AIFF ~ Shorts Block: Native Voices

Synopsis

Experience powerful storytelling from across the Arctic in this year’s NATIVE VOICES Showcase. This curated collection of shorts celebrates the creativity and resilience of Indigenous peoples from Alaska to Greenland—including a short film adaptation of Velma Wallis’s acclaimed novel Two Old Women (Shaaghan Neekwąįį in Gwich’in). The Films: • My Message to You – 2:00 A hopeful call for cultural and linguistic preservation from a Haida speaker. • Alutiiq Superhero – 14:00 When his career as a commercial fisherman was disrupted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Jerry Laktonen turned to his Alutiiq culture, not only becoming a prolific modern Alutiiq carver, but helping a generation of people rediscover the beauty of a once-lost art form. • Shaped by Land – 16:27 Adam Kjeldsen is one of the only Inuit ski guides operating in Greenland, a destination dominated by foreign operators. Shaped by Land follows his pursuit of a more sustainable vision for ski tourism—rooted in deep connection to land, community, and culture. • Braids – 13:58 A Native child faces pressure over his long hair and identity. • Witness: Indigenous Arctic Voices – 21:28 Five powerful stories from the frontlines of climate change, where Arctic Indigenous communities fight for survival and the future they want to see. • The Woman Who Married a Bear – 11:47 A modern retelling of a Tlingit legend filmed in Sitka. • Two Old Women – 13:40 Adaptation of a Gwich’in survival tale about two elders left behind by their tribe. Filmmakers in attendance —Q&A to follow. GA $12 “Films Worth Freezing For” AIFF’s mission is to develop, promote and sustain a film festival that supports new media and independent film making in Alaska and around the world while enriching cultural and entertainment opportunities for Alaskans. Our nonprofit organization continues to play a part in expanding film screening and production opportunities throughout the state. By bringing filmmakers from all parts of the country and world to Alaska, we want artists to connect with people they might not otherwise meet, and engage audiences in workshops, screenings, and plenty of celebratory parties.