spark & ignite a vision
On August 22nd, Vision Maker Media hosted its highly anticipated hybrid Producers Summit. This year themed as, “Spark & Ignite a Vision.” The event, held at the Choctaw Cultural Center in Calera, OK, and virtually through the Whova app, brought together a vibrant community of filmmakers, producers, and media enthusiasts. We’re thrilled to share that the summit was a tremendous success!
The day was filled with engaging sessions that delved into various aspects of Indigenizing the film industry. Attendees were introduced to ongoing work supported by VMM, like the mentor/mentee relationships within our Creative Shorts Fellowships, to discussions on the future landscape of media through an Indigenous lens—all sparking lively conversations and igniting fresh ideas.
Our current Creative Shorts Fellows had the opportunity to share updates on their projects, giving attendees a glimpse into the exciting developments underway. The summit also featured the premiere of Tides of Tradition, a powerful short film created in collaboration with PBS NOVA and directed by past VMM Native Youth Media Project participant, Kanesia McGlashan-Price. Her film’s debut was a highlight of the day, addressing critical climate issues impacting Indigenous communities.
“Staff and board want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated, both in person and virtually. Your enthusiasm and engagement made the summit a memorable and inspiring experience. We look forward to continuing these conversations and seeing the innovative projects that emerge from this event,” says Francene Blythe-Lewis, VMM President and CEO.
She continues, “A special thank you to the Choctaw Tribe and the Choctaw Cultural Center for being our wonderful, gracious hosts and providing us with a safe and creative space to hold our event. We also want to thank all our filmmakers and producers who came to this summit prepared to SPARK and IGNITE a Vision for more Indigenizing the future of media storytelling!”
If you missed out, don’t worry! You can watch all 5 sessions on our YouTube Channel.
Session 1 - indigenizing & futurizing media
Megan Elliott with filmmaker Jacob Schwitzer discussed the cutting-edge media project that is set to transform public media content as he workshops his project at the 2024 Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts Residency at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality to projection mapping and VFX, the JCC Emerging Media Arts Residency is working with Indigenous filmmakers to indigenize and futurize our media. VMM’s own Leala Pourier also joined to discuss VMM’s hope to re-shape the digital landscape.
Watch now on our YouTube Channel!
Session 2 - our history is our future
Native communities have so much to offer the world with our complex and fascinating legal histories. Meet Katrina Jagodinsky of the University of Nebraska’s Department of History and College of Law who has partnered with VMM and the Institute for Policy, Politics, Law and History to create the Law and Race Initiative funded by the Mellon Foundation. This initiative will award $25,000 to two (2) documentary short film projects that have a compelling Indigenous legal story to share. VMM Board member Phil Hoffman chatted with filmmakers Dan Bigbee and Lily Shangreaux about their legal history project and learned about Katrina’s mission behind this exciting initiative. Be thinking of what Indigenous legal stories need to be shared with the world!
Watch now on our YouTube Channel!
Session 3 - Legacy of the Land
We learned about the spark created by NOVA producer and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma citizen Chris Neighbors that ignited a firestorm of short films that explore thought-provoking Indigenous knowledge and how traditional practices and stewardship are driving today’s climate change solutions. And we heard Kanesia McGlashan-Price talk about her experience producing “Tides of Tradition” for NOVA’s digital series “Legacy of the Land”, in conjunction with the 3-part documentary series, “Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine”.
Watch now on our YouTube Channel!
Session 4 - partnerships with firelight media
Firelight Media knows a thing or two about burning down a broken system. For over 20 years, Firelight has supported and advocated for independent filmmakers and offers an array of programs geared toward community storytelling. We met with Monika Navarro, Senior Director of Artist Programs, and filmmakers Colleen Thurston and Brooke Pepion Swaney as they discussed their projects and how Firelight Media offered them additional opportunities to push their projects forward.
Watch now on our YouTube Channel!
Session 5 - The mentor/mentee relationship
We met the Mentor/Mentee team for the short film The Love for the Game. We heard how VMM’s Creative Shorts Fellowship has helped emerging filmmakers through the production process as they hurdle the obstacles that are inevitable in filmmaking and we got inspired by Josiah’s spark that ignited his dream.
Watch now on our YouTube Channel!
thank you to our sponsors:
thank you to our Participants:
