Native Spirit Festival is the UK's premiere and only annual International festival dedicated to presenting Indigenous Filmmakers, media and artists. Each October, Native Spirit presents a rich programme of Independent films and premieres from the world of Indigenous Cinema offering an illuminating and important alternative to the mainstream.

The festival is a part of Native Spirit Foundation, founded by Mapuche leader Freddy Trequil in 2005 to promote knowledge and awareness of Indigenous cultures – and longer term projects supporting Community-run education in Native Schools.

"All the [activists] have come to the conclusion that one objective of making video, radio and television is for the other culture to know us. It is necessary to create a bridge to share our culture in an educational form, without losing our identity.” Freddy Treuquil.

All types of film accepted: Shorts, Features, Animation, SciFi, Horror, Comedy, Music, Dance, Spoken Word, Experimental all welcome. Films must have Native protagonists and a clear connection with Indigenous Cultures.

2019 Special interest / Programme themes: LANGUAGES (UNESCO International Year of Indigenous Languages 2019), THE MOON (in partnership with Bloomsbury Festival), INDIGENOUS FUTURES (Good Living, Buen Vivir), PRISON, SPORT, FUTURE GENERATIONS (2019 UNCRC 30th anniversary Rights of the Child, Article 30), "...Indigenous children have the right to learn about and practice their own culture, language and religion..."

Awards & Prizes

Native Spirit is a non-competitive festival.

Rules & Terms

PLEASE RESPECTFULLY TAKE NOTE: Priority is given to Indigenous Filmmakers. Submissions with non-Indigenous content or designated Native role in the Custom Form will be disqualified.

IMPORTANT: To be eligible for submission, an Indigenous person has to play a key role either behind or in front of the camera and the connection with an Indigenous community has to be clearly stated in the Synopsis and Custom Form.

All media submitted to Native Spirit Festival will be considered by the Festival’s Judging team. Films are selected on the basis that the values presented align with that of Native Spirit Foundation’s work. Native Spirit Festival is a charitable project and therefore a non-commercial festival run by dedicated volunteers.

Previous programmes: https://issuu.com/nativespirituk/docs/brochure_lo__native_spirit_festival

All non-English language films must have English subtitles for final viewing.
Some Films may be invited to screen at Native Spirit Taiwan in November and/or at year-round Outreach events.

Incomplete Submission Forms cannot be processed.

Thank You
5 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • David N. Bernatchez

    Festival is engaged in an important subject and project of knowledge on the term and idea of native populations. Large programming but significant in it's choices. Best wishes.

    October 2018
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  • Ernest M Whiteman III

    I was unable to attend but fest like Native Spirit are needed and am happy to have had my film "The Final Meeting" among the selections. Great communications and clear guidelines. I hope submit more films to Native Spirit Film Festival.

    January 2018
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  • Abraham Cote

    I was invited to screen a short film at Native spirit Film Festival and it was a great experience! Great hospitality and communication. Was sent e-mail and twitter updates on the sate of my application and screenings. Was treated with the utmost respect as an up and coming filmmaker and I would definitely apply to Native Spirit with my next film. Thanks so much Native Spirit Film Festival!

    November 2017
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  • Marco Romano

    I couldn't come to the screenings of this very interesting and important event , which is The Native Spirit Film Festival. I was following the Event and his great program online from Mali - WA, I really missed to be there and to have a full film immersion in anthropological / ethnological themes . Any way I'm very glad and honored to have been part with my documentary "The cultural journey to Timbuktu" at Native Spirit Film Festival.
    Marco /roadmusic prod.

    October 2017
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you! very kind.

  • Narsiesse Paul

    Thank you for the chance to showcase THE WINEMAKER short at Native Spirit Film Festival.

    Though I wasn't able to attend, Tweed, a staff member, was a great communicator (and ambassador) of what was going on and made an extra effort to fit in my film at the last minute.

    Thank you and I wish you many more annual events to come!

    October 2017
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for participating with THE WINEMAKER - hope you will consider us screening subsequent episodes. Looking forward! Tweed, Artistic Director