Elderberry Wisdom Farms 22-23 Native Youth Film Training Program was declared a resounding success this month beginning with a screening at the Tulalip Reservation’s HiBulb Film Festival near Seattle, which began with their reaching out to EWF requesting “The Lost Story” to be entered, and then was later deemed a finalist. (https://filmfreeway.com/HCC2023).
This was the student film that was also selected at the Klamath Independent Film Festival.https://filmfreeway.com/klamathfilm. These Film Festivals, by applauding the students’ first training film, gave the students the motive they needed to attend the University of Oregon Longhouse Doc Camp in July before they ventured out to make their own films. Having this film selected twice in a row also gave the students the confidence they needed to succeed in finishing their films in the hi-tech editing room.
But it was the most recent—the University of Oregon Longhouse Film Festival (and just for their films) that really brought their true successes home to them. Several UO Professors, including Cinema Studies, as well as University of Oregon staff attended and praised their films, along with Tribal friends and relatives from as far away as Klamath Falls. They said:
“It was a magical evening... I am sprockets deep into this.” Roger Haney, 16 MM & 35 MM Film Exhibition Expert
“What a blessing just to be inside the beautiful Longhouse and then to be honored to meet and view the talented young. Their films were overwhelming, welcomed and heartwarming.” Carol Matteson, LCC Alumni
“You said that you were just showing “student films,” but what I saw was much more than that…” Ari Purnama, UO Assistant Professor, Department of Cinema Studies
“Where can you go to see young Native filmmakers’ early works? This was exciting.” Rowena Jackson (Klamath)
“It was so good to see… and hear about the impact… on our students! It was absolutely an honor and privilege to share space with you all! Many congratulations on a job well done.” Norma Trefen, (Siletz) Assistant Director, UO CMAE
Now we are looking forward to the films being screened at Capitol Community Media since we participated in interviews at Elderberry Wisdom Farm with Rose High Bear. We are so grateful to her and the organization for their gifts that day, and especially this enormous opportunity over the last year of Native Student Film Training, and look forward to honoring the EWF organization by entering these Native Student films into more film festivals after the New Year.
If you're in the Salem area, you can watch these films on Channels 22 and 23 between November 22 and December 9, 2023. Check out the local listings.
We are also listed on the Internet Movie Database, which gave EWF their first film credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29900522/?ref_=pro_tt_visitcons
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