WASHINGTON/SANTA FE, N.M. (Nov. 14, 2007) -- A quiet, unassuming Native American woman competes to represent her nation in the most traditional of all beauty pageants. A gang of Mexican wrestlers dons colorful costumes and formulates colorful rhetoric to take on the slumlords and bureaucrats who threaten their communities. A Vietnamese refugee returns to her place of birth to face the remnants of her past. These stories and more converge to bring audiences the contemporary tales of indigenous and under-represented minority cultures in the fourth annual National Geographic All Roads Film Festival, screening in select locations as part of the Santa Fe Film Festival from Wednesday, Nov. 28, to Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007.
The four-day event will also feature a walk-through photography exhibit at the Center for Contemporary Arts and a music concert by the Saharan desert "guitar poets" Tinariwen at the Lensic Theater Friday, Nov. 30.
a feature documentary by Arturo Perez Torres that combines live-action with comic-book-style animation to depict a group of Lucha Libre wrestlers who have taken their fight to the streets of Mexico City. Screening at the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA).
a feature documentary by All Roads seed grantee Billy Luther that follows the contestants of the Miss Navajo Nation competition. Screening at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC).
a feature documentary by filmmakers Eva Mulvad and Anja Al-Erhayem that trails the political campaign of female activist Malalai Joya as she runs for office in Afghanistan's first democratic election. Screening at the MIAC.
a narrative feature by Ahsan Muzid, which delves into a complicated love triangle that takes place among the Himalayan yak herders' culture in a remote Indian village. Screening at The Screen at the College of Santa Fe.
a film by Hiner Saleem that depicts the precarious lifestyle of Kurds living on the borders of Turkey, Iran and Iraq. Screening at the Santa Fe Film Center.
a feature documentary by All Roads seed grantee Duc Nguyen that travels with Vietnamese refugee Tung Trinh as she revisits her homeland and relives her painful past. Screening at CCA.
"Nihí Dinék'egho Neidá: We Walk as Diné,"
a special presentation of short films from the Navajo Nation, curated by award-winning broadcast journalist and advocate Charmaine Jackson-John. Screening at MIAC.
"Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises,"
a feature documentary by Luminaria Award recipient and All Roads Advisory Board member Alanis Obomsawin that crafts a vivid portrait of North America's Abenaki people and the struggle they face in realizing a true identity for their descendants. Screening at the Armory for the Arts.
"Richard Cardinal: Diary of a Metis Child,"
"Gene Boy Comes Home" and "Poundmakers Lodge: A Healing Place," a short film program featuring films that span the range of a four-decade career by Obomsawin. Screening at CCA.
Most films will be preceded by shorts and followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and special guests.
Advance tickets can be purchased now at the festival box office at 519 Cerillos Road, Santa Fe; by calling (505) 989-1495; or online at www.santafefilmfestival.com. Check www.santafefilmfestival.com and www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads for specific dates and times. Tickets prices are $10 for individual admission, $75 for a 10-pack. Festival passes are on sale for $300 and $450. Call 505-989-1495.
"The theme for this year's festival, 'New Voices, First Stories,' exemplifies our mission to identify and promote the work of up-and-coming filmmakers, photographers and musicians who have fascinating stories to tell about their cultures and communities," said Francene Blythe, director of the All Roads Film Project. "To overlook these stories is to ignore a vital part of our history as a global community, and thus All Roads will always seek out these films and make them accessible to a broader audience."
Films represent a diverse range of countries and cultures, including Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Finland, India, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Mexico, New Zealand, Tonga (South Pacific Islands), Turkey, Vietnam and the United States.
The All Roads Film Festival is part of the All Roads Film Project, a National Geographic initiative to provide a global platform for indigenous and under-represented minority-culture storytellers around the world to showcase their talents and teach a broader audience about their cultures. In addition to providing a venue for their films, All Roads offers its filmmakers and photographers a series of networking opportunities with leaders of the film and photographic community. The All Roads Film Project awards a minimum of 10 seed grants a year to support the development and production of film and video projects by or about the indigenous and under-represented minority-culture film community. Seed grant recipients are considered for inclusion in the All Roads Film Festival and other National Geographic-affiliated broadcast outlets. The All Roads Photography Program provides photographers with seed money, cameras and photography equipment to assist with their fieldwork.
The Santa Fe Film Festival is a nonprofit that takes place Nov. 28 - Dec. 2, 2007, offering the best selection of independent films of all lengths — documentaries, narratives, international films, films about the artistic process, gala presentations of films from major distributors, retrospective screening of tributees' works, as well as educational workshops and varied opportunities for working filmmakers to network and reach out to the public.