Sydney Freeland
| Sydney Freeland | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 29, 1980 Gallup, New Mexico, United States |
| Education | Academy of Art University, San Francisco |
| Occupation | Director Screenwriter |
| Known for | Drunktown's Finest |
| Home town | Los Angeles, California |
Sydney Freeland (born 1980) is a Navajo filmmaker. She wrote and directed the short film Hoverboard (2012) and Drunktown's Finest (2014), which garnered numerous acclaims after premiering at Sundance.[1]
Early life
Freeland was born in Gallup, New Mexico, USA in 1980, to a Navajo father and a Scottish mother. She was raised on a Navajo reservation, and her hometown, Gallup, was dubbed “Drunktown.” Freeland attended Academy of Art University in San Francisco.[2] She is a 2004 Fulbright scholar, focusing her scholarship on a field study of indigenous peoples in Ecuador. She has a Master of Fine Arts in film, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in computer animation. Freeland is a 2007 Disney Scholarship recipient and a 2008 Disney Fellowship semifinalist. Freeland is also a 2009 Sundance Institute Native Lab fellow.[2][3]
Career
Prior to making her first feature length film, Drunktown's Finest, Freeland previously worked as a production assistant, as a writer and as a camera intern.[4] Freeland worked in a number of areas, including; The Food Network, Walt Disney, Comedy Central, and National Geographic.[5] Freeland directed a six-minute short, Hoverboard, utilizing Kickstarter to help fund the short.[6] The film was inspired by Back to the Future Part II. Drunktown's Finest is her second venture into filmmaking. The 95 minute long film[7] is a coming-of-age story about the complex issues surrounding identity and the struggles faced by Native American people.[7][8] The film's name is inspired by a controversial 20/20 segment on ABC News, which branded the town of Gallup, New Mexico as "Drunk Town, USA", after the increase of instances of alcoholism on the border of the Navajo Nation.[9] Freeland wrote, directed Drunktown's Finest as means to combat the negative stereotype of her home community.[7] Freeland, who is herself a transgender woman, is also directing a digital series about queer and trans women called Her Story.[10]
Filmography
- 2008: The Migration(Short) - director[11]
- 2012: Hoverboard(Short) - producer, writer, director
- 2014: Drunktown's Finest - screenwriter, director
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Project | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland Independent Film Festivals | 2014 | Drunktown's Finest | Narrative Feature - Honorable Mention[12] | Won |
| Heartland Film Festivals | 2014 | Drunktown's Finest | Narrative Feature[13] | Won |
| L.A. Outfest | 2014 | Drunktown's Finest | Outstanding American Narrative Feature[14] | Won |
| HBO Outstanding First Narrative Feature[14] | Won | |||
| Albuquerque Film & Media Experience | 2014 | Drunktown's Finest | Best of New Mexico[15] | Won |
| American Indian Film Festival | 2014 | Drunktown's Finest | Best Film[16] | Won |
| Best Supporting Actress[16] | Won | |||
| Best Actor[17] | Nominated | |||
| Best Director[17] | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress[17] | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor[17] | Nominated |
References
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