Triangle Native American Film Festival Draws Crowd to Raleigh's Rialto Theatre
The Triangle Native American Society's second annual festival screened Indigenous-made short films, documentaries and features Saturday, followed by a panel on tribal law and policy.
The Triangle Native American Society held its second annual Triangle Native American Film Festival on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Rialto Theatre in Raleigh, screening Indigenous-made short films, documentaries and features to attendees who gathered outside the historic theater on Glenwood Avenue.
The program, published by the Rialto, ran from doors-open at 11 a.m. through a 6 p.m. panel discussion, and included the animated short "Pow," the 90-minute film "Sweet Summer Pow Wow," the PBS documentary "A Sacred Thread," the short "Borders," the feature "Seeds," and the film "Reservation Redemption," followed by a panel on tribal law and policy presented by Current Tribal Law & Policy. A midday break included a catered reception for VIP ticket holders with food from Atkowa Catering.
In a piece published on the festival's importance, the Triangle Native American Society said the event was created "to inspire creativity, representation, and self-belief," with a goal of showcasing Indigenous stories told by, starring, and created by Native people rather than stories told about them. Festival organizer Trey Roberts, a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, wrote that the festival aims to address a gap in mainstream media representation and to inspire younger members of Native communities to pursue creative careers in filmmaking. "To see these films is to be seen," the organization said. "To feel seen is to feel inspired — to feel connected."
This is the second year the Triangle Native American Society has organized the festival, according to the organization.