DC | Animation Celebration!
A free screening of animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers featuring folktales, stop‑motion comedy and cultural stories
Enjoy a collection of animated short films by Indigenous filmmakers, featuring colorful folktales, humorous encounters, and lighthearted lessons. The animated films feature well known Indigenous filmmakers like pop-artist Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa/Choctaw), and the acclaimed and award-winning stop-motion animated series "Wapos Bay" featuring the late Gordon Tootoosis (Cree/Stoney).
FEATURED FILMS
The Owl and the Lemming (Director: Roselynn Akulukjuk (Inuit), Canada, 2016, 3 min.) The oral history of Inuit is filled with many folktales, legends, and myths. In this traditional story, a young owl catches a lemming to eat and learns the value of being clever and humble, and why pride and arrogance are to be avoided.
NANGULVÍ (Directors: Wayra Ana Velásquez & Segundo Fuérez, Ecuador, 2022, 5 min.) A fantastical partnership forms between an Andean bear and an Afro-Ecuadorian musician as they and their magical allies fight to protect Ecuador's biodiverse Intag Valley from a ruthless mining corporation.
Wapos Bay: The Elements (Director: Melanie Jackson (Métis/Saulteaux), Canada, 2006, 24 min.) “Wapos Bay” is a light-hearted, stop-motion series that follows three Cree children in remote northern Saskatchewan. The kids' survival skills are put to the test during an unexpected storm, which inspires them to help their grandfather set up a cultural camp to teach traditional ways.
Neil Discovers the Moon (Director: Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa/Choctaw), USA, 2011, 1 min.) Pop artist Steven Paul Judd's stop-motion comedy tells the story of an astronaut named Neil, who makes a surprising discovery on the moon. In English and Kiowa with English subtitles.
Nailin and the Roadrunner (Director: Jordan Alden (San Carlos Apache), USA, 2021, 3 min.) In this amusing animated short, a young Apache girl struggles to protect an injured roadrunner from the dangers of the desert.
The Visit (Director: Lisa Jackson (Ojibwe) Canada, 2009, 4 min.) Based on a true story, this animated short follows a Cree family as they have an unusual encounter one winter night, leading to a conversation that goes beyond words.
This is a Hogan (Director: Melissa Henry (Diné), USA, 2020, 4 min.) In this playful animation, children can learn about the many kinds of hogans—Diné (Navajo) for home or dwelling.
POW! (Director: Joey Clift (Cowlitz), USA, 2025, 9 min.) Inspired by comedian Joey Clift's first powwow experiences, a Native American kid tries to charge his video game console before it dies in the middle of a lively intertribal celebration.
Image credit: "Neil Discovers the Moon" (film still), courtesy of the filmmaker
