Arrangement" — filmed entirely on the Navajo Nation and performed primarily in Diné (80%) — Shonie once again pushes boundaries for Navajo cinema.
SUNDAY, NOV. 9, 2025
Angela's Shadow
Directed by Jules Koostachin
(Supernatural thriller feature) This is set in 1930s Canada, where residential schools are rampant and ceremony is outlawed. Angela, pregnant and returning to her Cree roots with her husband Henry, begins to be haunted by a shadow spirit — the restless soul of her twin sister AaSheNii, who perished in a residential school. (2024, 93 min. 2:30 p.m.
Native Heroes Showcase, 4:15 p.m.
(Total run tmie: 103 min.)
Second Sunrise
Directed by Steven Tallas
(Drama short) A Maricopa County Constable in charge of evicting tenants tries to reconnect with the daughter he hasn't seen in 18 years. (2024, 16:47) 4:15 p.m.
Sitting Bull Ep. 1 - Special Screening
Directed by Steven Christopher Cegielski & Phillip Montgomery
Courtesy of A+E Global Networks
(Historical drama) A special screening of the pilot episode of the History Channel’s documentary look at the life of the legendary Hunkpapa Lakota chief, detailing seminal moments and key figures in Native American history. (86 min.) 4:35 p.m.
CLOSING NIGHT PROGRAM, NOV. 9, 2025
Presented by Mid-America All-Indian Museum
Sundance Spotlight: Tiger
Directed by Loren Waters
Courtesy of Waters Media
(Documentary short) This comes off of the heels of winning a short film Special Jury Award for Directing at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, following renowned Oklahoma artist Dana Tiger, her family, and the resurgence of their iconic Tiger T-shirt company, founded by her father, Jerome. Look for “Tiger” to possibly generate Oscar buzz this movie awards season.
6:15 p.m.
The Return of the Sacred Red Rock
Directed by Jeremy Charles
(Documentary Feature) After being separated from their sacred stone for nearly a century, the Kaw (Kanza) Nation reunites with In ́zhújé waxóbe, a 28-ton quartzite boulder, marking a new era of accountability for the city of Lawrence, Kansas, and healing for the Kaw people. The inspiring film follows the events leading up to and culmination of the Red Rock’s relocation to Allegawaho Memorial Heritage Park in Council Grove, Kansas. A Q&A with Director Jeremy Charles, Executive Producer Ben Arredondo and star Storm Brave will follow.
6:30 p.m.
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