AIFI Presents: First Sundays w/ Feat Film "Powwow Highway"

EVENT

The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) in partnership with Motorama at The Downs Santa Fe is proud to present First Sundays, an Indigenous film experience highlighting a collection of films from AIFI's 45+ year history. Featuring Indigenous vendor's and traditional food, First Sundays will take place every month, beginning Sunday, June 6. Tickets are 20% off for this special event! 

Come join us and celebrate Indigenous Cinema at its finest at the Drive-In!

About AIFI:

Founded in 1975, the mission of the American Indian Film Institute is to foster understanding and appreciation of the culture, traditions, and issues facing contemporary Native Americans. AIFI encourages filmmakers whose work expresses the native voices, viewpoints, and stories historically excluded from mainstream media; develops stories historically excluded from mainstream media; creates audiences for their work; and advocates for authentic representation of American Indians in the media. 

FEATURE FILM

Powwow Highway, Starring - Gary Farmer, A Martinez, Joanelle Romero 

Buddy Red Bow is struggling, in the face of persecution, by greedy developers and political in-fighting, to keep his nation on a Montana Cheyenne Reservation financially solvent and independent. Philbert, a simple-minded friend of Buddy's, ardently pursues Native American/First Nation wisdom and lore wherever he can find it--even on Bonanza--in order to earn his warrior name. He's even got his war pony, Protector: a beat-up old wreck of a car. Buddy's sister has been arrested in Santa Fe, and together Buddy and Philbert set off on a road trip to look after her kids and go bail her out. However, Bonnie's arrest has something strange about it as her friend Rabbit points out. As the miles roll by, Philbert's faith challenges Buddy's hard-edged view of the world (and occasional bout of reckless violence), and together they face the realities and dreams of being Cheyenne in the modern-day US as they fight to free Bonnie and her children and elude the Feds.

OPENING PROGRAM

*IAIA Film Submission

MUSIC VIDEO - Don't Let Go 

Edited by Lonnie Begaye - Directed by Freedom Hopkins - Song by Tone Ranger

Lonnie R Begaye, Diné filmmaker from the Navajo Reservation and is a recent graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His prime focus on storytelling, cinematography, and directing. Occasionally, Lonnie loves to be a photographer and tell stories through still images on his spare time. Currently, he is working on a current film production taking place on the Navajo Nation.

Instagram - @lonnie_ron98

SHORT FILM - Ronnie BoDean 

Directed by Steven Paul Judd - Starring Wes Studi

Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa/Choctaw) is an award-winning contemporary visual artist and filmmaker. In 2008, Judd was  selected for the Disney/ABC Writing Fellowship Program in Los Angeles. A member of the Writers Guild of America, Judd went on to serve as a staff writer for Disney XD’s comedy series “Zeke and Luther.”  As a visual artist, Judd works across mediums—from canvases to Photoshop to sides of buildings. Judd’s innovative style has earned him a United States Artists Hatch Fellow in Media in 2016 and an Emmy nomination in 2017 and 2019. His Andy Warhol-like “War Paint” mural graces historic Indian Alley in downtown Los Angeles. Judd’s comedic fiction novel The Last Pow-Wow, co-written with Thomas Yeahpau, was published in 2016. Judd is a business partner of TheNTVS.com, a premium Native American streetwear clothing line. Based in Oklahoma City, Judd frequently travels for speaking engagements, and to teach workshops on stop-motion animation and mosaic painting at schools and universities across the country. in 2018 Judd was in development on a tv show with HBO and Judd’s podcast “That Could Be A Movie” is in development at American Public Media.

Website - https://stoodis.com/

SHORT FILM - Powwow Highway: LEGO Movie 

Directed by Jonathan Thunder 

Jonathan Thunder was born in 1977 in the small hospital at the Red Lake Ojibwe Nation in northern Minnesota. Having grown up in the twin cities, Thunder infuses his Ojibwe perspectives with real-time experiences using a wide range of mediums. He is known for his large scale paintings with surreal imagery, as well as animated films and installations in which he addresses subject matter from loss and recovery of Indigenous sovereignty, environmental welfare, and humorous social commentary. 

He has attended the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM and studied Visual Effects and Motion Graphics in Minneapolis, MN at the Art Institute International. His work has been featured in many state, regional, and national exhibitions, as well as in local and international publications. Thunder is the recipient of a 2020 Pollock – Krasner Foundation Award for painting. He has won several awards for his short films in national and international competitions.

Website - https://thunderfineart.com/

TICKETING INFO

Ticketing for this event is charged per person NOT per vehicle. One DRIVER TICKET must be purchased in order to attend and reserve a parking space. A PASSENGER TICKET must be purchased for all people in each vehicle at the same tier price as the Driver.

Each space is 27ft wide x 20ft long (equal to 3 parking spaces). Guests are allowed to sit outside the vehicle (bring chairs, sit in the back of a truck bed, etc.) and outside food/snacks ARE allowed -> (NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOL).

We open the gate 2 hours prior to the start of the show so you can enjoy the scenery and have a good time in your designated space. Stay tuned for vendor and food truck announcements!

TICKET PRICES

DELUXE - $10 PER PERSON + TAX

PRIME - $8 PER PERSON + TAX

GENERAL - $6 PER PERSON + TAX

ECONOMY - $4 PER PERSON + TAX

STUDENT (12-17 YRS) - $3

CHILD (5-11 YRS) - $2

UNDER 4 YRS - FREE

***DRIVER TICKETS HAVE A PARKING FEE ADDED TO THEIR TICKET. THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO PASSENGERS.

MOTORAMA RULES

No weapons of ANY kind including but not limited to: Firearms & Knives

No outside alcohol

No smoking or vaping

No animals (service/support animals only)

Obey all posted signs & barriers

Follow COVID-19 Guidelines

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

Refer to "MOTORAMA AT THE DOWNS TERMS AND CONDITIONS, RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTION OF RISK" for full terms of entrance.