FREE EVENT: Stories I Didn't Know at Lakeshore Players Theater

Stories I Didn’t Know will screen at the Hanifl Performing Arts Center in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, Oct. 11 at 7PM

The event is FREE and kindly sponsored by the Lakeshore Players Theatre company in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Director Rita Davern, Dakota educator, activist and artist Ramona Kitto Stately and Dakota and Ojibwe recording artist Reuben Kitto Stately, who both feature in film, will be there for a post-screening discussion.

We are looking forward to seeing you in person!
To book a FREE seat click on the button bellow:

NOTE: Masks and proof of vaccination or a negative Covid Test are required for indoor events at Lakeshore Players Theater.

Screening in Bulgaria at Sofia DocuMental

We are going to Bulgaria! Stories I Didn’t Know will screen at Sofia DocuMental Film Festival on September 8, 4pm at the Czech Center in Sofia. Our film is part of a small retrospective of our co-director and producer Melody Gilbert who is teaching a workshop at the festival and showing her latest films.

She will be there in person to answer questions and meet the Bulgarian audience!

Crew and Cast Party

We’ve released Stories I Didn’t Know during a pandemic and we’ve never had the chance since then to get together the cast and crew to celebrate the successes of our film. We’ve seen each other plenty online but not enough in person.

Last Sunday, we finally managed to gather together most of the crew and cast for a small outdoor party. Some managed to join us virtually, some couldn’t make it but we were happy to have the chance to see and hang out with everyone!

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Official Selection: Alexander Valley Film Festival

We are happy to announce that Stories I Didn’t Know will screen at the 2021 Alexander Valley Film Festival between April 23 and May 2. The festival will take place online and if you wish to learn more about it, buy a ticket or a pass for the festival click HERE.

Note: Ticket and pass holders will have access to the panel discussion: “Amplifying Indigenous Stories” on Monday, April 26th at 6PM featuring the filmmakers and subjects of all three films.

Stories I Didn't Know:Filmmaker Discussion

Sunday, March 28 Stories I Didn’t Know co-directors Rita Davern & Melody Gilbert, Ramona Kitto Stately, Dakota educator & Reuben Kitto Stately, Dakota artist who are both featured in the documentary, participated in a discussion about the film and the many benefits of story sharing.

Thank you to everyone who attended the event and shared their thoughts about our film, participated in group discussion and sent lovely messages afterwards. We hope the film and the event has made you learn more about yourself and maybe even encouraged you to further explore or better understand a story in your family’s history.

If you attended the event and haven't yet filled in the feedback form, you can do so here: https://bit.ly/3fDDGKZ

A big thank you to Minnesota Humanities Center, TPT - Twin Cities PBS & Moving Lives Minnesota for organizing and moderating the event !

Official Selection: Beloit International Film Festival

After screening at BIFF Year ‘Round film series in November 2020, we have been invited to be part of the Beloit International Film Festival (February 19 - February 28, 2021) official program that kicks off on Friday, February 19.

We are very happy to be an official documentary program selection at BIFF and we can’t wait to share the film with everyone!

Film tickets go on sale Friday, February 19

Official Selection: San Francisco Independent Film Festival

Stories I Didn't Know is screening on the West Coast at San Francisco IndieFest between February 4 and February 21, 2021! Don’t forget to check out the Q&A and the short film “Hope's Home” by Yue Li screening alongside our film.

Tickets available here: https://bit.ly/SF-Indie-Fest-Tickets

Exclusive Virtual Screening & Conversation

We have so many interesting events to share that will take place during the first half of next year. The first one is a special screening of “Stories I Didn’t Know” at Minnesota Humanities Center followed by a community conversation with our director Rita Davern, educator Ramona Kitto Stately, and artist Reuben Kitto Stately.

Join us and Minnesota Humanities Center on January 14 between 6:30pm and 8:30pm for a lively discussion on “ how one person’s discovery of truth can create a significant positive impact on a personal and statewide level. Explore with us the transgressions made by the federal government and non-Native leaders and how together we can confront current systemic failures as we work to create a more just Minnesota.”

Meet Ramona Kitto Stately

For those who have seen our documentary film, Stories I Didn’t Know, you may wonder, “Who is Ramona Kitto Stately, and what is she up to these days as an educator and leader?”

Below find Ramona’s profile, along with part 1 of a recent interview with Ramona and Rita about Stories I Didn’t Know. The interview comes from Inclusivi-Tee – a company committed to “co-creating a sustainable, kind, and equitable future through the sale of earth-friendly books and fashion, the organization of workshops and podcasts, and participation in strategic partnerships.”

In this episode of Inclusivi-TALKS, Lori is joined by co-host Shannon Crossbear, filmmaker Rita Davern, and Ramona Kitto Stately, We Are Still Here Minnesota...

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Ramona Kitto Stately is an enrolled member of the Santee Sioux Dakota Nation. She has a BA in Dakota Art and Culture, and a Masters of Education with an emphasis on Teacher leadership from Augsburg University. After 15 years teaching Indian Education in Minnesota, she is now Project Director for the We Are Still Here Minnesota, creating action for narrative change. Ramona is the mother of two children, an accomplished beadwork artist with moccasins on display in the Science Museum of Minnesota, a part of the scholars' team with of the Minnesota Humanities Center’s for Learning from Place: Bdote and has served as the Chairperson of the Minnesota Indian Education Association since 2016.

Ramona Kitto Stately - Santee Sioux Nation
Project Director - We Are Still Here Minnesota (WASH-MN)
MA Education & Teacher Leadership
ramonastately@gmail.com / (651) 263-0942

"Fostering cultural, social, and policy change by empowering Native Americans to counter discrimination, invisibility, and the dominant narratives that limit Native opportunity, access to justice, health and self-determination."

Ramona Kitto Stately (Still from Stories I Didn’t Know)

Us at Cucalorus Film Festival

Such a pity that we couldn’t attend Cucalorus Film Festival in person this year but nonetheless we had a wonderful time being part of it virtually! Thank you Cucalorus!

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Stories I Didn't Know at Lake County Film Festival

We were very happy to have Stories I Didn’t Know screen this month at Lake County Film Festival. Watch below the lovely Q&A we had at the festival together with the director of the fest Nat Dykeman and Greg Allen, director of “Reparations” short film that accompanied the screening of Stories I Didn’t Know at Lake County Film Festival.

Private screening with Climate Change Leaders MN

Climate Change Leaders (CCL) are an amazing group of farmers pivoting their land use to be sustainable and to help battle climate change. Members of this group saw Stories I Didn’t Know yesterday and had a private Q&A with director Rita Davern and Ramona Kitto Stately, a Dakota educator that features in our film. We want to thank this thoughtful committed group of land leaders for having a discussion with us about what reparations to Native nations might look like and discussing hard topics with one's family.

Read more about CCL's work here: https://bit.ly/3ii1cuA

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New film festival official selection announcement

Cualorus Film Festival shares early films for 26th annual festival and Stories I Didn’t Know is one of the documentaries announced!

Events for the 26th annual festival will take place online and at the Curbside Cinema drive-in
November 11 - 25 (Wilmington, NC). More details about our screening at Cucalorus coming soon!

Screening at Moldox International Documentary Film Festival

Our outdoor screening at Moldox International Documentary Film Festival in Eastern Europe went well and even though we couldn’t be present in person at the event, we were grateful to be there via Zoom and chat with the local audience. Take a look at some of the photos from the screening below:

Our first European screening

Stories I Didn’t Know was selected to screen at Moldox International Documentary Film Festival for Social Change on September 10 in the small country of Moldova in Eastern Europe. We are excited to bring the film to this corner of the world !