Movie Trailer

World Premiere of "More Than Frybread" Set

Levi Rickert, editor-in-chief in Entertainment. Discussion »

CHANDLER, ARIZONA - Every once in a while we all have one of those moments that stop us cold in our tracks and gives us goose bumps.

Such was a case one day about a decade ago as I was walking through the Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, and saw an old black and white photograph of my late Great-aunt Lena Strong. There she was with her bigger than life smile holding a piece of Indian frybread over a frying pan on a stove.

Friday February 3

I thought of Aunt Lena when I saw the title of a soon to be premiered film called "More Than Frybread." I thought of Aunt Lena because, as the title suggests, there is more to frybread than what meets the eye - or taste buds. Indian frybread is both historic and legendary within American Indian tribal communities across America. Indian frybread is part of our culture.

The 93 minute film about frybread will be premiered on February 3 at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, located in Chandler, Arizona.

“The film has 60 speaking parts,”

said Travis Hamilton, the producer of the film.

"Some the people in the film had acting experience and some of the actors and actresses did not."

The "mockumentary,"

The plot has 22 frybread makers from the 22 federally recognized American Indian tribes of Arizona competing for the first ever, first annual, state of Arizona Frybread Championship in Flagstaff, Arizona during the World Wide Frybread Association Event.

The film takes a larger than life turn as four contestants played by Tatanka Means, Lakota; Teresa Choyguha, Tohono O'odham; Dey & Nite, Arapaho; and Camille Nighthorse, Hualapai, battle their way to compete for the title in the championship round.

Film has been selected to show at the Sedona International Film Festival and the Durango Independent Film Festival in 2012.

"More Than Frybread" is billed as a "mockumentary," a word that my spell check kicked back as being misspelled. Regardless, the movie is sure to be a winner among American Indians who still love to eat a piece of frybread at every powwow or community gathering.

"We had fun and I actually ate some pretty good frybread," commented Hamilton about the frybread made during the making of the film.

"More Than Frybread" is scheduled to be released at the Gathering of the Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico in late April.

WHAT:     Premiere of "More Than Frybread" film

WHEN:     Friday, February 3

TIME:     7:00 pm and 10:00 pm mst

WHERE:     Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino
5040 Wild Horse Boulevard
Chandler, Arizona

posted January 24, 2012 9:05 am est