Skip to main content

Merata Mita Fellowship for Indigenous Artists

Credit: Redworks Photography

Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (Blackfoot/Sámi) from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is the 2018 recipient of the Sundance Institute Merata Mita Fellowship—an annual fellowship named in honor of the late Māori filmmaker Merata Mita (1942-2010).

For the third consecutive year, Sundance Institute has identified an Indigenous filmmaker from a global pool of nominees to award a cash grant and provide a year-long continuum of support with activities including a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, access to strategic and creative services offered by Sundance Institute artist programs, and mentorship opportunities.

“Now in its third consecutive award year, this Fellowship pays tribute to the immense artistic contributions and memory of our beloved colleague and friend Merata Mita, who was an activist, documentarian and the first and only Māori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature,” said N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache), director, Sundance Institute Native American and Indigenous Film Program.

Tailfeathers is a filmmaker, writer, and actor. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia in First Nations and Indigenous Studies with a Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. Her award-winning works are often community-focused and rooted in social justice.

Tailfeathers is a recipient of the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award and a Kodak Image Award for her work as an emerging filmmaker and a Canadian Screen Award for her performance in "On the Farm." Her short documentary, "Bihttoš" (2014) was included in the TIFF Top Ten Canadian Shorts and was also nominated for a Canadian Screen Award and a Leo Award for Best Short Documentary.

"Bihttoš" also won the grand jury prize at the Seattle International Film Festival for Best Short Documentary. Most recently, she directed a feature-length documentary, cesnaʔem: the city before the city—in collaboration with the Musqueam First Nation—which premiered at the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Tailfeathers is currently directing a feature-length documentary about the opiate crisis and addiction in her home community of Kainai First Nation ("Blood Reserve"). She is also in pre-production on a narrative-feature, which she is co-writing and co-directing with Kathleen Hepburn. Tailfeathers is an alumna of the Berlinale Talent Lab, the Sámi Film Institute’s Indigenous Film Fellowship, and a recipient of the Hot Docs Cross Currents Fund.

Merata Mita (Ngai te Rangi/Ngati Pikiao) was New Zealand's first Indigenous female filmmaker. She served as an advisor and artistic director of the Sundance Institute Native Lab from 2000 to 2009, where she championed emerging Indigenous talent. The Fellowship is supported by the Consulate General of Canada, Indigenous Media Initiatives, Anonymous, Fenton Bailey and Billy Luther (Diné/Hopi/Laguna Pueblo), and Sarah Luther (Diné).

“The Merata Mita Fellowship reflects Sundance Institute’s ongoing commitment to supporting Indigenous artists globally. The selection of Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers as the 2018 recipient exemplifies the creative work and the efforts that Merata championed throughout her life,” said N. Bird Runningwater .

Sundance Institute's Native American and Indigenous Film Program champions Native American and Indigenous independent storytelling artists through residency Labs, Fellowships, public programming, and a year-round continuum of creative, financial, and tactical support. At its core, the Program seeks to inspire self-determination among Native filmmakers and communities by centering Native people in telling their own stories.

The Program conducts outreach and education to identify a new generation of Native and Indigenous voices, connecting them with opportunities to develop their storytelling projects, and bringing them and their work back to Native lands.

Popular posts from this blog

Minding the Wealth Gap

As a Black investor and startup founder, Cliff Goins IV brings firsthand experience and sharp insight to one of America’s most urgent issues: the racial wealth gap. Having navigated the worlds of finance and entrepreneurship, Goins has seen up close the systemic disparities in wealth creation, access to capital, and asset management. From unequal opportunities in homeownership and education to persistent challenges in business funding and employment, the historical gaps are perpetuated in present-day practices. In "Minding the Wealth Gap," Goins skillfully blends data, lived experience, and the insights of experts to illuminate the deep-rooted economic disparities facing Black Americans. More importantly, he highlights the power of collective uplift. Through the voices of nine dynamic “gap closers,” Goins shows how real change happens when Black investors and leaders open doors for others. Each success “play” or strategy underscores the ripple effect of support. Selena Cu...
Read more

Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto

In "Slow Down: The Degrowth Manifesto," renowned Marxian scholar and philosopher Kohei Saito offers a compelling argument against the relentless pursuit of economic growth that permeates contemporary capitalism. Saito’s thesis focuses on the concept of degrowth—a radical reduction in production and consumption that aligns with sustainable ecological limits rather than constant expansion. Pictured above is Kohei Saito Saito makes a significant and timely contribution to the ongoing conversation about sustainable living. Slow Down adopts an interdisciplinary approach, drawing insights from environmental science, economics, and social theory to present a clear and urgent depiction of the current ecological crisis. Saito critiques the widely accepted belief that economic growth equates to progress and questions the sustainability of existing global consumption patterns. He advocates for a fundamental reshaping of our economic systems to prioritize human well-being and ecologica...
Read more

Wash

Ebony Stewart’s "Wash" is a powerful, unflinching poetry collection that draws the reader into a world of raw emotion, deep introspection, and lyrical brilliance. As I read through the poems, I found myself captivated by Stewart’s honest reflections on identity, love, loss, and healing. Her voice is unapologetically bold, revealing the complexities of being a Black womxn navigating relationships, societal expectations, and hard-fought victories toward self-worth. Yet, her themes are universal, resonating with anyone who has grappled with their own identity and relationships. What struck me most was Stewart’s emotional transparency: each poem feels like a cleansing, a shedding of shame, doubt, and grief, revealing the triumph of knowing one’s value in a world that often seeks to diminish it. Stewart doesn’t shy away from exploring the pain of extractive love or the vulnerability of desire, but she also leaves room for empowerment and resilience. As a celebrated spoken word ...
Read more