a global awareness media campaign for Native women

#WhyWeWearRED is a Global Campaign initiative (http://nativewomeninfilm.com/why-we-wear-red/) that aims to bring awareness to Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, fight sexual harassment, assault, human trafficking, inequality for women in all kinds of workplaces. Violence against the land is violence against women. Violence against Native women has reached epidemic proportions. Four in five Native women will be the victims of violence during their lifetimes. Native women remain the most underrepresented minority in the industry through a lack of inclusion in film and television. 

#WhyWeWearRed Film Challenge: We invite you to contribute voice and story to the #WhyWeWearRed campaign and advance your film career. Create a documentary, 7 minutes or under, that tells an engaging story to raise awareness about one or all topics including:

• Murdered & missing Native women
• Violence against women
• Human trafficking
• The lack of Native women in film and TV

The films will be juried by an industry panel and up to 8 films are deemed the finalists films.  The top 8 finalist films will premiere at the Red Nation International Film Festival in Los Angeles in November. Additionally, the films will screen alongside other Red Nation events in locations like Santa Fe, Washington, DC and Europe. The finalist films will receive a non-exclusive distribution deal with Red Nation TV. To participate in the challenge, you may be a Native or Indigenous filmmaker or make a film on this important Native topic. PRIZES ARE TBD.

Following the premiere, awards will be announced for:

• Best Film in Competition: Jury Choice
• Best Narrative Film
• Best Documentary Film
• Honorable Mention (Jury)
• Best Film: Audience Choice
• Honorable Mention (Audience)
• Best in Score
• Best in Cinematography
• Best in Sound
• Best in Editing

Entries will be evaluated based on the following judging criteria:

• Creativity (45%)
• Technical Merit (30%)
• Adherence to the Assignment (25%)

To learn more about Native Women in FILM #WhyWeWearRED Global Campaign visit: http://nativewomeninfilm.com/why-we-wear-red/

Facts about the issue:

One might describe our story as the longest-running #MeToo movement in U.S. history; our movement, however, predates social media by about 150 years.According to findings in the 2016 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey by the National Institute of Justice, 84.3 percent of Native women experience violence in their lifetimes; 56.1 percent are victims of sexual violence.

2016 National Institute of Justice statistics back up their complaints:

* More than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime.That includes sexual violence, physical and/or emotional aggression by a partner, and stalking.

* Alaska Native women endure the highest rate of forced sexual assault and fall victim to domestic violence at a rate 10 times higher than anywhere else in the United States.

* 96% of Native American victims of rape or sexual assault are attacked by non-native assailants.

Efforts to combat sexual violence against Native American women are underway, including three bills aimed at directing more resources to victims of crime in Indian Country, ensuring tribes have access to federal criminal databases, requiring more data collection on Native human trafficking victims and initiating a national dialogue on missing and murdered Native women. One of the bills, known as Savanna’s Act, responds to growing concerns about the large numbers of missing and murdered Native women. Data is scarce, partly because the Department of Justice has never been required to track the data, but Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota) – who introduced the bill – said more than 5,700 cases of missing Native women were reported in 2016 alone.”The actual number is likely much larger, due to chronic under-reporting,” she said during a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing in October on the three bills.

ARTICLES ON THE ISSUE:

https://www.voanews.com/a/advocates-seek-justice-abused-native-american-women/4261220.html

https://www.indianz.com/News/2017/12/22/native-women-are-stepping-up-as-sexual-h.asp

https://www.indianz.com/News/2018/03/02/mary-annette-pember-its-hands-off-when-r.asp

Red Nation International Film Festival™ (RNIFF) The Authentic Voice of American Indian & Indigenous Cinema™ is dedicated to breaking the barrier of racism by successfully replacing American Indian stereotype with recognition, new vision, arts, culture and economic prosperity by placing American Indian Filmmakers at the forefront of the entertainment industry and to introduce American Indian Filmmakers to larger, global mainstream audiences while championing Native Women in Film & Television and giving voice and inspiring native youth with our dedicated program Native Youth Matter™ – If I Can See It I Can Be It.™

The Los Angeles Red Nation International Film Festival runs November 5-16, 2018, Festival includes Star-Studded Red is Green Carpet Events, NATIVE FILM MARKET™- Artist Distribution Platform, The Pitch Indigenous Filmmaker Showcase, Red Nation Conversation Series, Native Youth Matter Film Series, Native Women in Film & Television, LGBT Two-Spirited Film Series,Indigenous Film Series,Environnemental Film Series,  Native Film Labs,
November 16th RNCI Red Nation Awards™, broadcast LIVE on Red Nation Television Network The World Is Watching Native is Here (reaching 10 million viewers in 37 countries).

The Festival comprises competitive sections for Native American and international dramatic and documentary films, both feature-length films and short films, Student Films and a group of out-of-competition sections,
including additional programs Native Screenwriters Masterclass, Playwrights Transforming into TV & Film
MasterClass, Screenwriters Lab, The Creatives RoundTable, Theatre, Industry Screenings, Comedy-writers/Stand Up, Music Concert Series, Retrospectives and RNIFF On the Road™ Tour in Santa Fe, NM, Washington, DC and France.

Become a PRO member of Audience Awards and submit to every opportunity for free. Up to 20GB a week of upload space + 4K/1080p uploads. PRO members also receive opportunities to license and monetize their films. PRO filmmakers are connected to brands looking to hire local filmmakers. Other funding opportunities for PRO filmmakers include production funding for feature documentaries, narratives, and animations. $14/month or $140 paid annual (2 months free). Go PRO here: https://theaudienceawards.com/upgrade.

AUDIENCE AWARDS provides filmmakers with the opportunity to gain exposure & accelerate your careers. We are committed to providing a stage for diverse, emerging talent and your creative work. Our democratized platform celebrates the power of storytelling and provides you with the tools to build an audience. Films submitted to opportunities on our site are juried by industry professionals and the global audience. The top films win prizes and screen at festivals around the world. Our PRO filmmakers have the opportunity to monetize and license their content and connect with production funding for their projects.​

PLEASE USE THE DISCUSSION TAB FOR QUESTIONS

SUBMISSIONS DUE BY

Submissions Closed

VOTING OPENS

Aug 31, 2018 at 12:00pm MDT (America/Denver)

VOTING CLOSES

Aug 31, 2018 at 12:00pm MDT (America/Denver)

ENTRY FEE BREAKDOWN

Upgrade to Pro to make your entry fees disappear AND all this stuff appear: more space, higher quality uploads and unlimited Campaign entries starting at only $14/month. Learn More

Late Deadline:

Aug 31, 2018 11:59am (America/Denver)

Entry Fee: $30