Events

Kin Theory is hosting a series of Indigenous media creative events to highlight the importance of databases and communities dedicated to the global majority, as well as people with disabilities, people who are Two Spirit, trans, femme, nonbinary, people who are undocumented, people who are LGBTQIA+, and more. Watch this space and Nia Tero’s social media for new events at international film festivals, academic conferences, community events, and more with our mission-aligned partners

Courtesy of Kiliii Yuyan (Nanai/Hezhe)

Calendar

Kin Theory Office Hours with BGDM

Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 10 – 11 am PDT   

BDGM is a powerful community of BIPOC women and non-binary professionals transforming the documentary industry. They work to disrupt inequity in the film industry by nurturing, amplifying, and investing in the creative capacity and professional success of our members. We love how BGDM works transparently and ethically to support their members, and we learn from them every day as we build Kin Theory. We’re excited to talk with them about the ways in which our work overlaps and compliments each other.

This conversation is FREE, VIRTUAL, and OPEN to Kin Theory members, BGDM members, and friends up to do the work of opening up and strengthening the film and TV industry. Join us if you want to learn more about BGDM, if you think you might benefit from what BGDM has to offer, or if you just like seeing rad people in conversation with each other. Learn more about BGDM on their website: browngirlsdocmafia.org/

 

Our Kin Theory events are free and virtual, but you have to register to receive the Zoom link for the event. REGISTER HERE.

 

Kin Theory Office Hours with Indigenous@Netflix

Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 10 – 11 am PDT   

Indigenous@Netflix is an affinity group within Netflix that provides support for the Indigenous creators who work for the company.

During this session, learn a little bit about what it means to hold Indigenous identity while working at one of biggest streamers (and studios) in the world, and get tips on what to have in your toolkit if you find yourself in a position to pitch to Netflix.

This conversation is FREE, VIRTUAL, and OPEN to Kin Theory members and friends up to do the work of opening up and strengthening the film and TV industry. Respectful questions are welcome; pitches will not be accepted by the Netflix representative present for this event.

 

Our Kin Theory events are free and virtual, but you have to register to receive the Zoom link for the event. REGISTER HERE.

 

Past Events

Kin Theory Office Hours with Erin Lau

Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 10am PT   

Join us on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 10am PT for our next virtual Kin Theory Office Hours event, which will center around a beautiful conversation around the career and imagination of Native Hawaiian filmmaker and Kin Theory member Erin Lau.

Native Hawaiian filmmaker Erin Lau has dedicated her life to creating stories exploring empathy, redemption, and legacy. Erin earned her MFA at Chapman University and continued her growth through opportunities with the Sundance Institute, Film Independent, Tribeca Studios, MTV, Points North Institute, and Nia Tero’s 4th World Fellowship. Her short films have screened in over 50 festivals across the world and collected multiple accolades, including ALL I EVER WANTED winning Best Comedy at the 2022 Hollyshorts Film Festival, and most recently, INHERITANCE winning the Oscar-Qualifying Best Hawaiʻi Short Award at the 42nd Hawaiʻi International Film Festival. Outside of her scripted work, Erin also worked for three years as a Senior Producer-Director for Jubilee Media, where her videos accumulated over 130 million views.
 
Learn more about Erin and watch her short films at: erinlaufilms.com

Our Kin Theory events are free and virtual, but you have to register to receive the Zoom link for the event. REGISTER HERE.

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10am PT   

Join us on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at 10am PT for our next virtual Kin Theory Office Hours event. Kin Theory team members will be available for an hour for any community members who want to chat. Feel free to join for the whole hour or just a few minutes to say hi, share what you’re up to, or share a question with the group you’d like to brainstorm.
 
Kin Theory Office Hours sessions are always free, always virtual, and always on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Reserve your spot via our Eventbrite link in advance to receive  access to the Zoom session.
 

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 10am PT 

Join us on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 10am PT for our next virtual Kin Theory Office Hours event. Kin Theory team members will be available for an hour for any community members who want to chat. Feel free to join for the whole hour or just a few minutes to say hi, share what you’re up to, or share a question with the group you’d like to brainstorm.

Kin Theory Office Hours session are always free, always virtual, and always on the 3rd Thursday of each month. You have to reserve your spot via our Eventbrite link to receive a link to the Zoom session.
RESERVE YOUR SPOT:  Click here 

 

Kin Theory DocShop Panel at Big Sky: Caring for Story by Caring for Community

Thursday, February 23, 2023, 11:30AM MT

Kin Theory is headed to Big Sky Documentary Film Festival for the third year in a row! Headed to Missoula in February? Join us!

In the Kin Theory DocShop panel “Caring for Story by Caring for Community,” filmmaker and Nia Tero Managing Director, Storytelling, Tracy Rector will guide a conversation about Indigenous filmmaking practices that center community and accountability that invite respectful collaboration, authentic storytelling, and narrative sovereignty. Our generous panelists including the following Kin Theory members: filmmaker Victoria Cheyenne (Tsitsistas/Aymara), whose film Learning I’m Home is screening at the festival; filmmaker, author, and photographer Ramona Emerson (Navajo Nation), whose novel Shutter was published in 2022; filmmaker David Hernández Palmar (Wayuu, IIPUANA Clan) from If Not Us Then Who? and Reciprocity Project; and Ivan MacDonald (Blackfeet), whose film Snqʷeyłmistn: the place where you do your best is screening at the festival. 

This an IN-PERSON event at the 2023 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, MT. Don’t forget to check out the films at this year’s festival, as well as the great DocShop events at BigSkyFilmFest.org.

 

Kin Theory at InDigital Conference / Mother Tongue Film Festival

Thursday, February 23 – 26, 2023, Washington, D.C.

InDigital is a conference that explores, discusses, and engages with Indigenous media produced across North and South America. Our Kin Theory teammate Michelle Hurtubise will be there on February 23 sharing a paper called T”he growth of Indigenous-led spaces in film festivals and industry networks with the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and Nia Tero’s Kin Theory.” InDigital takes place alongside the Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival, which celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world, highlighting the crucial role languages play in our daily lives. Mother Tongue Film Festival is free to the public and takes place from February 23 until February 26. 

 

 

Kin Theory Community Conversation (Virtual)

Thursday,  January  19, 2023 – 11am PT/ 1 – 2 PM ET

oin the Kin Theory team for the first virtual Office Hours of 2023! Our guest will be Kin Theory member Ciara Lacy, a Native Hawaiian documentary filmmaker whose work has been screened at Sundance and Berlinale, as well as seen on Netflix, PBS, Al Jazeera, and more. Ciara produced the film Is That Black Enough for You?!?, now available on Netflix, and is a Sundance 2022 Momentum Filmmaker Fellow. But there is MUCH more to Ciara’s story, and we can’t wait for you to meet her. Learn more about Ciara on her website, and connect with her on Instagram!

 

Have Questions? Write to us at: 

Kin Theory virtual meet-ups happen on the third Thursday of each month at 10amPT / 1pmET. These get-togethers are for current Kin Theory members, Indigenous creators who are thinking about joining the online community, or non-Indigenous folks interested in working collaboratively and respectfully with members of Kin Theory in support of narrative sovereignty. We can’t wait to see you!

 

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, November 17, 2022 10 – 11am PT/ 1 – 2 PM ET

For Indigenous creatives, creating film and television in community is key to centering culture and tradition, but how do you translate your story from script to screen? One important team member to add to your crew: a storyboard artist. 

 Join us for our next #KinTheory Virtual Office Hours where we’ll be visited by storyboarding artist Joe WIlliams (Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ Dakota, from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate.) Joe will share some of his work with us, talk about the right time for storytellers to engage him for projects, and what it means to him to help Indigenous-focused projects come to life. Joe is also an accomplished muralist and podcaster (5 Plain Questions) currently serving as the Director of the Indigenous Programs at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, North Dakota. 

 Register TODAY for this virtual event in order to get access to the Zoom link!  

 

 

Academic Presentation at American Anthropological Association (AAA) Annual Meeting

Online – November 9 – 13, 2022

Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting a virtual talk entitled “Frontlines Of Change: Trans-Indigenous Awakenings With The 4th World Indigenous Media Lab Fellows” about the continued work of Kin Theory, Nia Tero’s Seedcast podcast, and the 4th World Media Lab Fellows at the 2022 American Anthropological Association (AAA) Annual Meeting. 
 
The theme of the conference is “Unsettling Landscapes.” The conference is taking place both online and in Seattle, WA on Coast Salish Territory November 9-13th.  
 
 This recorded talk will be available online for the duration of the conference with registration. You must be registered for the conference in order to access the talk. Please visit the conference website for event registration requirements or reach out to our team with any access issues.

 

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, October 20, 2022 10 – 11am PT/ 1 – 2 PM ET

Join the Kin Theory team for office hours on the third Thursday of each month at 10amPT / 1pmET. These get-togethers are for current Kin Theory members, Indigenous creators who are thinking about joining the database but have questions, or non-Indigenous folks who are interested in learning more about Kin Theory, working collaboratively and respectfully with the members of Kin Theory, and understanding the importance of Indigenous storytelling and narrative sovereignty. Feel free to join for a few minutes or the whole hour. We can’t wait to see you!

Register here:
Have questions? Write to us at: admin@kintheory.org

 

Kin Theory + IF/Then Shorts at imagineNATIVE

Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 3 PM ET

On October 18, 2022, join Kin Theory and IF/Then Shorts at imagineNATIVE for an interactive workshop entitled “Powerful Practices for Connecting with Partners and Pitching Your Project.” Strong pitching skills are essential for finding collaborators and building a sustainable film career. Join our partners Merrill Sterritt and Caitlin Mae Burke of IF/Then Shorts, alongside Jessica Ramirez of Nia Tero’s Kin Theory, and other special guests for this transparent and unapologetic session. And bring your pitches!  

This will be an in-person event at imagineNATIVE Media + Arts Festival in Toronto, Ontario (Canada.) Attendees will need to buy tickets through imagineNATIVE and will be expected to follow imagineNATIVE’s COVID and other safety protocols for the care of all attending. The time for this event is still being determined. 
 
Get your ticket here  

Kin Theory at Tallgrass Film Festival

Thursday September 29 – 30, 2022 

Meet Kin Theory member and outreach advisor Loren Waters at Tallgrass Film Festival! See her film “Restoring Néške’emāne” on September 29, then join her for the Filmmaker Network Lunch on September 30 to learn more about her work and about Kin Theory.

Tickets for all Tallgrass FF events here.

Kin Theory & Firelight Media at IDA's Getting Real

Wednesday, September 28, 2022 10 – 2 pm PT/ 5 pm ET

Kin Theory’s Michelle Hurtubise will be moderating Firelight Media’s “#BeyondResilience: Indigenous Forms” session at IDA’s Getting Real conference on Wednesday, September 28 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET. Panelists include Julianna Brannum, filmmaker (LaDonna Harris: Indian 101); 

Graciela Pereira de Souza, filmmaker (My Blood is Red); and María Sojob, filmmaker, (Tote_Abuelo). In this session, listen to Indigenous filmmakers from across the Americas sharing concrete examples via their films-in-progress. 

Register here:

 

Kin Theory at Local Sightings Film Festival

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 7 pm PT (in person)

JKin Theory’s Jessica Ramirez will be at Local Sightings Film Festival on Tuesday, September 20 to introduce Nia Tero’s Reciprocity Project films. Join Jessica for the screening, as well as a meet-up after the screening at a local establishment that will be announced at the event. Bring your #KinTheory questions!

Tickets are required to attend the screening; link
Tickets here

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, September 15, 2022, 10 – 11am PT/ 1 – 2 PM ET

Join the Kin Theory team for virtual office hours on the third Thursday of each month at 10amPT / 1pmET. These get-togethers are for current Kin Theory members, Indigenous creators who are thinking about joining the database but have questions, or non-Indigenous folks who are interested in learning more about Kin Theory, working collaboratively and respectfully with the members of Kin Theory, and understanding the importance of Indigenous storytelling and narrative sovereignty. Feel free to join for a few minutes or the whole hour. We can’t wait to see you!

 
Register here:
Have questions? Write to us at: admin@kintheory.org

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, August 18, 2022, 10 – 11am PT/ 1 – 2 PM ET

Join the Kin Theory team for virtual office hours on the third Thursday of each month at 10amPT / 1pmET. These get-togethers are for current Kin Theory members, Indigenous creators who are thinking about joining the database but have questions, or non-Indigenous folks who are interested in learning more about Kin Theory, working collaboratively and respectfully with the members of Kin Theory, and understanding the importance of Indigenous storytelling and narrative sovereignty. Feel free to join for a few minutes or the whole hour. We can’t wait to see you!

Register here:
Have questions? Write to us at: admin@kintheory.org

 

Kin Theory Meet-up in Philadelphia, PA

 Tuesday, August 2, 2022 4 – 6pm ET

The Kin Theory team will be in town for BlackStar Film Festival 2022, and we’d love to meet you! Whether you’re an Indigenous creator or potential collaborator, meet us at White Dog Cafe (3420 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19104on Tuesday, August 2 from 4 – 6pm ET for conversation and a drink with team members Tracy Rector and Michelle Hurtubise. Your first beverage is on us! We can’t wait to meet you.

 

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, July 21, 2022, 10 – 11am PT

Join the Kin Theory team for monthly office hours at 10amPT / 1pmET on the third Thursday of every month. Same time, same place. Visit us and say hello! You can use this time to share your projects with our team, ask us questions about how to setup your profile on the database, or introduce us to a new friend! Let us know how we can best serve you. For more information contact us: kintheory.org
 

Link to Sign up: here

 

Hollywood Climate Summit Meet-up

NEW TIME! Thursday, June 23, 2022, 3 – 4pm PT

Join members of the Kin Theory team for a virtual hang-out during the Hollywood Climate Summit. Learn a little bit about the development of this database and community for Indigenous media maker data, including why it was started, what the benefits of membership are for Indigenous creators, and how non-Indigenous accomplices can interact with the community in a way that leads to beautiful collaborations. We are grateful to present this session with the support of our friends at If Not Us, Then Who, as well as Nia Tero.
Learn more and register here

 

Kin Theory Office Hours

Thursday, June 16, 2022, 10 – 11am PT

Join the Kin Theory team for monthly office hours at 10amPT / 1pmET on the third Thursday of every month. Same time, same place. Visit us and say hello! You can use this time to share your projects with our team, ask us questions about how to setup your profile on the database, or introduce us to a new friend! Let us know how we can best serve you. For more information contact us: kintheory.org
Link to Sign up: click here

 

Academic Presentation at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland

Monday, June 6, 2022

As part of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University’s “Ask an American” event series, Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will share a talk entitled, “Indigenous intersectionalities and BIPOC media makers working from a place of abundance.” This will highlight the voices of Indigenous creatives and collaborators that helped launch the Kin Theory database in 2021 and 2022. Please email the Kin Theory team for more information.

 

Academic Presentation at 2022 ICA Pre-Conference

Thursday, May 26, 2022

At the ICA Pre-Conference on Communicating Multi-modally: Research and Expressive Culture, Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her work related to the Seedcast podcast episode called “4th World Filmmakers ‘Doing the Damn Thing,” which features interviews with the filmmakers reflecting on their creative careers and the importance of a fellowship focused on supporting Indigenous creatives. You can listen to the episode in advance of the conference hereThis event will be in person at the ICA Conference in Paris, France. View the program here.

 

Academic Presentation at FSAC/ACÉC Film Studies Association of Canada

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper “Can narrative sovereignty lead to recognition of and support for distinct Indigenous national cinemas?” at the annual conference hosted by the FSAC/ACÉC Film Studies Association of Canada. The ideas in this paper weave Hurtubise’s research with the vibrant conversations held during the virtual Kin Theory events held throughout 2021. This event will be online. Watch the conference website for registration information.  

 

Academic Presentation, “The Power of Storytelling, Kin Theory and Today’s Indigenous Media Makers”

Tuesday, April 26, 2022

The English Students’ Association, the Department of English and American Studies and the Department of Linguistics at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, Poland, have invited Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise to deliver the keynote at the “International Students’ Corner 2022: Literature – Culture & Media – Linguistics – Didactics”  to be held online on April 26, 2022. Visit the conference website for information updates on how to attend. 
 

 

Academic Presentation at the 2022 SCMS Annual Conference

Sunday, April 3, 2022

Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper “Indigenizing the film industry through narrative sovereignty, reciprocity, and practices of co-liberation and joy” at the annual Society for Cinema and Media Studies conference. This event will be held virtually and requires paid registration. Learn more here.
 

 

Academic Presentation at SSMF: "4th World Filmmakers 'Doing the Damn Thing'

Saturday, March 26, 2022

 Members of the Kin Theory team will be presenting at this year’s Screening Scholarship Media Festival (SSMF), hosted by CAMRA and the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle Hurtubise, Julie Keck, and Jessica Ramirez will be talking about their work together on an episode of the Seedcast podcast called 4th World Filmmakers ‘Doing the Damn Thing,” which features interviews with the filmmakers reflecting on their creative careers and the importance of a fellowship focused on supporting Indigenous creatives. You can listen to the episode in advance of the SSMF presentation here. This is a FREE virtual conference, but registration is required. Learn more about CAMRA and register here.
 

 

Kin Theory: Creating Impact Through Solidarity

WEDNESDAY – FEB. 23 11:00am MST

Join us for the first Kin Theory event of 2022. With so many options for reaching audiences, who are you really telling stories to? Any why? Filmmakers and representatives from Nia Tero, Film Aid and Firelight Media tackle guiding questions about audience and funding, supporting BIPOC creators telling their own stories, and crafting stories that speak to the masses while leveraging champions of your cause. 
Panelist will include: Gita Saedi Kiely (Director, FilmAid); Chloë Walters Wallace (Director, Regional Initiatives, Firelight Media); and Leya Hale (Director, BRING HER HOME.) More panelists TBA. This panel will be moderated by Jessica Ramirez, Creator Producer at Nia Tero.
This event is part of in-person programming DocShop, a program at Big Sky International Documentary film Festival in Missoula, Montana. This is a FREE panel, but registration is required.
Learn more about DocShop and register for this panel here.
 

 

 

 

Academic Presentation at FSAC/ACÉC 2022 Graduate Colloquium

Friday, February 18, 2022

Kin Theory strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper 

“Co-liberation joy, potential futures for solidarity and sovereignty in BIPOC filmmaking” at the 24th Annual Film Studies Association of Canada Graduate Colloquium, co-hosted by the University of Toronto and York University. This paper is based on the vibrant conversation held during a virtual Kin Theory event at Seattle International Film Festival in 2021, moderated by Tracy Rector. This will be a virtual event.

 

 

 

 

Kin Theory: Indigenous Media Connections Across Pasifika and Beyond

Friday, November 19, 2021, 12pm HT / 2pm PT / 5pm ET

In this virtual panel, enjoy stories from Indigenous creatives from Pasifika and beyond about how they center their cultural upbringing to create community-specific and place-based media, as well as the movement to grow, strengthen, and support new and existing media connections across the global Indigenous community.

Panelists will include multi-disciplinary artist and researcher Dakota Alcantara-Camacho (Matao / Chamorro / Ilokano), filmmaker and poet Chad Charlie (Ahousaht First Nation / Black), filmmaker Erin Lau (Kanaka Maoli), speaker and coach Alyssa London (Tlingit), and journalist Thomas Mangloña II (Chamorro). Moderated by Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Jewish/Black), Managing Director, Storytelling, Nia Tero.

ATTEND: This event is FREE to attend and will be presented LIVE via the HIFF Facebook Page and the HIFF YouTube Channel. If you’d like to receive a direct link for this event, click here.

 

 

 

 

Kin Theory: Academic Conference Presentation: Co-liberation Joy: How BIPOC Film Festivals and Sovereign Media Making Help Us Get There

Friday, November 19, 2021 2pm EST

Kin Theory Strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper, based on 2021 Kin Theory panel discussions, at the 2021 American Anthology Association’s Annual Meeting, which takes place November 17 to November 21 in Baltimore, MD. Hurtubise weaves interdisciplinary theories of Paulo Friere, Augusto Boal, and Clemencia Rodriguez that use media and civic literacy to lift oppression through education, the arts, and citizen’s media with the decolonization and Indigenization work of Sonya Atalay, Glen Coulthard, and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson to frame Kin Theory’s 2021 film festival panel discussions to find pathways towards co-liberation joy.

The presentation is open to the public; registration to the American Anthology Association’s Annual Meeting required:  Register here!

 
 

 

 

 

Third Thursday Discussion: Collaboration

November 11, 2021, 12pm ET

During the Center for Experimental Ethnography’s Third Thursday convening in November, Sosena Solomon and Peter Decherney, directors of DREAMING OF JERUSALEM (a film about the Jewish community in Gondar), will talk with Kin Theory strategist and PhD candidate Michelle Y. Hurtubise about different forms of collaboration.

Learn more and register here.

Kin Theory: Why Indigenous Representation Matters

November 9, 2021, 6 – 7:30pm ET

Join this robust, virtual screening and conversation about the importance of narrative sovereignty, where Indigenous creators (re)take control of their stories in a rapidly shifting industry landscape. Indigenous media makers are making important interventions at all levels of production in order to bring authenticity and respect to screens big and small. Watch stories and get advice from Brit Hensel (Reservation Dogs, Osiyo TV, Reciprocity Project) and Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Molly of Denali, Reciprocity Project), and more. Those who register for this event in advance will receive access to a private screening link to work by the panelists. Filmmaker and Nia Tero Managing Director of Storytelling Tracy Rector will moderate. This event is a collaboration between Florida State University’s Department of Art History in the College of the Fine Arts and Nia Tero’s Kin Theory Indigenous media makers database.

Tickets for this event are free; registration is required. Click here 

imagineNATIVE Industry Days: Building Community and Abundance Across Indigenous Creative Networks

 Thursday, October 22nd, 2021, 3 – 4:30pm ET 

Alongside skyrocketing demand for Indigenous made media must be strong support networks, increased visibility, and safe industry connections. It’s essential that Indigenous artists have access to networks and resources that support their artistic journeys. In this virtual panel, hear from those who have created (and are creating) Indigenous media online communities and how they are uplifting Indigenous storytellers, why collaboration and care are prioritized, and where their networks (and others) are intersecting to create a wider web of support for Indigenous creatives. Contributing to this conversation are: Amalia Cordova (Latinx), Supervisory Curator, World Cultures, at Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage; Jennifer Loren (Cherokee), Director of the Cherokee Film Office; Jennifer Podemski (Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi), Founder and CEO of Shine Network; and Tracy Rector, Nia Tero Managing Director of Storytelling and Executive Producer of Kin Theory. Tracy Rector will also moderate this discussion. 

Tickets will be available on the imagineNATIVE website: https://festival.imaginenative.org/external/events/kin-theory-panel/

 

KIN THEORY: New Work in Indigenous Media (Virtual Screening)

Friday, September 24th, 4 – 6pm ET 

Join us for a virtual screening and discussion of work by three 4th World Indigenous Media Lab fellows: Ivy MacDonald (she/her; Blackfeet), Alex Sallee (she/her; Iñupiaq and Mexican), and Raven Two Feathers (he/they, Two-Spirit; Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, and Comanche.) This conversation will be moderated by Tracy Rector(Black, Choctaw, Jewish), Managing Director of Storytelling, Nia Tero.  

Tickets: This event is free to the public and will occur virtually over Zoom; registration is required.

Register at: https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_m4mxbrUARpWqwxfFop9kSA

 

Academic Conference Presentation: Raising Indigenous Voices in Academia (RIVA) (Virtual Event) 
Thursday, September 22nd
Kin Theory strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper, Indigenizing Towards Co-Liberation Joy Through Diverse Media-Making Practices, at the Raising Indigenous Voices in Academia (RIVA) Conference. RIVA supports the scholarship of Indigenous scholars and speakers, whose cultures help shape American linguistics, archeology and cultural anthropology. A central conference theme of Raising Indigenous Voices in Academia is to highlight Indigenous knowledge and scholarship with a goal to raise awareness of the lack of Indigenous scholars in academia. The conference takes place September 2 – 6; Hurtubise’s presentation will occur at 6:15pmET on Thursday, September 22nd, followed by Q&A.
Tickets: All sessions are open to scholars and the public alike and will be delivered virtually over Zoom; conference registration is required.

 

 

Academic Conference Presentation: The Business of Film (Virtual Event)

July 30, 2021, 11 – 12:30 pm EST

 Kin Theory strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper, Indigenous media industry futures, Kin Theory database discussions at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, at the 75th annual University Film and Video Association (UFVA) Conference. UFVA is an international organization where media production and writing meet history, theory and criticism. 

     

     

    Media Industries as Sites of Struggle

    Friday, June 25, 2021

    Academic Conference Presentation: Union for Democratic Communications Conference Panel  

     Kin Theory strategist MIchelle Hurtubise will be presenting her paper, Indigenizing with Kin Theory, Making New Tables in Media Industries, at the 40th annual Union for Democratic Communications (UDC) Conference. Since 1981, UDC has been a place for scholars in the political economy of communications to level theoretically sharp inquiry into the relationship between media, quality of life, democracy, and equality. This year’s focus is on the politics of “masking” and “unmasking” in relation to our broader political, economic, and media.

    • Tickets: This is a free, virtual event. Those interested in attending can reach out to the Kin Theory team to request access: mediacommunity@niatero.org 

     

     

    Landfall Documentary Discussion Series

    Thursday, April 22, 2021

    Decolonial Case Study: Puerto Rico, Palestine and Hawai’i

     

     

    On Thursday, April 22, Nia Tero’s Kin Theory will join the team behind the documentary Landfall and more for a panel discussion: “Decolonial Case Study: Puerto Rico, Palestine & Hawai’i.” Kin Theory strategist Michelle Hurtubise will join Lorraine Liriano (A Call to Action on Puerto Rico), Sumaya Awad (The Adalah Justice Project), Dr. Craig Santos Perez (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa), and Dr. Sara Awartani (Harvard University.) This is part of a 7-event series. Register for this (or every) event to receive a FREE sneak preview link to view the film.

    Register: https://www.landfallfilm.com/series

     

     

    Screening Scholarship Media Festival

    April 18th, 10 am EDT

     Reworking Archives 

    This panel features media and art research projects that propose interventions to destabilize the settler colonial archive. Participants on this panel will talk about issues that address the consolidation of indigenous-centered databases for filmmakers in Canada, the amplification of untold stories from African American elders who fostered the Great Migration, and the critical intervention of personal narratives of Yellow Spring’s villagers in Ohio.

    Seattle International Film Festival

    April 10th, 12pm PST

     Indigenizing Film Industry Spaces

    Tracy Rector moderates a frank and iterative discussion with two of the Sundance Indigenous Program leaders around the work of the Sundance Institute and how to expand kin relationships to the film industry. Indigenous creatives are on the rise, and SIFF and Sundance have been industry leaders in carving out space for them for almost two decades. Now the rest of the industry just needs to catch up, with BIPOC creatives and communities at the table. In this conversation, Managing Director of Nia Tero and multicultural industry leader Tracy Rector (she/her) will moderate a frank and iterative discussion with two of the Sundance Indigenous Program leaders: Japanese/Portuguese/Samoan creative Ianeta Le’i (she/her) and Kiowa/Mohawk filmmaker Adam Piron (he/him). Topics will include the work of the Sundance Institute and how to expand kin relationships to the film industry. What will the future of solidarity connections look like for safe, radically supportive, and innovative Indigenous filmmaking? As with all Kin Theory events, this one will be unapologetically rooted in community, solidarity, and reciprocity. Join us as we indigenize the film industry. 

    Zoom details will be emailed to ticket registrants shortly before the scheduled event.

    Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS) Annual Conference

    March 20th, 9am EST

    Space, Place, and Race Panel N21

    Chair: Michelle Hurtubise, Temple University

    • Jasper Lauderdale, New York University, “Time-traveling while black: Chronotopic narratives of radical alterity”
    • Julia Peres Guimaraes, Northwestern University, “Queer Temporality, Race as Technology and the Dystopian Archive in Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer”
    • Michelle Hurtubise, Temple University, “SGaawaay K‘uuna: Edge of the Knife, Capacity Building and Indigenous Language Revitalization through Film”
    • Meghan Tibbits-Lamirande, Carleton University, “Working for No Money: Aid Slavery and Debt-Peonage in Renzo Martens’s Enjoy Poverty: Episode III”

    Our strategist Michelle Hurtubise will be discussing our team and ongoing database development while reporting on the Big Sky DocShop: Kin Theory panel at several online academic conferences. Bring your questions, join in the conversation, and reach out to us at mediacommunity@niatero.org with access questions!

    Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

    February 22nd, 2021

    Kin Theory: Creating Community with Indigenous and BIPOC Filmmakers Across the Industry

    The uniqueness of 2020, which included a global pandemic, distinct but overlapping human rights movements, and heart-filling cross-community mutual aid efforts, has deepened conversations about systemic inequities, including in the film industry. The need for capacity building, education and mentorship, resourcing, and distribution of work by Black, Indigenous, Latinx, undocumented, female, trans and nonbinary people, people with disabilities, and otherwise underrepresented artists has never been more prevalent. A session of deep and honest conversation about who’s doing the work to support Indigenous and Black filmmakers, as well as other creators of color, what’s still needed, and how we can work together to get there.

    Panelists include partners from Working Films, Firelight Media, COUSIN Collective, imagineNATIVE, and the University of Arkansas. The Panel will be moderated by Nia Tero’s Managing Director of Storytelling, Tracy Rector.

    Click here for more information on tickets.

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