Powwow People
Total run time: 88:10
4K video, 16mm film, 5.1, color
2025
Powwow People is a vérité-style documentary grounded in the rhythms, relationships, and lived experience of a contemporary Native gathering. Rather than entering as outside observers, the filmmakers organized the powwow itself, inviting dancers, singers, vendors, and community members to participate in the making of this film. Structured around the arc of a single day, the film follows four central figures: Gina Bluebird, who frames the powwow’s shape and guides its setup; Ruben Littlehead, the MC whose presence anchors the present moment; Jamie John, a non-binary dancer imagining the future of these traditions; and Freddie Cozad, a singer and drummer who considers 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 collective presence of the powwow. It is both a reflection of a beloved and complicated community and a gesture toward the continuities of Native life.
Featuring: Gina Bluebird-Stacona, Freddie Cozad, Jamie John, Ruben LIttlehead
Drum Groups: Black Lodge Singers, Cozad Singers
Director, Camera, Editor: Sky Hopinka
Director of Photography: Shaandiin Tome
Sound Recordist: Jacque Clark
Produced by John Cardellino, Adam Piron
Executive Producers: Sterlin Harjo, Rachel Chanoff, Noah Bashevkin
Associate Producers: Emir West, Barbara Ettinger
Sound and Color: Dungeon Beach
Dialogue Editor - Jennifer Ruffalo
Sound Effects Editor/Foley Artist - Jonathan Fuhrer
Supervising Editor/Re-recording Mixer- Tim Korn
Colorist - Shanna Maurizi
Online Editor - Jeff Sousa
Consulting Editor: Joe Bini
World Premiere: Toronto International Film Festival, September 9th, 2025
US Premiere: Camden International Film Festival, September 13th, 2025
