Film Interns 2016
Ericha Casey’s film production, “Ericha’s Huckleberry Project” has been selected by the Pechanga Tribe of California to be screened at their upcoming film festival competition.

Ericha was one of four emerging Native filmmakers who received film production training from producer Larry Johnson and Mentor Tiyana Casey during Wisdom’s Native Climate Film Academy earlier this year. Special thanks to Rupert Ayton, Vice President at Native Arts and Cultures Foundation for entering Ericha’s film into the competition.

This project provided advance training to four emerging Native filmmakers. Their final productions were presented by Don Sampson from ATNI at the 2nd Annual Tribal Leaders Summit on Climate Change which was held on September 13 & 14th in Tulalip, Washington. When we asked one of the interns, Meadow Wheaton (Nez Perce) about her decision to become an emerging Native filmmaker, she explained her motivation. “My great grandmother is a traditional gatherer of the camas root, but due to changes in the climate the food source is becoming difficult to find.”

As a result of this, our first year of providing this Native Film Academy to our community, Wisdom is now planning to provide annual Emerging Native Filmmaker Academies. Wisdom’s collaborative media project was funded by Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org) and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (http://www.atnitribes.org/atni-climate-change-project). You can screen these films at the ATNI link above. Special thanks to our exemplary partners — because without their generous support, this project would not have been possible.