2025 Film Festival

On September 3rd, 1863 the Massacre of Whitestone Hill occurred on a small hill outside of what is now Kulm, North Dakota. For over 150 years the engagement has been labeled a battlefield. By the time the soldiers left, the number dead soared into the hundreds; mostly women and children. This massacre of Native Americans outnumbers that of Wounded Knee. 

FAMILY FRIENDLY
Running transcends borders, uniting people across cultures, ages, and backgrounds. Follow Harold Bennally, race director and founder of Moccasin Running, as he leads runners through the stunning Antelope Canyon X in an annual event that celebrates the sport of running while honoring the Navajo people's deep cultural and spiritual connection to this sacred land. Through this unique race, the film explores themes of community, heritage, and the unifying power of movement.

LANGUAGE, VIOLENCE, GUNS
Two at-odds brothers are forced to reconcile when their father's death brings a shady character to their doorstep. It’s about the legacy of the American West -- masculinity, brotherhood, violence -- and how we move forward.

FAMILY FRIENDLY
As winter's bitter cold threatens to freeze the animal people, they find themselves shivering without warmth, as the Yellow Jacket Sisters hoard the only fire in the world, unwilling to share it. Coyote, ever the trickster, hatches a plan to steal the fire and bring it to the animals so they can survive the harsh season.

Galena is a small, unincorporated community in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This is the story of the town through the perspectives of those who live there, as well as those who have dedicated themselves to preserving the town's history and their own familial stories. This is a little-known but unique story of South Dakota, and one that demonstrates the importance of historical preservation through community building.

Foreclosure looms over Wisconsin dairy farmer Buck (Craig T. Nelson). With mounting debt and the land his family has cultivated for four generations at risk, Buck refuses to give up his legacy without a fight. Buck’s granddaughter Jenny (Madison Lawlor) works alongside him but dreams of a career in music. Her aspirations are fanned by an emerging friendship with a famous musician (Brandon Sklenar), but chasing her dreams might take her far from the farm. With time running out, Buck places a daring bet on his beloved Green Bay Packers winning the Championship.

LANGUAGE  

Donick Cary (The Simpsons, Parks and Recreation, Have a Good Trip, etc.) has been a huge fan of the Washington D.C. pro football team since before he could walk. Passed down from his dad, he was excited to pass the tradition onto his kids. Donick never questioned the team name and or Native American logo until one day, while watching a game, his 9-year-old son, Otis, asked him if it was racist.  When Otis suggests they ask Native Americans how they feel, it sends the two on a cross-country journey full of unexpected surprises.

The film, Healing of the Dragonfly, takes place in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, and introduces Joe Pulliam, an Oglala Lakota artist from Pine Ridge.  A father of 4, Joe opened an art gallery exclusively for his work in Rapid City, painting on ledgers inspired by his culture and traditional life. He draws & paints his artwork on old maps, mining company bonds, bank bonds from the 19th century to count coup against white capitalism and the appropriation of traditional sacred Lakota lands, the Black Hills.