Native Spirit Festival 20th Edition: Indigenous Arctic Cinema & Arts
About this Event
Special guests & display
Dennis Inuk Aningaaq Møller (in-person) – Director, photographer, and poet from Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) https://tulugaqfilms.com/ Supported by Danish Film Institute.
Dr Charlotte Connolly – Head Curator at the National Science and Media Museum (formerly Curator of The Polar Museum, 2015–2022, and current Institute Affiliate at the Scott Polar Research Institute) https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/people/connelly/
On display: A selection of works by contemporary Iñupiaq and Inuit artists from Iñupiat Nunaat and Yugtun (Alaska) and Nunavut, collected by Dr Connolly. Hands-on moose hide mittens, caribou pelt from Native Spirit Foundation collection.
DENEEGE LEŁ GHU KK’OTS’EEDENEEYH TE HEŁ HOOZOONH TS’E DENOTS’EDENEEYH
Dir. Brittany Woods-Orrison, 2026, 5 min, Dene. Alaska, US
The tradition of tanning hides with brains was once practiced by every Dené person in Alaska. An art that was nearly lost by assimilation, Kathleen Hildebrand works with a group of Dené women at her urban backyard hide camp in the heart of Chen’o (Fairbanks) to revive this tradition.
One of the few films out there narrated in Denaakk’e, we learn alongside the women how the hides have healing.
WE ARE ALL CONNECTED
Dir. Arina Kleist, 2025, 5 min. Kalaallisut. Greenland
A reflection on ancestral spirits and our broken bond with Nature, told through compelling imagery and an Inuit perspective.
PINNGORTITARLU OQALOQATIGIINNEQ (DIALOGUE WITH NATURE)
Dir. Dennis Inuk Aningaaq Møller, 2026 5 min. Kalaallisut. Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Sweden
Visual poetry shot on super 8, a call for action on preservation of nature.
A sense of nostalgia, a taste of realness in a world of artificiality.
Sadness and longing being in between worlds, (urban and rural.)
Constant dialogue inside oneself about loss from the ancient soul, whispering in a modern world.
Living in this time of the world, out of touch, where slowness feels like a punishment rather than peace and attentive.
Dreamlike atmosphere, floaty feeling and longing in between, feeling cast away from both worlds and feeling rootless while admiring the beauty of small details.
A sense of euphoria and a sense of timeless peace, a connection to the ancient world.
Narrated in Kalaallisut (Greenlandic) with English subtitles.
HIDDEN STEPS
Dir. Kati Kallio, Laura Feodoroff, 2025, 13 min, Skolt Sámi. Finland
Laura is a Skolt Sámi woman who grew up outside the Sámi region. Through quadrille dance she reaches out to her unknown cultural heritage.
SÁMI VS. SÁMI
Dir Ellen-Astri Lundby, 2026, 77 min, Sámi. Sweden
Over a century ago, the Swedish state forcibly relocated Northern Sámi families into Southern Sámi territory, resulting in a long-running conflict over land, reindeer herding and, ultimately, the right to be Sámi. Since then, the state has remained silent.
Across generations, state decisions deepened the divide, leaving third-generation descendants Erik (Southern Sámi) and Inger Ann (Northern Sámi) facing each other in three emotionally charged court proceedings – a rare courtroom battle between Indigenous groups, documented on film for the first time.
Beneath the legal arguments lie two families shaped by different injustices. Is there ever a real winner when both sides are victims of the same history? How do you resolve an unresolvable conflict?
Director Ellen-Astri Lundby is a Sea Sámi descendant from Norway. This positions her outside the conflict, enabling her to explore it with a sense of belonging and perspective.
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Crowdfunder to support Native Spirit Festival the UK's first and only independent film festival dedicated to promoting Native filmmakers, culture, heritage, and Indigenous rights. Admission is free to ensure these vital perspectives and cinematic histories are accessible to everyone. Our featured filmmakers and international guests, including talent supported by the Danish Film Institute, have generously given their time without screening fees, and our venue space has been provided to us at no cost. While we have zero income from ticket sales or fees, running an independent festival still incurs technical, logistical, and promotional costs. If you wish to directly back our work and champion the filmmakers, please consider contributing 🔗 https://chuffed.org/project/nativespiritfestival2026
*Chuffed.org do not take commission (voluntary tip) and respect data sovereignty.
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