American Indian films will grace the big screen during a three-day showcase Thursday through Saturday at the new UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle.
The American Indian Film Institute and the Ak-Chin Indian Community will present the “Best of the American Indian Film Festival,” which will feature full-day viewings of films, a chance to meet the actors and filmmakers and provide a cultural experience with the Native American filmmaking community.
The film festival will debut a series of short films as well as four, full-length feature films in this benefit screening. One film, the spiritual Western “West of Thunder,” will be featured Friday. Its co-writer and star, Dan Davies, will be in Maricopa to introduce his award-winning film.
“West of Thunder” won the 2012 Best Film (Peace) and Best Film (Human Rights) given by the Political Film Society of Hollywood, beating out among others George Lucas’ “Red Tails.”
The movie is set in Wounded Knee, S. D. in 1899 and chronicles mysterious stranger Henry Seed’s visit to the small town on the outskirts of the Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation. He brings with him a terrible resolve. When deadly events that strike a similar cord as the ones had been put upon the Native Lakota people begin to occur, everything seems to point to Seed.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from this film, which will be nationally distributed by Indican Pictures, will go to build a Cambridge-accredited performing arts school.
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