alterNative Film Festival
WICHITA'S FIRST EVENT FEATURING FILMS BY OR ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
The next alterNative Film Festival will now happen in 2023 in partnership with
the Mid-America All-Indian Museum in Wichita, KS
Stay tuned for details!
All events will be free and open to the public
(Inaugural 2021 schedule and line-up below)
OPENING NIGHT, FRIDAY, NOV. 11, 2021
Opening reception with food and drink, 6 p.m.
Blood Quantum
Presented by Shudder
2019, Writer/Director: Jeff Barnaby
Narrative, 7:15 p.m.
The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gmaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants who are immune to the zombie plague. Traylor, the tribal sheriff, must protect his son’s pregnant girlfriend, apocalyptic refugees, and reserve riffraff from the hordes of walking white corpses. Cast: Michael Greyeys, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck. (98 min.) For adult audiences
![Blood Quantum - Official Red Band Trailer [HD] | A Shudder Original](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Lvt-KHsOd0M/maxresdefault.jpg)
Preceded by: A Red Girl's Reasoning
2012, narrative - Produced by Rose Stiffarm, Directed by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
After the justice system fails the survivor of a brutal, racially-driven sexual assault, she becomes a motorcycle-riding, ass-kicking vigilante who takes on the attackers of other women who've suffered the same fate. Cast: Jessica Matten, Christian Sloan, Rose Stiffarm. (11 min.)
SATURDAY, NOV. 13, 2021
Northwest Filmmakers Showcase
A special collection of works by Portland-based Director/Cinematographer Laronn Katchia and producer Isaac Trimble, featuring vibrant, beautiful music videos with Native performers and urgent, thrilling narrative short films. (42 min.)
1 p.m. Katchia will attend, Q&A after program.
Shorts Program 1
2:45 p.m. (58 min. total)
Other People
2018, narrative - Written & Directed by Bryson Chun
This musical is told in one single take, as a couple's relationship comes to a surreal end in the midst of a crowded shopping mall. (9 min.)
KaYaMenTa: Sharing Truths about Menopause
2020, documentary - Directed by Jules Koostachin
A sisterhood of Indigenous women gathers to rant, laugh and share their stories. (20 min.)
In Our Own Hands
2021, narrative - Written & Directed by Jennifer Varenchik
A group of women plan rescue efforts when one of their own goes missing from their reservation. Cast: Lynnae Lawrence, Jennifer Tucker, Jennifer Varenchik. (9 min.)
Other
2015, narrative - Written & Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
A Native American man goes on a job interview and explodes into a hilarious rant after discovering a glaring omission on the job application. Cast: Rodrick Pocowatchit, Brett Patrik (9 min.)
Your Name Isn’t English
2018, narrative - Written and Directed by Tazbah Rose Chavez
As drivers struggle to pronounce her name, a Native American passenger offers history lessons from the backseat. It’s a lesson in American history they won’t forget. Cast: Chelsey Luger (14 min.)
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TVSHKA NOWVY AYA (Warrior's Journey)
2018, documentary - Directed by Mark D. Williams
Follows the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma stickball team "Tvshka Homma" as they compete for the World Series of Stickball. (66 min.)
4:15 p.m. Williams will attend, Q&A after film.
Cinema Red: Full Native Horror
2021, documentary - Directed by Mike J. Marin
The second chapter in the Cinema Red trilogy explores indigenous horror cinema from the perspective of five indigenous filmmakers working in horror and how Native American experiences and traditional stories contribute to the creative method of writing and directing scary Native-themed movies. (34 min.)
5:45 p.m.
Saturday Showcase: Violet
2015, narrative - Written and Directed by Mark D. Williams
An escaped mental patient dies in 1984 at the home of her former doctor. But that was just the beginning. Cast: Delno Ebie, Happy Frejo, Joe Mackey (45 min.)
7:30 p.m. Williams will attend, Q&A after program.
Preceded by: Sacred
2018, narrative - Produced by Isaac Trimble, Directed by Laronn Katchia
An evil spirit is awakened. Cast: Simona Arteaga, Solomon Trimble (8 min.)
SUNDAY, NOV. 14, 2021
The Smudging
2016, narrative - Written & Directed by Mike J. Marin
A paranormal research group is called in to investigate the aggressive supernatural activity of a Native American cultural center. Cast: Alicia Acevedo, Justin Hough, Adam Kessel, Mike J. Marin (95 min.)
1 p.m.
Shorts Program 2
2:50 p.m. (48 min. total) Q&A after program
The Incredible Brown NDN
2019, narrative, Written and Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
An average Joe decides to become the world’s first Native American superhero. Cast: Rodrick Pocowatchit, Sean Gestl, Sam Shea. (10 min.)
The Incredible Brown NDN 2: Brown and Down
2020, narrative - Written by Rodrick Pocowatchit, Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit and Kelcy Yadon & Matthew Rasico.
After choosing to become the world's first Native American superhero, an average Joe tries to discover his superhero powers and comes to the harsh reality that being a real-life superhero has some real-life consequences. Cast: Rodrick Pocowatchit, Sean Gestl, Ryan Martin, Mike Sullivan (16 min.)
The Iron Detective: The Exonetic Division
2019, narrative - Written and Directed by Jason Turner
Cyberpunk gangs vs. the Police: Blood will be spilled. Cast: Jason Turner, Andrea Dover, Kristen Rea. (9 min.)
Blackwater
2019, narrative - Written and Directed by Boise Esquerra
Native American country singer Birdie Blackwater is court-ordered to attend 180 days of wellness therapy after 10 years of reckless alcoholic abuse. Cast: Kyla Garcia, Branscombe Richmond, Gary Farmer (13 min.)
Shorts Program 3
4:15 p.m. (67 min. total) Williams will attend, Q&A after program
Shiloh
2017, documentary - Directed by Mark D. Williams
Follows Native American boxer/Lawrence, KS-based Shy LeBeau as she competes for a national boxing title. Produced by TribalTV. (32 min.)
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Ikaiyana la chi (I Will Remember)
2015, narrative - Written and Directed by Mark D. Williams, Produced by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
This tells the unknown stories of the last Choctaw removal to Oklahoma in 1903 by train, the cultural impact it had on the Choctaw people and a certain Oklahoma community. (35 min.)
Closing Night Showcase: Red Hand
2018, narrative - Written & Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
A man with the power to heal time travels from the future to save the Native American race. Cast: Bryon Burkhead, Rodrick Pocowatchit, Randall Aviks, Brett Patrik, Lindsey Siedl (75 min.)
6:30 p.m. Director and cast will attend, Q&A after program.
Preceded by: Apocalypse, Then ...
2021, narrative - Conceived & Directed by Rodrick Pocowatchit
A young man in quarantine holds a prisoner in his basement and questions what is real and what isn't. Cast: Sam Shea, Sean Gestl (9 min)
Director and cast will attend, Q&A after program.
FEATURED FILMMAKER
Mark D. Williams
Mark D. Williams is an award-winning Choctaw filmmaker from Shawnee, Oklahoma. Having never been to film school, Mark was self-taught using friends and family for his first few projects. His first short film premiered at the Red Fork Film Festival in Tulsa in 2006.
He would go on to write, direct, produce and edit more short films until 2012 when he made his first feature film, “The Unrest”, winner of the Best Film category at the Mvskoke Film Festival. In 2016, his second feature film, “Violet”, won 12 festival awards in the US and overseas with 29 award nominations.
Mark began focusing on Native American sport documentaries with his first titled “Beans, about a young Native golfer. Beans won Best Short Documentary at the Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase. It was followed by another award-winning documentary about boxing titled, “Shiloh”, followed by another boxing film, “Knifechief”. In 2020, his short film, “Warrior Coach”, a documentary about a small school’s basketball program in Oklahoma, won 2 awards (Bare Bones International Film Festival and Best Director at LA Skins Fest).
Mark began freelancing as a filmmaker in 2016 working on mainstream projects and making cultural films for Tribal companies, citizens and Nations. His first feature length documentary, Tvshka Nowvt Aya, covered Choctaw stickball and won Best Film in 2018 at the NatiVisions Film Festival in Arizona. He is currently the Digital Media Specialist for the Seminole Nation and his latest film with the Choctaw Nation, “Ikhaiyana la chi” (I Will Remember) is making it’s Film Festival Run.
He is currently writing his next script, schedule to begin filming in late 2021 and researching more cultural projects to give the Native people an authentic voice by telling their own stories.
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
EMILY
BONAVIA
CUISINE BY CARL TAYLOR
DEANIE & ERIC EATON
