A wide variety of native cultures will be displayed this weekend at the third annual Heard Museum Film Festival. A collection of 55 shorts and features will focus on native history and contemporary stories.

“We’re trying to educate the public about issues that are relevant to native people and to draw parallels among the native populations around the world,” says Wendy Weston, Heard Museum education program specialist.

The films span cultures from Australian aboriginal to Pacific Islander, and prominent subject matter includes land issues and language preservation.

On Saturday, about 25 student films will be shown.

“The students are challenging stereotypical perceptions of who, what and how (native people) should be through their work,” Weston says.
One student director is Nanobah Becker, a graduate student at Columbia University. Her short, “Flat,” focuses on a Chicano mother and daughter who get a flat tire while traveling.

“If you’re a ‘native’ filmmaker, the world is open to you, and you can do whatever,” Becker says. “You don’t have to be forced to comment on your culture all the time.”

Larry Blackhorse Lowe drew on his Navajo culture experiences to make
“Fifth World,” which was featured at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and will close the show.

It’s a love story between two Navajos who face obstacles in their relationship because of the clans they belong to. “(My films’ subjects) are what interests me and what I know firsthand,” Lowe says. “Fifth World” has been seen all over the world, including Norway, Brazil and New York.

Weston says the films at the festival have much to teach moviegoers.

“I think if we learn more about one another, that ultimately grows respect for diverse cultures and diverse people,” she says. “The more you learn, the more interesting the world becomes.”