Phil Lucas

American Indian Film Festival

Filmmaker and Founder

Phil Lucas, a Choctaw, has worked on over 107 films as a director, writer, producer, or editor. His work is the important documentation of the American Indian experience and ranges from the feature film, Broken Chain starring Pierce Brosnan, to several PBS documentaries about Native Americans. He won an Emmy for his work on Turner Broadcasting's highly acclaimed Native American series. His film on American Indian artist Alan Houser garnered awards at the Santa Fe and Taos Film Festivals as well as recognition at Sundance. In addition to being an exceptionally talented filmmaker, Phil teaches at Bellevue Community College and is the primary force behind the American Indian Film Festival.

FILM WORK

In progress            Senior Producer, Native Americans in the 21^st Century, Series, PBS.

                                Producer and Director, The Keepers. Feature Film.

2003                        Director, Native Tongues, Vis-à-vis Series, PBS. This program contrasts the careers of one Native American and one Australian Aboriginal performance artist.

2002                        Producer, Director and Writer, Video on American Indian installation and artists. Eiteljorg Museum.

                        Producer, Director and Writer, Restoring the Sacred Circle. Training video on prevention of elder abuse in Indian communities. Oregon State DHS.

2001                        Director and Co-Writer, One House. Advocacy video created to raise money to build houses for Indian elders on Reservations. Narrated by Robert Redford.

2000                        Producer, Director and Editor, Siletz Indian Children’s Stories.

                                Co-Producer, Director and Editor, In the Hands of Alchemy. Documentary on the life and art of Jerry Wennstrom

1999                        Editor, Stories Given, Stories Shared. Blueberry Productions and New Cultural Center, Anchorage, AK.

1998                        Co-Producer, Rockin’ Warriors. Phil Lucas Productions, Inc. and Lynx Productions, Luxembourg. Documentary on American Indian rock and roll artists. Aired on PBS, 1998.

                                Producer, Director and Editor, Haozous: Allan Houser – The Lifetime Works of an American Master. Documentary on the life and work of Apache artist Allan Houser.

                                Director, Editor and Writer, Healthy Nations. Healthy Nations Initiative, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

1997                        Editor, Backbone of the World. Documentary on the struggle of the Blackfeet Indian Nation to preserve their homeland.

1995-1996               Editor, Beyond Reservation Road. PBS. Documentary on the Cherry Tree Community at the Cherokee Reservation.

                                Editor, The Voyage Home. PBS. Documentary of the northwest voyage of the Hawai’iloa, the first ocean-going catamaran constructed by Native Hawaiians.

                                Supervising Producer and Director, Storytellers of the Pacific, Series. PBS; ABC Television, Australia; TV-New Zealand; TV Ontario.

1994                        Director, The Native American Series. Turner Broadcasting System. Documentary on the history of Native Americans from their own perspectives.

1992-1993               Co-Producer and Director, American Indian Dance Theatre, WNET’s Great Performances. Performance documentary. Aired on PBS, 1993.

                                Co-Producer, Broken Chain. Turner Network Television. Feature film starring Wes Studi, Pierce Brosnan, Graham Greene, Buffy St. Marie and Floyd Westerman. Narrative drama on the history of the Iroquois Confederacy and their relationships with British and Americans.

                                Producer, Director and Writer, Healing the Nation. Documentary on efforts of Nuu Chan-NuIth Nation on Vancouver Island to break the cycle of sexual abuse in their community.

1991                        Technical Advisor on Cultural Content, Northern Exposure. CBS. Eight episodes.

1990                        Producer, Director and Writer, Voyage of Discovery. Television documentary on Frank Brown, a Heiltsuk Native American from Bella Bella, British Columbia.

                                Producer, Director and Writer, Beyond Hunting and Fishing. Documentary on the economic successes of Native American communities in British Columbia.

                                Producer, Native Indians: Images of Reality II. Knowledge Network. 11-part series that explores Native American lives from their own perspective.

                                Technical Advisor on Cultural Content, Northern Exposure. CBS. Eight episodes.

1989                        Producer, Director and Writer, Face to Face: Native Americans Living with the Aids Virus. Documentary.

                                Producer, Native Indians: Images of Reality. Knowledge Network. 15-part series exploring the reality of Native American life from their own perspective.

                                Producer and Director, Circle of Warriors. Documentary of Native Americans infected with HIV/AIDS.

1988                        Producer, CBC Forum of the World Indigenous People’s Conference and Tradition, Change and Survival: Indigenous People’s Education. Canadian Broadcast Company. Televised forum and documentary.

1987                        Producer, Director and Writer, Indians are Good Medicine. Health & Welfare, Canada. Documentary about Native Americans with careers in medicine.

1985-1986               Producer, Director and Writer, Journey to Strength: A Native Celebration. Canadian Broadcast Company. Television special presenting notable achievements of Native Americans in British Columbia.

                                Producer, Director and Writer, The Honour of All. PBS. Docu-drama of the successful rehabilitation from alcoholism by the Alkali Lake Band of British Columbia, re-enacted by the people who lived it.

                                Producer, Director and Writer, The Honour of All – Part II. Documentary on traditional Indian beliefs of Alkali Lake Band and how they relate to modern methods for the treatment of alcoholism.

1984                        Producer, Director and Writer, The Great Wolf and Little Mouse Sister and Walking with Grandfather. PBS. Animated short film pilots.

                                Writer, Night of the First Americans. Council of Energy Resource Tribes. Stage Presentation performed at Kennedy Center Opera House in Washington, DC.

1983                        Producer, Director and Writer, Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going. University of Lethbridge, Alberta. Series on Native American alcoholism.

1982                        Producer, Director and Writer, Nez Perce: Portrait of a People. National Park Service. Documentary on the culture and history of the Nez Perce Tribe.

1979/1981               Writer, Co-Producer and Co-Director, Images of Indians. PBS. Five-part series exploring the problem of Indian stereotypes as portrayed and perpetuated by Hollywood Westerns.

AWARDS

2003                    Vis-a-vis

                            Cine Eagle Award

2002                    Restoring the Sacred Circle.

                            Best Film, Public Service Category, 17^th Annual American Indian Film Institute’s Film Festival, San Francisco, CA.

1999                    Allan Houser/Haozous: The Lifetime Works of an American Master.

                            Best Documentary, Santa Fe Film Festival, Santa Fe, NM.

                            Taos Mountain Award, Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival, Taos, NM.

                            Official Selection, Native Forum, Sundance Film Festival.

                            Fus Fixico (Heatless Bird)

                            Sundance Screen Writer’s Lab Fellow

1998                    Allan Houser/Haozous: The Lifetime Works of an American Master.

                     Best Long-Form Documentary, Red Earth Film Festival.

1996                    Storytellers of the Pacific.

                     Best of Festival Award, Dream Speakers International Film Festival.

1994                    The Native American Series

                            Emmy Award, Television Series

1993                    American Indian Dance Theatre: Dances for the New Generation.

                            Emmy Nomination.

                     Best of Show, Red Earth Film Festival.

1990                    Voyage of Rediscovery.

                            Best Long Documentary, Two Rivers Film Festival.

                            I’m Not Afraid of Me.

                            Best Short Documentary, Two Rivers Film Festival.

1987                    Honor of All.

                     United States Selection, Input Awards.

1984                    The Great Wolf and Little Mouse Sister and Walking With Grandfather.

                     Best Animated Short Subject, American Indian Film Institute.

1981                    Images of Indians.

                            United States Selection, Input Awards.

                            Prix Italia Award.

1980                    Images of Indians.

                            Special Achievement Award, Documentary Film, American Indian Film Institute.