OU Professor Joshua Nelson Filmmaker Lauren Waters talks about her film . “ We really made a conscious effort to make it very international . We wanted to engage people outside of Oklaho- film studies , he recognized a gap in the distribution of native films .
ma with similar issues , but we have also really been quite intentional about privileging native Oklahoma ,” Nelson said .
“ Indigenous filmmakers make a lot of short films ,” Nelson said , “ but they really suffered from a lack of distribution .” Nelson wanted to find a way to bring indigenous films to Norman . With the assistance of colleagues from across campus , the College of Arts and Sciences , the Chickasaw Nation , and others , the Native Crossroads Film Festival was born . In its tenth year , it was able to return in person . Due to COVID , the festival was canceled in 2020 . The following year , 2021 , films were available to be screened virtually . This year , 2022 , the Native Crossroads Film Festival opened on April 1 , 7:00 pm , at the main branch of the Norman Public Library . Nelson hopes that the opportunity to screen additional films will occur throughout 2022 .
Choosing films to be screened is a time-consuming process . Several months prior to the public screening in Norman , staff are sent to various indigenous film festivals , including New Mexico and Toronto . The staff reviews films and promotes the Crossroads Native Film Festival . Films from all over the world have been chosen to share here in Norman .
Films from all over the United States as well as Australia , New Guinea , and Canada have been screened in Norman . Nelson is certain that this trend will continue . The format of the film festival may be changing , though . Instead of offering multiple films over a three-day period , offering a single screening multiple times throughout the year might be more feasible for the Crossroads leadership team , as well as for viewers . Ms Waters appreciated the screening in Norman as well .
“ The film is beautiful . As Native People , we are so often asked to live in trauma . This film is part of the healing process that is needed for Native People .”
Francis Danger , member Muskogee and Seminole Tribes
“ I have my film family in Tulsa , where I work ,” she said , “ so it was powerful to have the screening in Norman , where my family and friends could watch it with me .”
The Native Crossroads Film Festival thanks all of its partners ( OU Film and Media Studies , OU Native American Studies , The Chickasaw Nation , OU Dodge Family of Arts and Sciences , OU Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost , Norman Arts Council , and the Norman Public Library System ) for making the festival possible .
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