The American Indian Film Festival celebrated 30 years this month and with the milestone came yet another award for talented Director Shirley Cheechoo.
Cheechoo’s film, Johnny Tootall, took home Best Feature Film in the award ceremony in San Francisco on November 12.
Hank Williams First Nation and Sleepdancer were the other nominees.
Cheechoo, who is a James Bay Cree, was unavailable for comment as she was in New Zealand showcasing her film for their festival.
She was also up for best director, but unfortunately for her was beaten out by Aaron James Sorensen (Hank Williams First Nation).
Moose Factory’s Paul Rickard showcased two of his films, Aboriginal Architecture and Winter Chill. The latter was up for Best Live Short, but lost out to Chris Eyre’s A Thousand Roads.
The festival also screened the Rezolution Pictures documentary Mohawk Girls.
Here are the nominees and winners (with asteriks) of the 30th annual American Indian Film Festival:
BEST FEATURE FILM
*Johnny Tootall (Shirley Cheechoo, Director)
Hank Williams First Nation (Aaron Sorensen Director)
Sleepdancer (Rodrick Pocowatchit, Director)
BEST DIRECTOR
Shirley Cheechoo (Johnny Tootall)
*Aaron James Sorensen (Hank Williams First Nation)
Rodrick Pocowatchit (Sleepdancer)
BEST ACTOR
*Adam Beach (Johnny Tootall)
Gordon Tootoosis (Hank Williams First Nation)
Rodrick Pocowatchit (Sleepdancer)
BEST ACTRESS
Alex Rice (Johnny Tootall)
*Stacy Da Silva (Hank Williams First Nation)
Sheila Tousey (Johnny Tootall)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
*Nathaniel Arcand (Johnny Tootall)
Bernard Starlight (Hank Williams First Nation)
Mark Wells (Sleepdancer)
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
*Trudell (Heather Rae, Director)
Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (Roberta Grossman, Director)
Aleut Story (Marla Williams, Director)
The Tunguska Project (Gisele Gordon, Director)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Qallunajatut (Jobie Weetaluktuk, Director)
Two Worlds Colliding (Tasha Hubbard, Director)
The Samala People (Gary Robinson, Director)
*The Salt Song Trail (Esther Figueroa, Director)
BEST LIVE SHORT The Winter Chill (Paul M. Rickard, Director)
Grace (Darwyn Roanhorse, Director)
*A Thousand Roads (Chris Eyre, Director)
The Indigenoid (Brooke Swaney, Director)
BEST PUBLIC SERVICE
A Life Worth Living (Peter von Puttkamer, Director)
*The Gift of Diabetes (Brion Whitfor, Director)
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
*Tamara Podemski – Meegwetch (Bruce MacDonald, Director)
Redskin w/ Block Burners – Sunny Days (Winfield Ezell, Director)
