Oct. 17 and 18, the seventh annual Shining Mountains Film Festival will bring a fresh set of native documentary films to the iconic Wheeler Opera House. This festival, produced by the Aspen Indigenous Foundation (AIF), was created to commemorate a resolution passed by Aspen City Council in 2017 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. It provides a platform to share Indigenous voices, stories and histories from a broad spectrum of creators.
One of the films in this year’s lineup, “You’re No Indian” was written and directed by Ryan Flynn and shines a light on the prevalent issue of tribal disenrollment — removing someone from membership in their community. The hidden motivation exposed in Flynn’s film is over sharing casino profits. Flynn said this documentary took seven years to make, from the initial research process and making community connections to filming, editing, legal review, festival strategy and distribution. This film stretched him but, over time, proved to be worth the effort.
“There wasn’t one single ‘moment,’ but a slow accumulation [which inspired this film],” Flynn told The Sopris Sun. “I was researching casino revenue disparities among tribes and noticed staggering gaps. That led me to disenrollment. As I followed that thread and encountered story after heartbreaking story — people exhuming ancestors for DNA tests, elders losing homes, families fractured — I realized this injustice was largely invisible. That’s when ‘You’re No Indian’ became necessary.”
In his work, Flynn focuses on themes of erasure, identity, truth and the tension between memory and silence. Though he does not have Indigenous heritage, his storytelling vision is deeply rooted in research and empathy, aiming to help film subjects feel seen while highlighting nuanced issues. People interviewed in “You’re No Indian” took time to come around, as discussing disenrollment can negatively impact those who speak out.
“Once I started hearing [those disenrolled people’s] stories, families forced to exhume relatives for DNA tests, elders locked out of their homes, language teachers fired for speaking up, it stopped being academic. It became personal. I couldn’t unsee it, and I knew I had to use my craft to give those people back some measure of voice and dignity,” Flynn stated.
“Access was one of the biggest hurdles,” he continued. “People were scared, and rightfully so. Speaking on camera about disenrollment can mean social exile or retaliation. It took years of conversations before some subjects were ready to be filmed.”
Flynn looks forward to the upcoming festival, which he describes as more of a community than a traditional film festival. He looks forward to connecting with the audience and fellow filmmakers and is excited to bring this story to the Roaring Fork Valley.
“The Roaring Fork Valley has a community that honors art, nature and story. That space feels sacred to me. I’m excited to share ‘You’re No Indian’ there, to see community members before the film, to hear responses, to witness conversation and to build bridges where this story has not yet reached,” he stated.
Speaking with Deanne Vitrac-Kessler, founder and executive director of AIF, in the early days of the festival, she and collaborator Anuk Bald Eagle primarily focused on platforming media from Indigenous creators to provide insight to the non-Indigenous community about the histories of the native people of this country. Lineups have evolved over the years, highlighting history while also showcasing the beauty and talents of these communities.
“It has evolved over the years, because at first we were telling mainly the history from the native side, which, of course, is very dark with the genocide, boarding schools, all those very negative histories,” Vitrac-Kessler said. “Now we are trying to focus more on the talents, beauty and successes. Of course, there is still some struggle, but there is a lot of success. You’ll see this year, the program has a much more upbeat feeling than in the past.”
This year’s lineup begins on Oct. 17 with a showing of “Free Leonard Peltier,” a film by Indiegenious filmmaker Jesse Short Bull. The following day will see a lineup of five short films focusing on Indigenous stories, four of which were created by Indigenous filmmakers. The festival will wrap with the screening of “You’re No Indian” on Oct. 18 at 6:30pm, followed by a Q&A with Flynn and the awards ceremony. A variety of vendors from native communities will be present to visit between screenings.
For tickets to the Shining Mountains Film Festival, visit www.shiningmountainsfilm.com
To further support the efforts of the Aspen Indigenous Foundation, visit www.aspenaif.org