Art Chowder January | February, Issue 25 | Page 62

“T
he SAGA grant gave us the ability to get started, and it
gave us the courage to approach the Spokane and Kalispel tribes
and ask for their help,” said Abrahamson. “It also gave them a
reason to take us seriously,” resulting in both tribes contributing
grants toward finishing and releasing the film.
From the beginning, the filmmakers knew that one of their biggest
goals was to get the film accepted to a respected film festival. Their
hard work was rewarded when Red Road was accepted into Skins
Fest, the biggest Native American film festival in the country.
It screened at the 2018 festival in Los Angeles during Native
American Heritage month. Screening the film at a prominent
festival “showed us that the film entertained the audience we
intended it to,” Abrahamson said. The filmmakers also held a local
screening and Q&A at the Garland Theater, which saw a strong
turnout and positive audience feedback.
In terms of what’s next for the filmmakers, Abrahamson points
out that some of the work they’re doing now was a direct result
of being awarded the SAGA grant and making Red Road. After
finishing the feature film, Counting Coup Media was immediately
hired to create short films for Camas Path’s new campaign, and
because they did well on that project, they were also asked to run a
two-week video camp in the summer of 2019.
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE