The American Indian Film Festival is an annual non-profit film festival in San Francisco, California, United States. It is the world’s oldest venue dedicated solely to Native American/First Nations films and prepared the way for the 1979 formation of the American Indian Film Institute.
According to the Institute, the festival debuted in Seattle, Washington in 1975. It relocated to San Francisco in 1977, where it continues to be held. The festival was incorporated in 1979.
More than 3,100 films from Native American and First Nations Communities in the U.S. and Canada have been screened. The festival features events including film screenings, panel discussions, an awards ceremony, and networking opportunities.
This festival is not to be confused with the Native American Film and Video Festival, which was founded in 1979.
American Indian Film Festival Winners List:
Here is the list of American Indian Film Festival Winners of Best Film Award:–
| Year | Film | Producers |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Loyalties | William Johnston and Ronald Lillie |
| 1988 | Journey to Spirit Island | Bruce D. Clark and Rodger Spero |
| 1989 | Powwow Highway | Jan Weiringa |
| 1990 | Dances With Wolves | Jim Wilson and Kevin Costner |
| 1992 | Incident at Oglala | Arthur Chobanian |
| 1993 | Medicine River | Barbara Allinson, John Danylkiw and Arvi Liimatainen |
| 1994 | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Fred Berner |
| 1995 | Dance Me Outside | Brian Dennis |
| 1996 | Grand Avenue | Tony To |
| 1998 | Smoke Signals | Larry Estes |
| 1999 | Unbowed | Lisa Karadjian and Nanci Rossov |
| 2000 | Backroads | Shirley Cheechoo, Phyllis Ellis and Christine K. Walker |
| 2001 | The Doe Boy | Chris Eyre and Anthony Vozza |
| 2002 | Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner | Paul Apak Angilirq, Norman Cohn, Zacharias Kunuk and Germaine Wong |
| 2003 | Dreamkeeper | Ron McLeod and Matthew O’Connor |
| 2004 | Edge of America | Chris Eyre and Willy Holtzman |
| 2005 | Johnny Tootall | Cynthia Chapman and Danielle Prohom Olson |
| 2006 | Expiration Date | John Forsen and Rick Stevenson |
| 2007 | Imprint | Chris Eyre and Michael Linn |
| 2008 | Before Tomorrow | Stéphane Rituit |
| 2009 | Barking Water | Chad Burris |
| 2010 | A Windigo Tale | Armand Garnet Ruffo |
| 2011 | Shouting Secrets | Josef Ueli Bollag and Korinna Sehringer |
| 2012 | Mesnak | Reginald Vollant |
| 2013 | Maïna | Yves Fortin and Karine Martin |
| 2014 | Drunktown’s Finest | Chad Burris and Mateo Frazier |
| 2015 | Mekko | Chad Burris and Jasper Zweibel |
| 2016 | Before the Streets | Chloé Leriche |
| 2017 | Wind River | Elizabeth A. Bell, Peter Berg, Matthew George, Basil Iwanyk and Wayne L. Rogers |
| 2018 | Angelique’s Isle | Amos Adetuyi, Dave Clement, Michelle Derosier and Floyd Kane |
| 2019 | Edge of the Knife | Jonathan Frantz |
| 2020 | Monkey Beach | Loretta Todd, Patti Poskitt, Carla Robinson, Fred Fuchs, Matthew O’Connor, Lisa Richardson |
| 2021 | Run Woman Run | Paula Devonshire, Laura Milliken, PJ Thornton |
| 2022 | Broken Angel | Patti Poskitt, Jules Arita Koostachin, Anne Wheeler |
Here is the list of American Indian Film Festival Winners of the Best Director Award:–
| Year | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Randy Redroad | The Doe Boy |
| 2002 | Zacharias Kunuk | Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner |
| 2003 | Norma Bailey | Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story |
| 2004 | Chris Eyre | Edge of America |
| 2005 | Aaron James Sorensen | Hank Williams First Nation |
| 2006 | Zacharias Kunuk, Norman Cohn | The Journals of Knud Rasmussen |
| 2007 | Sterlin Harjo | Four Sheets to the Wind |
| 2008 | Georgina Lightning | Older Than America |
| 2009 | Kevin Wilmott | The Only Good Indian |
| 2010 | Jeremy Torrie | A Flesh Offering |
| 2011 | Andrew Okpeaha MacLean | On the Ice |
| 2012 | Jeremy Torrie | Path of Souls |
| 2013 | Alex Smith, Andrew J. Smith | Winter in the Blood |
| 2014 | Jeff Barnaby | Rhymes for Young Ghouls |
| 2015 | Chloe Zhao | Songs My Brothers Taught Me |
| 2016 | Nathan Frankowski | Te Ata |
| 2017 | Marie Clements | The Road Forward |
| 2018 | Zoe Leigh Hopkins | Kayak to Klemtu |
| 2019 | Marie Clements | Red Snow |
| 2020 | Loretta Todd | Monkey Beach |
| 2021 | Trevor Mack | Portraits from a Fire |
| 2022 | Jason Brennan | The Inhuman |
Here is the list of American Indian Film Festival Winners of the Best Actor Award:–
| Year | Actor | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | James Duval | The Doe Boy |
| 2002 | Natar Ungalaaq | Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner |
| 2003 | August Schellenberg | Dreamkeeper |
| 2004 | George Leach | Distant Drumming |
| 2005 | Adam Beach | Johnny Tootall |
| 2006 | Robert A. Guthrie | Expiration Date |
| 2007 | Cody Lightning | Four Sheets to the Wind |
| 2008 | Trevor Duplessis | In a World Created by a Drunken God |
| 2009 | Wes Studi | The Only Good Indian |
| 2010 | John Cook | Of Mice and Men |
| 2011 | Chaske Spencer | Shouting Secrets |
| 2012 | Victor Andrés Trelles Turgeon | Mesnak |
| 2013 | Chaske Spencer | Winter in the Blood |
| 2014 | Glen Gould | Rhymes for Young Ghouls |
| 2015 | Rod Rondeaux | Mekko |
| 2016 | Gil Birmingham | Te Ata |
| 2017 | Graham Greene | Wind River |
| 2018 | Lorne Cardinal | Kayak to Klemtu |
| 2019 | Tyler York | Edge of the Knife |
| 2020 | Adam Beach | Monkey Beach |
| 2021 | Stormee Kipp | Sooyii |
| 2022 | Samian | The Inhuman |
Here is the list of American Indian Film Festival Winners of the Best Actress Award:–
| Year | Actress | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Jeri Arredondo | The Doe Boy |
| 2002 | Lucy Tulugarjuk | Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner |
| 2003 | Alex Rice | Coyote Waits |
| 2004 | Tina Keeper | Distant Drumming |
| 2005 | Stacy Da Silva | Hank Williams First Nation |
| 2006 | Andrea Menard | The Velvet Devil |
| 2007 | Tonantzin Carmelo | Imprint |
| 2008 | Candy Fox | Moccasin Flats: Redemption |
| 2009 | Casey Camp-Horinek | Barking Water |
| 2010 | Andrea Menard | A Windigo Tale |
| 2011 | Michelle St. John | Every Emotion Costs |
| 2012 | Ève Ringuette | Mesnak |
| 2013 | Roseanne Supernault | Maïna |
| 2014 | Cara Gee | Empire of Dirt |
| 2015 | Ève Ringuette | Le Dep |
| 2016 | Imajyn Cardinal | The Saver |
| 2017 | Devery Jacobs | The Sun at Midnight |
| 2018 | Julia Jones | Angelique’s Isle |
| 2019 | Lake Delisle | Rustic Oracle |
| 2020 | Grace Dove | Monkey Beach |
| 2021 | Dakota Ray Hebert | Run Woman Run |
| 2022 | Sera-Lys McArthur | Broken Angel |
American Indian Film Festival 2023 Winners List:
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