5 Montana Student Films Make Shortlist for National Awards

The National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences earlier this month announced nominees for its National High School Student Production awards, and five Montana films made the list out of more than 2,000 entries.

The National Academy for Television Arts and Sciences recognizes excellence in television with the Emmy awards, and entries for the student awards were judged and selected by industry professionals.

The five Montana films that made the shortlist were produced in collaboration with MAPS Media Institute, a nonprofit that aims to empower youth through professional media arts instruction.

In the film, “Waking the Generations,” students from the Fort Belknap Reservation highlight hidden details of their ancestral past, and reveal that understanding their heritage can help future generations.

I Am” and “I Am a Warrior” are two films produced with students at the Brockton, Frazer, Poplar and Wolf Point schools on the Fort Peck Reservation.

Of these films, Craig Falcon, program director of MAPS Media Lab, said, “Seeing Native youth expressing their vision and story through media arts makes my heart sing.”

Peaceful as the Buffalo” is a long-form nonfiction film produced by middle school students on the Fort Peck Reservation. The film follows students and community leaders as they share their perspectives on the importance of the buffalo to the Assiniboine and Sioux people.

No Ordinary Time” is a short-form documentary, produced by students in the Helena College Summer Bridge Program, that explores parallels between the Spanish flu and COVID-19 pandemic.

Award recipients will be announced on Nov. 17.

Read this article on the Independent Record website