In the Footsteps of Yellow Woman A docu-drama made for an 8th grade project by 13-year-old, Camille Manybeads Tso, who finds her own strengths through learning from her Grandmother and their ancestral history. She imagines what it would be like to be her ancestor, Yellow Woman, who lived through the Navajo Long Walk of 1864-1868. This film preserves the oral history of her family, and is a testament to the courage and fortitude of the Navajo people who endured the Long Walk and the cruel imprisonment at Fort Sumner. Camille conducted the interviews, researched the time period, wrote the script for the re-enactments and recruited her family to help make the costumes, direct, film, act, sing and edit this work. The re-enactments are performed by actual descendants of Yellow Woman and are filmed in many of the places where the historical events had taken place. This film is an official selection in over 50 film festivals world-wide and winner of: Young Filmmakers Spirit Award - ReelHeART Film Festival; Student Production Winner -- Kids First! Film Festival; The Dolphin (Young Filmmaker) Award -- Moondance Film Festival; Best Youth Film of the Year, Best Actor, Best Script -- Cowichan Aboriginal Film Festival ; Special Student Recognition -- Lake Arrowhead Film Festival; Most Innovative Short -- Eckerd Film Festival; Best Documentary Short -- Red Nation Film Festival 2009; Best Student Dramatic Short - Southeastern Native American Indian Film and Video Festival 2009; Best Student Docudrama - International Cherokee Film Festival 2009. Featured in over 90 film festivals internationally.
RedBird Saves the Corn Traditional Navajo Spider Woman story retold through Lightbox Animation by STAR School students Larissa Luther, Taylor Long, Makyla Allison. Story learned through the Voices Native Literature program, "Zinnia: How the Corn was Saved" by Patricia Hruby Powell. Demonstration of integration of Native Literature, Literacy, and Place-Based Media Arts under the direction of Rachel Tso. Youth Mentors Camille Manybeads Tso and Kira Butler. Winner: Second Place 2014 MY HERO International Film Festival Middle School Animation category. This film is an official selection of: MY HERO International Film Festival, The Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles, The American Indian film Festival in San Francisco, The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, and shown as a part of the Museum of Northern Arizona Navajo Show and NAU Native American and Indigenous Film Series. This film was also featured in the documentary "Valdagno, Arizona" and screened at the 2011 Venice Film Festival in Italy.
Doo'ko'osliid Dine' youth explore their, and their community's, relationship with Doo'ko'osliid, the San Francisco Peaks in Northern Arizona. Film made by Dine' youth during the Peace and Film 5 Day Peer Leadership Summer Camp. An example of Place-Based Media Arts. Directed by Youth Camp Participants, Mentored by Camille Manybeads Tso and Kira Butler, Under the Direction of Rachel Tso. This film is an official selection of: The American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, Link TV's Culture Unplugged Film Festival, The Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles, The Colorado Environmental Film Festival, and shown as a part of the Museum of Northern Arizona Navajo Show. This film was also featured in the documentary "Valdagno, Arizona" and screened at the 2011 Venice Film Festival in Italy.
Nitsidigo'i' STAR School Kindergarten class visits their teacher's cornfield to learn how to make Nitsidigo'i', Kneel Down Bread, a traditional Dine' Heritage Food. Filmmaking by 7th / 8th grade students, Kira Butler, Joshua Gregg, and Keanu Jones under the direction of Rachel Tso integrating Place-Based Education with Media Literacy. This film is an official selection of: AZ Student Film Festival - Winner of Grand Prize Grades 6 - 8 and 1st place Grades 6-8 Microshort. Link TV's Culture Unplugged Film Festival, The Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles, Cine Las Americas, Austin, The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival, and shown as a part of the Museum of Northern Arizona Navajo Show. This film was also featured in the documentary "Valdagno, Arizona" and screened at the 2011 Venice Film Festival in Italy. This film was made for educational purposes only.
