Powwow People is a vérité-style documentary grounded in the lived experience of a contemporary Native gathering. Rather than entering as outside observers, the filmmakers organized the powwow themselves, inviting dancers, singers, vendors, and community members to participate in making the film.  

Over one day, the film follows four central figures—Gina Bluebird, who frames the powwow’s shape and guides its setup; Ruben Littlehead, the emcee whose presence anchors the moment; Jamie John, a nonbinary dancer imagining the future of these traditions; and Freddie Cozad, a singer and drummer considering the past. The film culminates in a 30-minute unbroken shot of a Northern Traditional dance special, drawing the viewer into the textures, movement, and rhythms of the powwow. It is both a reflection of a beloved and complicated community and a gesture toward the continuities of Native life. As film curator and producer Jason Ryle put it, “This is not a document of a powwow. It is a powwow in cinematic form.” (Sky Hopinka, Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga, 2025, DCP, 88 minutes)

Preceded on November 1 by Tuktuit: Caribou, which explores Nunavut, a territory where the Inuit people coexist with the flora and fauna in a holistic way. (Lindsay McIntyre, Inuk, 2025, 15 minutes)  

Preceded on November 29 by The Early Sun, Red as a Hunter’s Moon, a short that presents a collision of time fragments and Kiowa memory. Filmed using expired 8mm stock. (Adam Piron, Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Mohawk, 2025, 14 minutes)