Malinda Maynor Lowery's Creative Shorts Fellowship & Production of "Lumbeeland."
Vision Maker Media's Creative Shorts Fellowship has recently wrapped up a fellowship for "Lumbeeland," written & produced by malinda maynor lowery (Lumbee).
The CSF production LUMBEELAND is about Dollar, a quick-tempered Lumbee single father and dealer raised to fear his grandfather. When his grandfather yanks the family business out from under him, Dollar must prove his worth and restore his family.”
Lowery is an award-winning author and filmmaker. She mentors, teaches, and collaborates to build bridges inside and outside of institutions. She shared “I convene people to re-imagine commemorative spaces and create media that re-writes old narratives and shapes policy.”
She is a member of the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina. “My membership in the Lumbee tribe has shaped my scholarship and filmmaking for my entire career. From a young age my parents instilled in me pride and love for being Lumbee. My family made every effort to ensure that I remained connected to our people and our culture. I carry this insider/outsider awareness into my work.”
Lowery shared that the film was being produced in the middle of unprecedented tragedies in the Lumbee community. Incidents of unintentional misuse of powerful pain relievers and look-alike substances, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes, coincided with a rise in domestic brutalities linked to substance use.
Senseless tragedies serve as stark reminders of a flawed system that disproportionately impacts the marginalized. This story sheds light on the social injustices faced by Native communities.
There are native communities who have been dealing with the impact of the unintentional misuse of powerful pain relievers on tribal lands. LUMBEELAND explores the link between dependence on certain substances and the networks that supply them.
Cynthia Hill is a Durham, NC-based filmmaker known for crafting story-driven and visually-rich documentaries that chronicle the complex details of everyday lives. Hill was the mentor throughout Lowry’s fellowship where she offered guidance, experience, and mentorship throughout the production process.
The film has already been through a number of Film Festivals, and Vision Maker Media wants to say congratulations to Malinda, Cynthia, and the rest of the production crew on your completion of LUMBEELAND.
This is a list of film festivals that “Lumbeeland” has taken part in:
- DC Independent Film Festival (Washington, DC)
- Red Dirt Film Festival (Stillwater, OK)
- Dreamspeakers Film Festival (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
- Longleaf Film Festival (Raleigh, NC)
- *AWARD WINNER* Native American Heritage Celebration Best Production Award
- Lumbee Film Festival (Pembroke NC)
To learn more about Lumbeeland or to donate to the production please visit: www.malindalowery.com/lumbeeland
If you’re interested in applying for the Creative Shorts Fellowship, please visit our website to learn more: Creative Shorts Fellowship – Vision Maker Media.
In grateful appreciation, the Creative Shorts Fellowship is supported by The Reva & David Logan Foundation and The Claire M. Hubbard Foundation.
