Sarasota Native American Film Festival

On January 24–25, 2020, the inaugural Sarasota Native American Film Festival took place on the campus of New College of Florida, marking the city’s first dedicated celebration of Native American and Indigenous peoples’ stories through film, music, and cultural exchange.

Presented by the Boxser Diversity Initiative (BDI) and the Sarasota Film Festival, in collaboration with New College, the American Indian Movement of Florida, and Path Legacy, the two-day festival offered the Sarasota community a unique opportunity to learn about Native American life, history, and contemporary issues. The event featured an array of film screenings, workshops, conversations with filmmakers and special guests, Native American music and dance performances, and food reflecting Indigenous traditions.

The festival’s film lineup included Buffalo Hunt, a documentary exploring the lives, traditions, and homes of the Lakota people; Moses on the Mesa, the true story of a German immigrant who became governor of the Acoma tribe in the late 1800s; Music on the Road; and Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. Each screening was followed by interactive discussions with filmmakers, producers, and, in some cases, the subjects of the films themselves.

A highlight of the festival was the visit of Julian Bear Runner, then 34-year-old president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe—part of the Lakota, one of the largest tribes in the Great Sioux Nation. Bear Runner participated in an in-depth conversation on the socio-economic and political challenges facing Native Americans today, including the deep poverty on the Pine Ridge Reservation (located in Oglala Lakota County, the poorest in the United States), low life expectancy, and high rates of alcoholism, diabetes, and suicide. He also attended the Buffalo Hunt screening and visited local high schools to speak directly with students about the realities of Native American life.

Other notable guests included Buffalo Hunt producer Phillip O’Leary, New College Global English professor Jessica Young, Navajo/Hopi musician JJ Otero, and Lowery Begay, a Navajo world champion hoop dancer and flutist, who contributed to the festival’s vibrant cultural programming.

Petra Ratner, the Sarasota Film Festival’s director of development and producer of Moses on the Mesa, noted the community’s longstanding interest in Native American life and culture. She credited BDI with helping bring the vision for the festival to life, calling it “an unexpected tale of two cultures coming together” and expressing hopes to make the event an annual Sarasota tradition.

All screenings and events were free and open to the public, though seating was limited and advance registration was recommended. The inaugural Sarasota Native American Film Festival generated strong local excitement and set the stage for continued cultural dialogue and celebration in the years ahead.

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