Vision Maker Media (visionmakermedia.org) is marking 50 years of bringing Indigenous stories to the screen with its 2026 Film Festival, “Everything is Connected.” All year, films funded by Vision Maker Media illuminate Native American heritage, identity and community through in-person and online screenings.
This month’s in-person spotlight is “Untold Valor,” screening at The Ross theater on October 12. This gripping drama honorsthe Native American Code Talkers of WWII, whose languages
became unbreakable codes that helped secure Allied victory. Stick around for a Q&A with writer/director Ise White, lead actor Joe Garza and Joe Martinez, grandson of the last surviving Comanche Code Talker.
Get free tickets at theross.org.
Online, three powerful fi lms focus on identity, resilience and the lasting impact of historical and contemporary systems on Native communities. “Braids,” “Crossing the Line,” and “Uncovering Boarding Schools: Stories of Resistance and Resilience” reveal how individuals and communities push back against forces that have tried to erase Native identity.
Watch now at visionmakermedia.org/education.
For younger viewers, October’s iNative Shorts for Kids tells stories about modes of transportation. Drawn from the films “Attla” and “Native Horse,” these episodes show that where you live helps shape how you live. See how dogsleds play a vital role in Alaska and learn of the deep bond between horses and the tribes of the Plains and the Southwest.
Watch at youtube.com/@iNativeShortsforKids.