WHERE ARE WE GOING – NLitC

Please join United Indians for a special conversation between Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay (When They See Us, 13th) and rising Native star Jana Schmieding (Rutherford Falls) about retelling narratives often deleted from or distorted by “textbook” history.
How we approach the telling of our past has a major impact on our ability to envision a future together, and we’re turning to two powerhouse BIPOC women of Hollywood for insights about their storytelling experiences.
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Academy Award nominee and Emmy, BAFTA and Peabody Award winner Ava DuVernay is a writer, director, producer and film distributor. Her feature directorial work includes the Oscar-winning civil rights drama Selma, the Oscar-nominated social justice documentary 13th and the Disney children’s adventure A Wrinkle in Time, which made her the highest-grossing Black woman director in American box office history. In 2019, she created, wrote, produced and directed the Emmy Award-winning limited series When They See Us. She is currently in production on Colin In Black and White for Netflix and Home Sweet Home for NBC, and in post-production on Queen Sugar for OWN and DC Comic event series DMZ for HBO Max. Winner of the 2012 Sundance Best Director Prize for her independent film Middle Of Nowhere, DuVernay amplifies the work of Black artists, people of color and women of all kinds through her narrative change collective ARRAY, named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. She currently sits on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Advisory Board of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Board of the American Film Institute.
Jana Schmieding is a true multihyphenate star on the rise, who is making her mark on the entertainment industry as an actor, writer, comedian, and content creator. A Lakota Sioux Native, Jana has been a longtime educator and advocate, raising awareness around Native issues and bringing Native stories to mainstream audiences. Jana can currently be seen as the female lead opposite Ed Helms on Mike Schur’s new comedy series, RUTHERFORD FALLS. She also serves as a staff writer on the series, which launched on Peacock on April 22, 2021. The first Native comedy of its kind, the series will explore themes of identity, friendship, and how we define ourselves and relate to historical narratives. Jana was heavily involved in all aspects of the show – including down to the details of beading items for the costume, props and marketing departments.