INDIGENOUS STAR FILMS: CELESTIAL ANIMATIONS & FEATURE "WILFRED BUCK"
Wilfred Buck film banner. Courtesy of Door Number 3 Productions Inc.
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Guthrie Green Lawn
111 Reconciliation Way, Tulsa, OK 74103
Join the Tulsa Artist Fellowship for an evening of "Indigenous Star Films" under the night sky. The program will feature the family-friendly animation series "Star Stories" created by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, "Sun & The Great Frog" (2017, Tsalagi Language, English Subtitles) by Joseph Erb (Cherokee), "The Story of the Northern Lights" (2016, Cree Language, English Subtitles) by the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. (MFNERC), and the Oklahoma premiere of the hybrid feature documentary "Wilfred Buck" (2024) by Lisa Jackson (Anishinaabe).
Film introductions by Tulsa Film Collective's Jessica McEver and special guest, award-winning actor, and Cherokee language speaker Wes Studi.
Snacks and drinks by neighboring businesses Antoinette Bakery & Cafe, Idea Red General Store, and En Fuego Tulsa.
BLANKETS AND PORTABLE CHAIRS ARE ENCOURAGED
EVENT SCHEDULE
6:30 PM - 6:45 PM
The audience can gather on the film lawn and refreshments open.
6:45 PM - 7:00 PM
Celestial Animations (2017-2019) | 15 min
FAMILY-FRIENDLY, ALL AGES WELCOME
Star Stories were produced by the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian as part of the exhibition "Our Universe: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World" in 2019.
Star Stories: The Star That Does Not Move (2019, USA)
A Paiute story about the North Star, created by the god Shinh when his goat-son Na-gah is trapped after climbing to the top of a mountain.Star Stories: Poia's Journey (2019, USA)
The Blackfoot story of Poia, the son of a woman and the Morning Star.Star Stories: The Fox and the Stars (2019, USA)
A Chippewa story describing how a man's pet fox scattered the stars across the sky.Star Stories: The Never-Ending Bear Hunt (2019, USA)
An Iroquois story about three hunters who follow a bear into the sky and become the stars forming the handle of the Big Dipper.
Sun and the Great Frog (2017, USA)
Written/Directed/Animated by Joseph Erb (Cherokee). Cherokee Language with English subtitles. A Cherokee eclipse story about how a great frog tries to swallow the sun
The Story of the Northern Lights (2016, CANADA)
Produced by Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre Inc. (MFNERC). Narrator: Wilfred Buck (Cree). In Cree with English subtitles. Wilfred Buck, known as "The Star Guy" for his expertise in First Nations astronomy, shares a childhood story about the Northern Lights.
7:00 PM - 7:15 PM
Short break before the feature film. Refreshments will be available.
7:15 PM - 8:52 PM
Wilfred Buck (2024, CAN) | 1 hr 37 min | Trailer
Special video introduction by Writer & Director Lisa Jackson
MATURE AUDIENCE
ABOUT THE FILM
Seamlessly moving between earth and stars, past and present, Wilfred Buck is a hybrid feature documentary that looks to one man’s life to tell a story that spans generations. Our guide is the charismatic and irreverent Wilfred Buck, a Cree elder and ceremonial leader who came to his calling through a harrowing history of displacement, racism, and addiction in 1960s Canada. Adapted from his memoir and blending verité, archive, and stylized re-enactments, the film charts colonization’s attempts to extinguish Indigenous ways of knowing – and what it means to reconnect with and regain ancient teachings that are as relevant today as ever.
Wilfred Buck is a Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre science facilitator and an Indigenous star lore expert. A member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Buck is known as "the star guy" due to his knowledge of First Nations astronomy. He has researched and consulted with elders to learn more about the astronomical knowledge of the Cree, Ojibway, and Lakota peoples.
Lisa Jackson is a Canadian Screen Award and Genie Award-winning Canadian and Anishinaabe filmmaker. Her films have been broadcast on APTN and Knowledge Network, as well as CBC’s ZeD, Canadian Reflections, and Newsworld, and have screened at festivals including HotDocs, Edinburgh International Film Festival, Melbourne, Worldwide Short Film Festival, and Berlin International Film Festival. She’s made more than 20 films, including multi-awarded shorts Savage (2009, Berlinale, SXSW), Intemperance (2014, Toronto IFF), and Suckerfish (Hot Docs, Edinburgh IFF, Melbourne IFF).
ABOUT THE INTRODUCERS
Jessica “Jessi” McEver (Cherokee Nation) is an independent film producer, impact strategist, and publicist who collaborates closely with Native American filmmakers, tribes, and studios to build power for Native communities through inclusive representation. Focused on challenging existing systems, she works to create pathways for the next generation of Native creatives. Jessi is also a leader of the Tulsa Film Collective (TFC), helping foster Tulsa's growing film community and supporting emerging filmmakers. She is a mother of two fierce souls, a pun enthusiast, and an eternal optimist.
Wes Studi (Cherokee Nation) is a trailblazing actor and a powerful advocate for Indigenous representation in film. With an acting career spanning over three decades, Studi is known for his intense and nuanced portrayals of Indigenous characters in iconic films like The Last of the Mohicans, Dances with Wolves, and Avatar. In 2019, he made history as the first Native American actor to receive an Academy Award for lifetime achievement, recognizing his outstanding contributions to cinema.
Beyond acting, Studi is deeply connected to his Cherokee heritage, being a fluent speaker of the Cherokee language. His dedication to preserving and promoting Indigenous languages is a testament to his commitment to cultural continuity and storytelling. Studi's ability to seamlessly blend his language knowledge with his acting has brought authentic Indigenous narratives to the forefront, making him a respected figure both within and outside the Native American community.
Star Stories: The Never-Ending Bear Hunt, Still. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
ABOUT TULSA ARTIST FELLOWSHIP
With the belief that arts are critical to the advancement of cultural citizenship, Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists and arts workers in the heart of Oklahoma’s Green Country. Socially invested artistic practitioners live and work here, intentionally engaging with our city.
ABOUT GUTHRIE GREEN
With the belief that arts are critical to the advancement of cultural citizenship, Tulsa Artist Fellowship supports artists and arts workers in the heart of Oklahoma’s Green Country. Socially invested artistic practitioners live and work here, intentionally engaging with our city.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Guthrie Green is a privately owned and operated facility. We appreciate your full compliance in abiding by our posted rules and for being respectful to our premises, neighbors, and performers. Guthrie Green in Tulsa is designed to be accessible and welcoming to everyone.
Tulsa Artist Fellowship is a cultural initiative of the George Kaiser Family Foundation. Open House programs are made possible, in part, by The Bush Hughes Foundation for Progress. Special thanks to the dedicated staff, visionary awardees, artistic contributors, cultural partners, media platforms, presenters, culinary experts, and champions for supporting this ambitious weekend.
