Chickasaw Nation's "Te Ata" nominated for Best Film at American Indian Film Festival

SAN FRANCISCO --"Te Ata," a film based on the inspirational true story of Chickasaw storyteller Mary Thompson Fisher has been nominated for best film at the 41st Annual American Indian Film Festival.

The movie will screen Thursday, Nov. 10 during the festival's closing night at the AMC Van Ness 14, 1000 Van Ness Avenue. The program begins at 7 p.m.

Produced by the Chickasaw Nation, the feature film shines a light on the life of the Chickasaw storyteller best known by her stage name, Te Ata, which means "bearer of the morning."

Nathan Frankowski has been nominated as best director for his work on "Te Ata." Q'orionka Kilcher, who plays Te Ata, is a nominee for best actress, while Gil Birmingham and Graham Green are both nominees for the best actor award at the AIFF's American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show, Nov. 11.

Based on her remarkable life and legacy, "Te Ata" shares her story of breaking cultural barriers and changing public perceptions of Native American culture during a storied career which spanned from the 1920s through the 1980s.

Directed by Nathan Frankowski and produced by Paul Sirmons , several award-winning Native American actors help bring the story based on Te Ata's life to the silver screen.

Q'orianka Kilcher is Te Ata and Gil Birmingham is cast as Te Ata's father, Thomas Benjamin (T.B.) Thompson.

Oscar-nominee Graham Greene plays Chickasaw Gov. Douglas H. Johnston; Brigid Brannagh , is cast as Te Ata's mother; and MacKenzie Astin plays Te Ata's husband, renowned scientist and anthropologist Dr. Clyde Fisher.

The American Indian Film Festival is hosted by the American Indian Film Institute, which fosters understanding of the culture, traditions and contemporary issues of Native Americans. The film festival is the world's oldest and best known exposition dedicated to Native Americans in cinema. Since its inaugural year, the film festival has screened more than 3,100 native films.

For more information about the American Indian Film Festival visit http://link.email.dynect.net/link.php?DynEngagement=true&H=tiMleQXvuhG3cVWUKKJFwgesMDniOk1PHbBHFzJ47RvWmuUiIxrrp%2B3xgi58YtArAmsp5ri9kupVwQ4QIqeF9skQzjv3rJMEMlXvPKoUuamIO0wdlftBCQ%3D%3D&G=0&R=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aifisf.com%2F&I=20161107220613.0000029da0d1%40mail6-08-ewr&X=MHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU4MjBmYWNlNTVlYjkyN2UzMmM3NjAzODs%3D&S=iKeUuABKjjZyPJL7DLSO73sSzyOOrDlfYbXiPkcy7KE.

About the Chickasaw Nation

With more than 60,000 citizens, the Chickasaw Nation is the 12th largest federally-recognized Native American tribe in the United States. The Chickasaw Nation has an annual economic impact of more than $2.4 billion in Oklahoma. The tribe has more than 13,000 employees. A democratic republic with executive, legislative and judicial departments, the tribe's jurisdictional territory includes all or part of 13 counties in south-central Oklahoma.

For more information about "Te Ata" the movie, visit TeAtaMovie.com, Facebook page facebook.com/TeAtaMovie or "@TeAtaMovie" on Twitter and Instagram. Connect with "Te Ata" social media on all platforms using #TeAtaMovie.