Co-Hosted by Tulsa Artist Fellowship and IllumiNative
2023 Sundance Film Festival x IllumiNative Indigenous House
Tulsa Artist Fellowship and IllumiNative welcome Indigenous filmmakers and allies to the 2023 Sundance Film Festival for a luncheon and talk at IllumiNative Indigenous House. Dylan Brodie, known for his producing roles on the 2023 Sundance Selection "Fancy Dance" and the acclaimed series "Reservation Dogs," will moderate a panel discussion featuring resident Tulsa Artist Fellow awardees Brit Hensel, Kyle Bell, and Blackhorse Lowe on their work and creative process, including short clip screenings of recent projects, followed by a brief Q&A session.
Over the past five years, filmmaker Kyle Bell has strived to tell the stories of his native people. His work as a director, director of photography, and film editor has included winning a Heartland Emmy award, and his short documentaries such as Dig It If You Can, Defend the Sacred has screened at film festivals worldwide. He was named a 2019 Sundance Indigenous Program Fellow. Most recently, Kyle has been selected by the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative to be mentored by cinema legend Spike Lee for the 2020-2021 film cycle.
Brit Hensel is an Oklahoma-based writer, director, and award-winning filmmaker. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, her work largely explores the environment, language, and her peoples’ connection to the land in Oklahoma (former Indian Territory) and in her ancestral homelands of North Carolina (Qualla Boundary).
Blackhorse Lowe is a filmmaker from the Navajo Nation and a multi-alum of the Sundance Film Institute. A recipient of the Panavision Award, his work has garnered accolades internationally at prominent festivals including Sundance and Tribeca. Recently, he directed and wrote episodes for the groundbreaking FX series “Reservation Dogs” created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi. Lowe is a current Tulsa Artist Fellow and is in development for an epic feature “Lords of the Earth.
Dylan Brodie is from Ramona, Oklahoma - With population: 500. He began editing films in 2008, making his way from local to national film festivals, which led to work on Food Network productions and feature films for both Magnet Releasing and Blumhouse Productions. He later served as UPM and Associate Producer on Sterlin Harjo's feature film, “Mekko,” and produced the series “Flipping The Heartland” for HGTV. Dylan has worked on shows of all sizes including the STARZ series “American Gods,” feature films “The Mule,” “Stillwater,” “Borat Subsequent Movie-film,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” He has been the UPM on commercials for companies including 2K Sports, Dish Network, and Warstic baseball bats featuring Jack White. Dylan continues to produce and production manage diverse projects and recently served as UPM for the Oscar winning A24/Plan B film “Minari,” the Sundance 2023 selection “Fancy Dance,” and is Associate Producer on the Disney/FX television series “Reservation Dogs,” now entering production on its third season in early 2023.
IllumiNative is an unapologetically ambitious and innovative Native women-led organization, grounded in core Native values and community, and guided by research. Their mission is to build power for Native peoples by amplifying contemporary Native voices, stories, and issues to advance justice, equity, and self-determination. They utilize research, narrative and culture change strategies, movement-building, and organizing to disrupt the invisibility of Native peoples, re-educate Americans, and mobilize public support for key Native issues.