ADMISSON & CAMPUS ACCESS:
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Campus access is limited to registered guests and USC students, staff, and faculty with current USC ID.

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DESCRIPTION: 
A big-screen theatrical showcase of Native American and indigenous short films will be followed by a conversation with the filmmakers. 

About the films: 

Woman Who Blooms at Night (Directed by Casse Kihúut, Written by Camaray Davalos, 26 min.)
Eve, a young Native woman disconnected from her tribe and longing for more than the confines of her home and her abusive boyfriend, decides to volunteer at her tribe’s cultural center, where she realizes she is already full of power.

Four Nights and a Fire (Written and Directed by Alex Nystrom, 13 min.)
Robert, a young Ojibwe man, prepares for a sacred fire ceremony in the woods where his father used to hunt, desperate to feel close to him one last time.

River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh) (Written and Directed by Charine Pilar Gonzales, 13 min.)
A Tewa woman struggles with guilt after stealing money from a local business. Her grandmother takes her to the River to remind her of Tewa values. The Tewa woman blesses herself with River water, and the River becomes her guide.

Camping (Written and Directed by Derek Quick, 9 min.)
Emma, an African American working homeless mother, and her 7-year-old daughter Gia live in their van. Struggling to make ends meet as a rideshare driver, Emma finds herself parked in a dangerous lot where she receives terrible news, and they face their biggest challenge of the night.

My Brother (Written and Directed by Misa Tupou, 8 min.)
Stunning Hawai’i frames this touching drama about a Tongan and Samoan brother and sister at rugby practice. Recovering from a recent injury and rejected from yet another university, Alofa is ready to give up. Meanwhile, her brother Malu races against time to encourage his sister and pass on life lessons before it’s too late.

Liberty of Jewels (Written and Directed by Keanu Jones, 13 min.)
Gilbert Etsitty is a financially strained Navajo father who works as a clerk for Jeff’s Trading Post in Gallup, New Mexico. Tested by Jeff, his manipulative boss, Gilbert struggles to gain autonomy for the sake of his relationship with his daughter.

Butterfly/Bataplai (Written, Produced, and Directed by Veialu Aila-Unsworth, 8 min.)
Raya loves makeup but her family does not. Torn between her secret dream of becoming a makeup artist and her family’s strict religious beliefs, she receives a profound message from a Papua New Guinean ancestor who encourages her to look at her Indigenous culture for answers.

This event is presented in conjunction with LA SKINS FEST, a film festival that provides opportunities and outlets for Native American filmmakers and offers additional programming to encourage them, including a monthly writers group, monthly directors workshop, and youth multimedia workshops. 

Related events: 

LA SKINS FEST: Bad Press
Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 7 p.m.
Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108
For more info, click HERE.

LA SKINS FEST: Frybread Face and Me
Monday, October 14, 2024, at 7 p.m.
Norris Cinema Theatre
For more info, click HERE.

Presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Outside the Box (Office), USC Visions and Voices, and the LA SKINS FEST. 

Images: Butterfly/Bataplai, 2023; Woman Who Blooms at Night, 2023; My Brother, 2023; Liberty of Jewels, 2022; River Bank (Pō-Kehgeh), 2023; Four Nights and a Fire, 2023; Camping, 2023