Native American Media Alliance

Native American Media Alliance The Native American Media Alliance (NAMA) is a new initiative designed to advocate for Native America

🚨 ANNOUNCING THE 2025 GRANT RECIPIENTS! 🚨We are incredibly proud to announce the 12 talented recipients of the 5th Annua...
11/17/2025

🚨 ANNOUNCING THE 2025 GRANT RECIPIENTS! 🚨

We are incredibly proud to announce the 12 talented recipients of the 5th Annual Native American Writers Accelerator Grant, a flagship program of the Native American Media Alliance (NAMA)!

Thanks to the generous support of Netflix, each writer receives a $10,000 cash grant to invest in their careers and accelerate the development of their projects.

Join us in celebrating the 2025 class who represent the future of Indigenous storytelling at the Native American Media Awards Sunday November 23rd 7p at the Hard Rock in Hollywood! Tickets available at www.laskinsfest.com

The Recipients:

Bre Skye

Brittanie Sheree

Cynthia Hamidi

Kels Cooper

Keri Mabry

Shaawan Keahna

Tracy Abeyta

Carlee Malemute

Jade Puga

John Timothy

Will Garroutte

Gabe Garza

Congratulations to all of the Fellows! We can't wait to see the stories you bring to the screen.

✍️ IT'S A WRAP! 8th Annual Feature Film Writers Lab Concludes! 🎬Huge congratulations to the five incredible Native write...
11/03/2025

✍️ IT'S A WRAP! 8th Annual Feature Film Writers Lab Concludes! 🎬

Huge congratulations to the five incredible Native writers who successfully completed the intensive 8th Annual Native American Feature Film Writers Lab!

Over the past 10 weeks, these talented fellows worked tirelessly to develop, pitch, and write a brand new, original feature film screenplay. Their dedication has resulted in powerful, authentic stories ready for the big screen!

We are so proud of the work accomplished and excited for the future of these screenwriters. Stay tuned for the next generation of Native cinema!

🗓️ The Lab concluded on Sunday, November 2nd.

✨ THAT’S A WRAP! Unscripted Workshop Final Day & Pitch Panel! ✨The 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop conclu...
11/01/2025

✨ THAT’S A WRAP! Unscripted Workshop Final Day & Pitch Panel! ✨

The 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop concluded on a high note! Our talented Fellows spent the final day refining their projects and delivering powerful pitches.

The morning began with a focused pitch practice session led by Executive Producer Mathilde Bittner, ensuring every story was polished and punchy.

The day culminated in the highly anticipated Executive Pitch Panel, where the Fellows presented their developed projects before a stellar panel of executives from Spectrum 1, Netflix and more!

A huge round of applause for the entire cohort! They've gained invaluable skills, confidence, and access to launch their unscripted careers. We can't wait to see these projects move forward!

🔥 The future of non-fiction is Indigenous!

✨ Day 4: Unscripted Fellows Master Story, Strategy, and Sales! ✨Day four of the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Wo...
10/31/2025

✨ Day 4: Unscripted Fellows Master Story, Strategy, and Sales! ✨

Day four of the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop armed our Fellows with the strategic tools needed to succeed in today's media landscape!

The day featured three powerhouse sessions! Jeanne Begley led an essential conversation on how to tell diverse stories effectively in the current political climate.

Fellows then met with producer Heidi Burkey to explore the craft of ethical and impactful non-fiction storytelling.

The fellows concluded the day with a practice pitch session!

✨ Day 3: Unscripted Fellows Master Pitching & Production Strategy! ✨Day three of the 5th Annual Native American Unscript...
10/30/2025

✨ Day 3: Unscripted Fellows Master Pitching & Production Strategy! ✨
Day three of the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop was a high-level deep dive into development and distribution with industry giants!

The Fellows gained critical insights from:

📺 NBCUniversal: From Concept to Crime Screen
Belinda Rungsea shared the journey of major unscripted and true-crime series at NBCUniversal, detailing:
What executives look for when greenlighting a story.
Strategies for making an impactful pitch, even with limited budgets.
The evolving future of true-crime storytelling and the next wave of unscripted content.

🎥 CNN: Documentaries, Ethics, and Impact
Ruhi Bhalla provided an insider's look at how CNN evaluates and develops original documentaries and series. She covered:
How CNN scouts for projects and the kinds of storytelling that appeal to their global audience.
Balancing ethical integrity with commercial storytelling.
Advice on creating meaningful, impact-driven content and pitching boldly and strategically to investors.

💡 Pitching Workshop: Personalized Feedback
The day concluded with acclaimed producer Sarah Moshman, who provided in-depth, invaluable feedback on the Fellows' project pitches. She shared her background in documentary filmmaking and encouraged the cohort to forge their own unique creative paths.

✨ Day 2: Unscripted Fellows Go Inside Sony & Get Pitch Ready! ✨Day two of the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Work...
10/29/2025

✨ Day 2: Unscripted Fellows Go Inside Sony & Get Pitch Ready! ✨

Day two of the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop was an intensive masterclass in non-fiction production and strategy!

The Fellows had three invaluable sessions:

🎬 Insider Strategies at Sony Pictures Television
The Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction team shared a deep dive into how their departments collaborate to identify and develop stories. Topics included:

Production Workflows for large-scale projects.

Market Trends, including successful feature documentaries.

Business Insights on streamlining production costs and the growing influence of AI.

Guidance on crafting strong pitch materials and gaining access to opportunities at Sony.

💡 Mastering the Non-Fiction Market
Fellows met with expert Rory Thost, who discussed the importance of understanding your audience and shifting viewing trends between episodic and feature documentaries. Rory offered critical advice on:

Financing, Pitching, and Distribution, including identifying target buyers and building grassroots audiences.

Developing strong sizzles and pitch decks, and strategically positioning projects for forums like Big Sky.

The day concluded with Executive Producer Chaney Moon sharing personalized feedback on the Fellows' pitches and decks, and presenting a successful deck/sizzle for a project whose pilot recently aired!

The momentum is strong! Stay tuned for more from this talented cohort.

19th Annual La Skins FestCheck out the largest Native American Film Festival November 19th - 24th with screenings at the...
10/28/2025

19th Annual La Skins Fest

Check out the largest Native American Film Festival November 19th - 24th with screenings at the world renowned Creative Artists Agency and iconic TCL Chinese Theatres!

Many of our fellows will be in attendance! We look forward to seeing everyone!

Tickets and event schedule available at www.laskinsfest.com

La Skins Fest is screening 80 indigenous films and hosting hundreds of indigenous filmmakers!

✨ Day 1 Success: 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop! ✨What a fantastic start to the 5th Annual Native Americ...
10/28/2025

✨ Day 1 Success: 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop! ✨

What a fantastic start to the 5th Annual Native American Unscripted Workshop!

Our new Fellows jumped right into an intensive Day 1, packed with crucial insights and real-world experience:

🤝 They connected with the Native American Media Alliance Leadership Team and a dynamic young producer!

💡 The day culminated in the exciting chance to pitch their unscripted projects to an experienced, working unscripted showrunner!

The energy is high, and the ideas are brilliant! We can't wait to see what these creators develop next.

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