For Immediate Release:
4/15/03
Emmy Award -Winning Filmmaker Returning to Chicago
Chicagoan James Fortier, who grew up in Wheaton, is moving his independent production company, Turtle Island Productions, to the Chicago area in May where he will be seeking new clients in the corporate video arena and continuing work on his PBS documentaries. In addition to writing, producing and directing documentaries, Fortier brings with him over 15 years of experience as a Director of Photography for Fortune 500 companies in the Bay Area. He started Turtle Island Productions in 1995 in order to develop and produce videos and documentaries focusing on Native American issues, culture, and stories. James is Métis-Ojibway, originally from Canada.
In November of 1999, Fortier's first documentary feature, "Alcatraz Is Not An Island" (director,writer, DP), received the best documentary feature award at the 24th annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. The film went on to compete as a finalist in the Taos Talking Pictures Festival, and was an official selection at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. It premiered on PBS nationwide last November, and will air nationally in Canada on the Aboriginal People's Television Network. James was also the writer and associate producer for a 6-hour documentary series produced for WDSE, PBS in Duluth, MN. That series, "Waasa Inaabidaa: We Look In All Directions" focuses on the history and culture of all 19 Ojibwe bands in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The series aired on PBS nationwide last November and recently aired on APTN in Canada as well. Fortier received two Regional Emmy Awards for his contribution to the series, which was nominated for 11, and received a total of 5 Emmy Awards. Fortier also produced the companion website for the series at www.ojibwe.org.
Fortier, who was born in Ontario and grew up in Wheaton, graduated from the media program at the College of DuPage in 1983, moved to the Bay Area, and completed course work for a BA in the Broadcast Communications Arts deptartment at San Francisco State University. After a sort stint back in Chicago in 1987, he returned to the Bay Area where he worked on a variety of productions, from live event production and teleconferences to webcasts, corporate communications videos to marketing and image tapes for clients such as Apple, Intel, and Hewlett-Packard, as well as on broadcast specials for NBC, CBS, TNT, The History Channel, and many others. In 1995, he turned his attention to independent documentary production. Most recently he directed a 90-minute documentary feature for Native American Public Telecommunications and PBS tentatively titled "Native Americans in the 21st Century." The program is due to premiere in November of 2004. James is currently the co-producer and DP for "American Lynching: Strange and Bitter Fruit," a two hour documentary feature for PBS.
In addition to his work as a DP for broadcast and non-broadcast corporate communications productions, and his independent documentary productions, James is also the creative director for Naqmayam Communications, a California Indian-Owned public relations and marketing company bridging the gap between the Native American and non-Native communities. Recently, James launched Native Nations Network at www.nativenationsnet.net , a new community web project focusing on Native American issues of sovereignty, self-determination, and Indian activism. In addition, James has worked behind the scenes at the American Indian Film Festival, and he has been a guest speaker at the Banff Television Festival, KQED-San Francisco, and at many universities such as Brown, Berkeley, University of Minnesota, ASU, and Syracuse among others, speaking on the subject of Native filmmakers, and images of Indians in pop culture and the media.
For more info contact James Fortier at 650-738-9105, or 650-219-9105, e-mail at jfortier@turtle-island.com, or visit www.turtle-island.com.
For Immediate Release
2/9/03
Turtle Island Productions launches new Native American/First Nations Web Site.
Contact: James M. Fortier
Phone: 650-219-9105
Email: jmfortier@nativenationsnet.net or jfortier@turtle-island.comWeb:
www.nativenationsnet.net or www.turtle-island.com
Native Nations Network (NNN) is the first Native American and Canadian First
Nations global, on-line tribal village featuring the robust Post Nuke PHP
Content Management System. Our goal is to put the power of the internet
to positive use. Our mission is to provide an on-line, interactive gathering
of Indigenous peoples, to come together and share ideas, debate issues,
exchange information, and celebrate all Native cultures without borders
and unencumbered by distance. Native Nations Network will feature news,
editorials, essays, internet sources, and specialty sections focusing on
issues of sovereignty, treaty rights and activism. In short this site is
about self-determination, from Indian identity to sacred sites, from Indian
child welfare to repatriation, and from AIM to the National Congress of
the American Indian.
The site will also feature special interest group sections and forums for Native filmmakers, writers, journalists, musicians, artists, and more How are we different from other Native American internet news sources and weblogs? Simple, NNN is an interactive internet forum where the registered members contribute to the site. In essence the power and flexibility of Post Nuke PHP will allow registered members to customize the content, the layout, the delivery, and the interactivity that best suits their needs and contributes to the functionality and content of the site. Individual accounts and home pages for registered members can be easily set up allowing you to submit your own editorials, discuss and debate issues with other members, post poetry and other works of literature (e-publish), advertise your small business products and services, post press releases and community announcements, network with others in your profession or who share your interests, and so on. The possibilities are only as limited as the imagination. Everyone is welcome to browse the site, but registered members will have additional access such as posting capabilities. Soon, advanced features such as e-publishing documents above 1MB, streaming audio and video, posting Flash Animations, virtual art galleries and more will be available for a small monthly fee. In the meantime, basic membership is free, so register today to become part of the Native Nations Network global, on-line tribal village. If your company or organization is interested in supporting NNN with banner ads, side ads, or classified ads, please contact the NNN administrator at jmfortier@nativenationsnet.net or call 650-738-9105.
Miigwetch!
For Immediate Release:
10/22/02
Local Bay Area Filmmaker tapped to Direct and DP 90 minute National PBS documentary.
James M. Fortier, owner of Turtle Island Productions, is currently on location in Cherokee, NC directing and shooting a 90-minute episode of the National PBS documentary series tentatively titled "Native Americans in the 21st Century." The series is being produced by Native American Public Telecommunications, a member of the minority consortia of CPB, with support from PBS. The series is the first in-depth look at the contemporary American Indian experience from the perspective of diverse American Indian communities across the country.
This episode focuses on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians between the Smokey Mountains and Blue Ridge Mountains National Parks. The EBCI are the descendents of little more than 1000 Cherokees who refused to remove to Indian Territory in Oklahoma on the infamous Trail of Tears whereby thousands died during the forced march. The EBCI literally hid out in the mountains of south-western North Carolina and eventually obtained Federal and State legal status and a land base of their own.
The production is also the first of it's kind to be produced, written, directed, and in this case, shot by an entirely American Indian crew of filmmakers. Fortier, who has spent nearly 15 years as a Lighting Director, Gaffer, and DP in the Bay Area before writing, producing, and directing documentaries, is Métis-Ojibway (mixed French-Canadian and Ojibway descent) with strong ties to his Ojibway family in Ontario Canada. Fortier has worked on numerous Native American productions in the US and Canada, and his documentary "Alcatraz Is Not An Island" screened at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, and is premiering on National PBS in November, 2002 (KQED, Nov. 5 at 9 PM).
For more info contact James Fortier at 650-738-9105 or e-mail at jfortier@turtle-island.com,
For Immediate Release
Contact: Stephen Schulman, Susan Senk (212) 206-8974;
SusanSenkPR@aol.com
"Alcatraz is not an islandAlcatrz is an inspiration,
it is the idea that you can control your own destiny, and self-determine
your own future"
Richard Oakes, Mohawk
"The government did all these things and sat on
tribes for so many years and yet still, in 1969, there's still a group of
people who were willing to stand up and say, we want our freedom. We want
to be Native people. We want our own governments. We want the right to self
determination. It's a revolutionary act."
Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee
ITVS and KQED present James M. Fortier and Jon Plutte's
ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND
To Air Nationally on PBS November 7, 2002 at 10:00pm
The first in-depth look at the history, politics, personalities, and cultural reawakening of the 1969-71 American Indian occupation of Alcatraz Island..
(San Francisco, CA)- Independent Television Service (ITVS) and KQED presents director James M. Fortier (Métis-Ojibway) and producer Jon Plutte's onehour public television documentary ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND with "Law and Order" star Benjamin Bratt (Quechua) providing voice-over narration. ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND won the Best Documentary Feature award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, was a Land Grant Award Finalist at the 2001 Taos Talking Pictures Festival and was an official selection for the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. The film will premiere nationwide on PBS on November 7, 2002 at 10:00pm (check local listings), and is a co-presentation of ITVS and KQED. Additional funding was provided by the California Council for the Humanities, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians, and the Muscogee Creek Tribe of Oklahoma.
The filmmakers are also working with ITVS to develop a community outreach program to bring the film directly to reservation and urban Indian communities with an emphasis on Native youth, as well as educational institutions, and human rights and social activism venues.
The occupation of Alcatraz was not just an Indian story, but a story of people seizing control of their own futures though social and political activism. In these times of questioning and rexamination of the role of activism in America, the 1969 Indian occupation 0f Alcatraz reminds us that there is a place for action in the political world, and that positive change can be made in the face of overwhelming government resistance. This is an opportunity to educate, to continue a dialogue discussing these issues, to inspire the next generation of activists, and perhaps most importantly, to honor those who have sacrificed so much and dedicated their lives for the advancement of all free people.
Community Outreach Objectives
· Bring the film and it's message of Indian self-determination to rancheria, reservation, and urban Indian communities throughout the country.
· Tour will feature community screenings followed by a gathering to discuss the issues raised in the film.
· Participants may include the filmmakers, as well as some of the featured occupation participants from the film like Ed Castillo, Denise Quitaquit, Dr. LaNada Boyer, and John Trudell, as well as guest speakers with expertise in the field of Indian activism, and self-determination issues.
· This outreach program will be available for tribal schools, tribal colleges, American Indian Studies Programs, and tribal organizations wishing to collaborate with us in this endeavor, among other native American organizations.
· American Indian radio stations and programs can broadcast the community gathering and discussion.
This is an opportunity to educate, to continue a dialogue discussing these issues, to inspire the next generation of activists and American Indian leaders, and perhaps most importantly, to honor those who have sacrificed so much and dedicated their lives for the advancement of all Indian people. If you are moved by the message of this film and the goals of the filmmakers, there IS something you can do to help. The filmmakers are seeking partners from within and outside the American Indian community to collaborate with on this outreach program.
About the Film
For thousands of Native Americas, the infamous Alcatraz is not an island . . . it is an inspiration. After generations of oppression, assimilation, and near genocide, a small group of Native American students and "Urban Indians" began the occupation of Alcatraz Island in November 1969. They were eventually joined by thousands of Native Americans, retaking "Indian land" for the first time since the 1880s. ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND is the story of how this historic event altered U.S. Government Indian policy and programs, and how it forever changed the way Native Americans viewed themselves, their culture and their sovereign rights. The story of the occupation of Alcatraz is as complex and rich as the history of Native Americans. This documentary examines the personal sacrifices, tragedies, social battles and political injustices many Native Americans experienced under the United States Government's policies of assimilation, termination and relocation all eventually leading to Alcatraz. Out of Alcatraz came the "Red Power" movement of the 1970s, which has been called the lost chapter of the Civil Rights era. Thirty years after the take over of Alcatraz, ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND provides the first in-depth look at the history, politics, personalities and cultural reawakening behind this historic event, which sparked a new era of Native American political empowerment, and a cultural renaissance.
Among the many people interviewed for the production of ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND are occupation leaders John Trudell, Dr. LaNada Boyer and Adam Fortunate Eagle, along with several other prominent participants, including Wilma Mankiller, Grace Thorpe, Leonard Garment and Brad Patterson. Associate Producer and Historical Consultant Dr. Troy Johnson and Native American author/historian Robert Warrior provide much of the historical commentary in the film. Also included in the documentary is an abundance of historical photos by Michelle Vignes and Ilka Hartmann and archival 16 mm footage much of which has never been seen by the public.
ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND is directed by James M. Fortier (Métis-Ojibway), and produced by Jon Plutte. The Executive Producer is Millie Ketcheshawno (Mvskoke), and the Associate Producer and Historical Consultant is Dr. Troy Johnson. ALCATRAZ IS NOT AN ISLAND was edited by Mike Yearling. Writers are James M. Fortier, Jon Plutte, and Mike Yearling with Dr. Troy Johnson and Millie Ketcheshawno. Original music was provided by Jim Wilson (Choctaw), and the documentary is narrated by Benjamin Bratt, with additional voice work provided by Ojibway recording artists Wayquay. The soundtrack also features Native American performers Quilt Man, Koljademo, Douglas Spotted Eagle, Keith Secola, Ulali, and Juno Award (Canadian Grammies) winner Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat, among others.
The film features Peter Bowen, Dr. LaNada Boyer (Shosone-Bannock),
Edward Castillo (Cahuilla-Luiseno), Tim Findley, Adam Fortunate Eagle (Anishinabe-Ojibway),
Robert Free (Tewa), Leonard Garment, Shirley Guervara (Mono), Dr. Troy Johnson,
Millie Ketcheshawno (Mvskoke), Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee), Alan Miller (Seminole),
Don Patterson (Tonkawa), Brad Patterson, Denise Quitiquit (Pomo), Grace
Thorpe (Sac & Fox), Brookes Townes, John Trudell (Santee Sioux), Susan
Tsosie (Yurok), Robert Warrior (Osage) & Ed Willie (Paiute-Pomo).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ojibwe Documentary Series Captures Five Regional Emmy Awards
Duluth MN -- WDSE-TV, PBS eight was honored October 5th, 2002 with eleven nominations and five Emmy Awards from the Upper Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Emmys were awarded for PBS eight's six-part documentary series, Waasa InaabidaaWe Look In All Directions, which chronicles the history of the second largest tribe in North America, the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe (Chippewa) nation of the Great Lakes region.
The Emmy nominations and awards are an outstanding honor for the crew of Waasa Inaabidaa We Look In All Directions and PBS eight, representing the talent and work of numerous staff and hundreds of Ojibwe community members over a three year time period. Emmy awards were presented for:
Documentary, Non-News: WDSE TV
(Bimaadiziwin-A Healthy Way of Life; Ojibwemowin-Ojibwe Oral Tradition)
Documentary, Non-News: Lorraine Norrgard, Producer/Director and James Fortier, Writer/Associate Producer, PBS Eight
(Ojibwemowin-Ojibwe Oral Tradition)
Documentary, Non-News: Lorraine Norrgard, Producer/Director and James Fortier, Writer/Associate Producer, PBS Eight
Directing Non-News: Lorraine Norrgard, PBS eight
(Waasa Inaabidaa-We Look In All Directions)
Editing Non-News: Thomas Selinski, Selinski Productions Duluth
(Gikinoo' amaadiwi-We Gain Knowledge,)
Musical Composition/Arrangement Non News: Peter Buffett and Ken Melville, Indie Film Composers
(Waasa Inaabidaa-We Look In All Directions; Gakina Awiiya-We Are All Related)
The series has been selected by American Public Television (APT) for national broadcast in November and will also be broadcast by the Aboriginal People's Television Network throughout Canada. PBS eight will air the series Sundays at 6:00 p.m. beginning November 3, 2002.
The project also includes an educational web site at www.ojibwe.org with transcripts, teacher guides, maps, photo gallery, etc. A companion book and music soundtrack CD have also been completed with the same title. Copies of the television series, companion book and CD may be ordered from PBS Eight by calling 218-724-8567.
The series has received support from
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Otto Bremer Foundation, Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe,
Grotto Foundation, Biem Foundation, Wisconsin Humanities Council, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Aboriginal People's Television Network, Milwaukee Public Museum,
Minnesota Historical Society, Wisconsin Historical Society, Beck Foundation,
Famous Dave Anderson Life Skills Center and Aaron-Stokes Inc.
For 40 years, American Public Television (APT), located in Boston, has been a major source of programming for the nation's public television stations. Press should contact Donna Hardwick at 617-338-4455 ext. 129 or via e-mail to donna_hardwick@aptvs.org. For more information about APT's programs and services, log on to www.aptonline.org.
For further information contact
218-724-8567
Lorraine Norrgard, Producer (lorraine_norrgard@wdse.pbs.org)
Beth Lyden, Promotion (beth_lyden@wdse.pbs.org)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WDSE-TV Ojibwe documentary series eipsode wins Best Documentary Feature Award and special Producers Award at the 2002 American Indian Film Festival.
Duluth MN -- WDSE-TV, PBS eight was honored October 8th, 2002 at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, receiving the Best Documentary Feature Award for Ojibwemown: Ojibwe Oral Tradition, the 6th episode of PBS eight's six-part documentary series, Waasa InaabidaaWe Look In All Directions, which chronicles the history of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe (Chippewa) nation of the Great Lakes region. Waasa Inaabidaa: We Look In All Directions was also honored with a special Producers Award for Best Series.
Unable to attend the awards event at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Producer-Director Lorraine Norrgard and Writer Associate Producer James M. Fortier (Métis-Ojibway) were pleased to have the awards accepted on their behalf by Mille Lacs Ojibwe Tribal Chairwoman Melanie Benjamin. The Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe was one of several Ojibwe tribal underwriters and supporters of the series from it's inception in 1998.
The series was selected by American Public Television (APT) for national broadcast in November and will also be broadcast by the Aboriginal People's Television Network throughout Canada in February of 2003.
The project also includes an educational web site at www.ojibwe.org
with transcripts, teacher guides, maps, photo gallery, etc. A companion
book and music soundtrack CD have also been completed with the same title.
Copies of the television series, companion book and CD may be ordered from
PBS Eight by calling 218-724-8567.
