HATCH Audiovisual Film Festival Introduces:NATIVE AMERICAN SHOWCASE

HatcH is honored to present a screening of Showtime’s Edge of America. directed by Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals) and based on an amazing true story. Edge of America is a poetic tale of a black educator who takes a job teaching high-school English at the Three Nations Reservation and is coaxed into coaching the girls basketball team. Special members of the cast will be present: Eddie Spears (Into The West, Black Cloud, Geronimo), and additional special members of the cast.

The NATIVE SPIRIT AWARD will be presented to Chris Eyre, the showcased mentor native for his groundbreaking concept work in the spirit of the Native Americans. The award will be sculpted by artist Randall Blaze and symbolizes inspiration and innovation shown to the next generation of a vast, deep heritage.

To lead off the showcase, a PSA for Red Feather (http://redfeather.org/), narrated by Robert Redford, will be shown. Red Feather educates and empowers American Indian nations to create sustainable solutions to the severe housing crisis within reservation communities. The organization teaches affordable, replicable and sustainable approaches to home construction and organizes volunteers alongside tribal members to build desperately needed homes.

Saturday evening will close with a gala event featuring well-known singer/songwriter George Leach. George Leach’s rich musical history was born and bred in his upbringing as a child of the Sta’atl’imx Nation. He has shared the stage with Bo Diddley, Tom Cochrane, and Jeff Healey among many others.

“Music comes from the center of who we are. It gives an opportunity for your soul to speak, to be thankful and honest and to hopefully help other people along their journey” - George Leach

Next year, HatcH 2006 will feature a NATIVE SPIRIT GROUNDBREAKER competition. The concept of the competition is for students to update/interpret a legend from their native culture though their own eyes in the voice of their current generation. Five students will be invited to attend Hatch mentor workshops and panels. Each student's film will be shown and critiqued at a HatcH Lab with the showcased Native mentors (filmmakers, actors, and various others) giving personal feedback. This event will be open to the public and take place on the same day as the native showcased film. Panelists will serve as judges and select the best native student film to receive a scholarship toward his/her next film project.

Sponsorship is being sought to sustain the budget for this unique and invaluable program. Budget items include travel and accommodations for mentors Native American student finalists and guardians, in addition to the cost of the award and promoting the project and ensuing year-round educational HatcH Labs.