Get Indigenous Film Festival Returns August 13-15 with Films, Shorts Program, and Critical Conversations Panel

SANTA FE, NM / ACCESS Newswire / July 28, 2026 / The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) today announced the full program for the 2026 Get Indigenous Film Festival (GIFF) during the 104^th Santa Fe Indian Market presented in partnership with IAIA, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC), and the New Mexico History Museum, August 13-15, 2026, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

GIFF is a cultural platform within the Santa Fe Indian Market that brings together Indigenous film, literature, fashion, foodways, music, and contemporary cultural practice. Through distinct program tracks, GIFF supports Indigenous continuity, creativity, and collective resilience across generations.

Out of nearly 130 submissions from Indigenous filmmakers across Turtle Island and beyond, jurors evaluated each film based on four criteria: thematic resonance, craft, cultural integrity, and impact. Two feature films and seven short films earned a place in the 2026 program.

"GIFF exists to center Indigenous storytelling at its most honest and most powerful. The films selected this year reflect the full depth and range of what Indigenous cinema is doing right now. We are proud to bring this program to our audiences at Indian Market and to continue building a festival that reflects our commitment to elevating Indigenous voices."

- Jamie Schulze, Executive Director, SWAIA

GIFF 2026 programming is informed by the idea of Facing the Wind, a nod to the bison who move into storms together rather than away from them. This curatorial orientation aligns with the 104^th Santa Fe Indian Market's 2026 theme, Empowered Resilience: Centuries in the Making. For tickets to all GIFF events, please visit SWAIA.org/giff.

GIFF 2026 Program

Thursday, August 13

GIFF Opening Night Reception (invite only)

Friday, August 14

LOCATION: New Mexico History Museum Theater

3:00 - 4:30 PM - Maara'yam: The Yuhaaviatam Story (Documentary, TRT: 1:30)

A nation tells its own story. Maara'yam: The Yuhaaviatam Story traces the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation's long road toward cultural continuity, sovereignty, and self-determination, on their terms, in their own voice.

4:30 - 5:00 PM - Q&A

6:00 - 7:20 PM - You're No Indian (TRT: 1:20)

When tribal disenrollment strips members of their identity and belonging, who gets to decide who is Indian? You're No Indian examines one of the most contested and painful questions in Indian Country today.

Directed by Ryan Flynn. Written by David E. Wilkins (Lumbee). Produced by Santana Rabang (Lummi). Executive Producers: Wes Studi (Cherokee), Tantoo Cardinal (Cree/Métis).

7:30 - 8:00 PM - Q&A with Ryan Flynn (Director), Wes Studi, Tantoo Cardinal, and additional cast and featured voices.

Saturday, August 15

LOCATION: Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) Courtyard

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - GIFF Brunch Panel: Critical Conversations in Indigenous Art, Film & Storytelling

Capitalism, Commerce, and Continuance | Ticketed event, limited capacity.

The Saturday brunch panel brings together First Peoples Fund President Lori Pourier, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena, scholar and author Dina Gilio-Whitaker, and filmmaker Sabrina Saleha for a conversation about sovereignty, identity, commerce, and what it actually costs Indigenous artists and communities to continue creating inside systems that were never built for them. The panel is moderated by Dr. Robert Martin (pending confirmation), Cherokee Nation President Emeritus and former President of the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Panelists: Lori Pourier (First Peoples Fund), Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena (Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation), Sabrina Saleha (Writer, Director), Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Scholar, Author of Who Gets to Be Indian: Ethnic Fraud, Disenrollment, and Other Difficult Conversations About Native American Identity)

LOCATION: New Mexico History Museum Theater

3:00 - 5:00 PM - Short Films Screening Program

INNIIWA: The Blackfeet Buffalo Story (19:23)

The Light That Stays (15:01)

Seeds Across Generations (9:31)

Wabanaki Innovators (11:52)

Our Designs Tell Us Who We Are (11:29)

Grand Entry (11:46)

Legend of Fry-Roti: Rise of Dough (8:39)

About GIFF

The Get Indigenous Film Festival is a cultural platform within Santa Fe Indian Market dedicated to supporting Indigenous continuity, creativity, and collective resilience through film and contemporary cultural practice. GIFF 2026 is presented by SWAIA in partnership with IAIA, Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and New Mexico History Museum. More information at SWAIA.org/giff.

About SWAIA

The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) cultivates excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms, developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists year-round. SWAIA creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market ™- the largest and most prestigious Native art market in the world-Native Fashion Week, and Winter Indian Market. www.swaia.org

Media Inquiries:
Audrey N. Rubinstein | METTA Agency
audrey@themettaagency.com
505-490-5029

SOURCE: Santa Fe Indian Market