#billy luther frybread face and me

[thequeereview]

Exclusive Interview: Frybread Face & Me filmmaker Billy Luther "when it comes down to it, this is my story"

One of the standouts at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival, Billy Luther’s richly evocative 1990-set narrative feature debut Frybread Face and Me, was recently acquired by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY Releasing and will open on select screens and launch on Netflix on Friday, November 24th. The comedy drama follows 11-year-old Benny (Keir Tallman) as he is abruptly sent away for the summer by…

[lyledebeast]

Pride Month Movie 30: Frybread Face and Me

Just one more! And if I haven't saved the best for last, I've come close. I watched this 2023 film by Billy Luther for the first time just a month ago, and I couldn't wait to watch it again.

The love Luther has for Native women leaps off the screen and smacks you in the face. It's about time someone in film gave Native women some love (side-eyes Wind River).

This movie is more a rumination on gender than sexuality given the age of its young protagonist. Queerness is referenced only once, as a slur, and to misidentify lesbians, but the unspoken acceptance when Lucy sees Benny applying lipstick and wordlessly begins to paint his nails as well speaks volumes. I'm glad to see more films that show how queer identity impacts the way one moves in the world and is perceived by others even in ways that have nothing to do with sexuality.

This movie is a breath of fresh air in numerous ways. It's fun-loving and heartwarming without shying away from the difficulties of reservation life. And, again, friendships and familial relationships take center stage. Once thing I noticed by watching thirty (30!) LGBTQ films this that these stories do a better job of valuing different kinds of relationships equally than heterocentric stories do, which explains a lot about their appeal for me!

[iseetheworldinmetaphor]

Just watched. Available on Netflix Nov 23rd.

[moviemosaics]

Frybread Face and Me

directed by Billy Luther, 2023

[jonathanmoya1955]

Frybread Face and Me: A Navajo Summer Reservation

Netflix Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: Frybread Face and Me follows two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds as they bond during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch, learning more about their family’s past and about themselves. Review: Frybread Face and Me historic and personal focus makes it seem almost that an autobiography of its director, Billy Luther is unspooling…

[peachypaddys]

ten frames.

frybread face and me (2023) — dir. billy luther

[fairy-type-islander]

Frybread Face and Me (2023) dir. Billy Luther

[maurawrites]

KAHARA HODGES as AUNT LUCY FRYBREAD FACE AND ME dir. Billy Luther

[mikimeiko]

Frybread Face and Me (Billy Luther, 2023)

[lyledebeast]

Just finished Frybread Face and Me (Billy Luther, 2023), and the only complaint I have is that it is over too fast! I would have enjoyed it under any circumstances but watching it after the travesty that is Windtalkers I definitely appreciated it more.

[o-the-mts]

90 Movies in 90 Days: Frybread Face and Me (2023)

Every day until March 31, 2024 I will be watching and reviewing a movie that is 90 minutes or less. Title: Frybread Face and Me Release Date: November 24, 2023 Director: Billy Luther Production Company: Indion Entertainment | REI Co-op Studios Summary/Review: When 11-year-old Benny’s (Keir Tallman) parents split up he is sent from his home in San Diago to spend the summer on the farm of his…

[criticarter]

Films Watched in 2023 - (97/???)

Frybread Face and Me (2023) Billy Luther -- (3.5/5)

As far as first features go (both behind and in front of the camera), this could certainly have been far worse, but it's also not very fleshed out (83 minutes including credits). It's billed as being an LGBT coming of age story, but you could honestly blink and miss that content here (though considering the age of our protagonist and the sparsely populated reservation they spend most of the film on, there's not much opportunity to expand on that front). That said, I'll take authentic stories being told over white savior narratives (or worse) from the colonizer perspective any day; thank you Taika for producing another piece of media to teach the uneducated whites.

[native-blog-deutsch]

Netflix: FRYBREAD FACE & ME

Filmkritik von Cliff Taylor

(Originalartikel auf Last Real Indians) Mein Partner und ich waren letzten Freitagabend angenehm überrascht, als wir sahen, dass es auf Netflix einen neuen Eingeborenenfilm namens Frybread Face & Me gibt. Wir sahen uns etwa zwei Sekunden des Trailers an und waren sofort Feuer und Flamme. Wir vergaßen alles andere, was wir vorhatten, und lehnten uns stattdessen für einen ungeplanten indianischen Filmabend zurück. Danach, als der Abspann lief, waren wir beide so tief befriedigt, so tief bewegt, dass wir, liebe Louise und Makkaroni & Käse, endlich ein paar verdammt perfekte Eingeborenenfilme bekamen, endlich.   Falls ihr noch nicht davon gehört habt: Frybread Face & Me ist das Spielfilmdebüt von Autor/Regisseur Billy Luther (Navajo, Hopi, Laguna Pueblo) und handelt von einem jungen Navajo-Stadtkind, das den Sommer bei seiner Großmutter, seinem Cousin und anderen Verwandten im Reservat verbringt. Der Film ist von Anfang an ein Feuerwerk an nachvollziehbarer Zärtlichkeit, so gut gemacht, gut geschrieben und in jeder Hinsicht gut gehandhabt, dass man sofort weiß, dass es die Art von Film ist, auf die man als Navajo gewartet hat; und in meinem Fall als Navajo, der jahrzehntelang mit enttäuschenden und völlig unnachvollziehbaren Darstellungen von Navajos auf der Leinwand gelebt hat. Wie ich meiner Partnerin sagte, bevor der erste Akt des Films auch nur annähernd zu Ende war: "Man merkt, dass dies kein Schrott sein wird. Endlich mal ein indischer Film, der in Indien gedreht wurde, ein Budget hat und nicht nur Schrott ist!" Der Film folgt Benny, dem Stadtkind (gespielt von Kier Tallman), und seiner viel weiseren, wenn auch ebenso tragisch von schwer aussprechbaren zerbrochenen Familienelementen überschatteten Cousine Dawn (das Frybread Face des Titels, gespielt von Charley Hogan), wie sie durch eine Mischung von Dingen stolpern, die ich als Plains-Indianer Nebraska Ponca wie die Rückseite der Hand meines eigenen Stammes kannte: eine traditionelle Kultur, die mir erschreckend fremd und gleichzeitig sehr persönlich ist, betrunkene Onkel, die kein Problem damit haben, gemein zu Kindern zu sein, abwesende Eltern, Langeweile, Idole der Popkultur (die einzige VHS-Kassette, die bei Bennys Großmutter vorhanden ist, ist John Carpenters Starman, den ich mit meiner Mutter mehrmals gesehen habe, als ich in Bennys Alter war) und regelmäßige Wellen von Trauma und Trauer zwischen den Generationen. Die jungen Schauspieler, die Benny und Dawn bei der Bewältigung ihres Sommers, ihres Onkels und der Menschen um sie herum darstellen, sind absolut fantastisch. Sie wirken so echt und natürlich und wahrhaftig wie die Kinder der Ureinwohner, dass es ein Wunder ist, sie in einem Film zu sehen (es macht absolut Sinn, dass Billy Luther einen Hintergrund als Dokumentarfilmer hat). Sie sind ein Vergnügen und, wie die jungen Wilden in dem kürzlich abgeschlossenen Film Reservation Dogs, eine wahre Medizin für uns Natives, die wir uns schon immer danach gesehnt haben, uns selbst auf der Leinwand zu sehen, die wir uns schon immer nach einer Darstellung gesehnt haben, die so gut ist, dass sie uns tatsächlich heilt. Frybread Face & Me ist witzig, süß, zitierfähig und dringt in das Gebiet ein, das Smoke Signals vielleicht schon zu lange innehatte - ein Klassiker, den man sich sofort wieder ansehen kann. Der Film brachte mich dazu, Dinge zu fühlen, mich in meine eigenen Anfänge in Nebraska zurückzuversetzen, als ich ein Kind war, das herumlief und mit der indianischen Realität schwelgte, das versuchte, sich einen Reim auf seine Verwandten zu machen, das irgendwie nichts Gutes im Schilde führte, das Comics las und so voller Schmerz und Sehnsucht war, die mit einer Geschichte zusammenhingen, die ich nicht kannte, zu der ich keinen Zugang hatte und von der ich keine wirklich klare Vorstellung hatte. Als ihre Großmutter die Schlussszene des Films in Dine' erzählte (ein weiterer großer Pluspunkt ist, wie viel Dine' im ganzen Film gesprochen wird), bebte mein Kinn unwillkürlich, da nicht nur eine Erinnerung in mir aufgewühlt wurde, sondern so etwas wie der ganze Körper der Erinnerungen, mit dem ich als erwachsener Ureinwohner unterwegs war, zu vibrieren begann. Ich hörte zu, was die Großmutter von Benny und Dawn sagte, und mein Geist streckte sich durch mein Flanellhemd quer durch den Raum und griff nach etwas, das ich kannte, aber mehr davon wollte, etwas, das ich nie gekannt hatte, aber trotzdem wollte, etwas, das mir nahe und gleichzeitig weit weg war; ich hörte ihrer Großmutter zu und hörte mich selbst im Geiste sagen: "Ich erinnere mich auch. Ich erinnere mich auch daran." Dann nahm ich meine Partnerin in den Arm, während sie weinte und eine ganze Welt voller wunderschöner, realer Dinge spürte, die sie selbst erlebt hatte. Sehen Sie sich Frybread Face & Me an und lassen Sie Ihre indianische Seele berühren, und seien Sie dankbar, dass wir uns nicht mehr mit schlechten oder halbherzigen oder mittelmäßigen indianischen Filmen zufrieden geben müssen, sondern dass wir uns in einer neuen Ära frischer Klassiker und lang erwarteter Meisterwerke und Filme befinden, die unsere Geschichten erzählen und so gut und kraftvoll sind, wie es nur geht. Vielleicht gibst du dem Benny oder der Dawn in dir auch eine kleine Umarmung. Es war nicht leicht, als Eingeborene aufzuwachsen, und doch sind wir hier, essen Popcorn und sehen uns süße Eingeborenenfilme an, hier sind wir. Read the full article

[movienation]

Movie Review: A Coming-of-Age-Summer story on the Rez -- "Frybread Face and Me"

“Frybread Face and Me” is a sweet, downbeat and somewhat melancholy coming-of-age tale about a Navajo “city Indian” sent to spend the summer of 1990 in the reservation where his mother grew up. Writer-director Billy Luther, who is of Navajo, Hopi and Pueblo heritage, tells us a not-wholly-autobiographical story of broken families, heritage, family history and gender identity on a tiny sheep…

[kickmag]

Urbanworld Film Festival Announces 2023 Lineup

The 27th annual Urbanworld Film Festival's lineup has been announced for the event taking place the first week of November. The five-day occasion is November 1-5 at AMC 34th Street and the SVA Theatre in New York City. The schedule includes the world premiere of A Wu-Tang Experience: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre directed by Rza and Gerald Barclay. A conversation with Marvel Studios' The Marvels writer/director and Urbanworld album Nia Acosta is also planned. HBO returns as a Founding Partner and Warner Brothers Discovery is the Prestige Partner. 

Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School, an HBO Documentary Films feature, from director Amy Schatz and executive produced by Mike Jackson, John Legend and Ty Stiklorius of Get Lifted Film Co. will screen. Lawman: Bass Reeves, starring and executive produced by David Oyelowo about the first Black US Marshal is scheduled for viewing. Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story will be presented by Amazon Prime and National Geographic Documentary Films is having a youth screening of The Space Race directed by Urbanworld alum Lisa Cortés (Little Richard I Am Everything) and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza. 

The work of more Urbanworld alums will be highlighted with To Live And Let Die starring Amin Joseph and Omari Hardwick; Young. Wild. Free. directed by Thembi Banks with Sanaa Lathan and Mike Epps; and Sira, a Berlinale audience winner directed by Apolline Traoré.

ESPN is presenting Black Girls Play from documentary team Joe Brewster and Michéle Stephenson. Disney+ is showcasing six short films from its Disney + Launchpad incubator program of filmmakers including The Ghost, directed by Erica Eng; Black Belts, directed by Spencer Glover; Beautiful, FL, directed by Gabriela Ortega; The Roof, directed by Alexander Bocchieri; Maxine, written and directed by Niki Ang and Project CC, directed by Cashmere Jasmine. 

The almost 100 titles comprises shorts from several known artists including Yvonne Orji's directing debut with Jamaal and Zainab Jah's first film Reunion. Executive producer, Urbanworld alum and writer Nelson George will present Flower, a short film about ballerina Misty Copeland. Benny Boom's A Love Letter To Hip-Hop starring Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought and Part of Me: Anuar Khalifi by Yasiin Bey starring Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) are two of the music-oriented titles. 

To purchase tickets and passes, visit urbanworld.org. 

2023 Urbanworld International Film Festival Lineup 

Spotlight Presentations

Lawmen: Bass Reeves – Created by Chad Feehan (Presented by Paramount+)

Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story – Directed by Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz (Presented by Prime Video)

Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School – Directed by Amy Schatz (Presented by HBO Documentary Films)

The Space Race – Directed by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and Lisa Cortés (Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films)

U.S./World Cinema Narrative Features 

Chronicles of a Wandering Saint (Argentina) – Directed by Tomás Gómez Bustillo (New York Premiere)

Frybread Face and Me – Directed by Billy Luther (New York Premiere)

INKY PINKY PONKY (New Zealand) – Directed by Damon Fepuleai, Ramon TeWake (U.S. Premiere)

To Live and Die and Live – Directed by Qasim Basir

Young. Wild. Free. – Directed by Thembi Banks (New York Premiere)

Sira (Burkina Faso) – Directed by Apolline Traoré (U.S. Premiere)

Documentary Features

A Wu-Tang Experience: Live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Directed by Gerald K. Barclay and The RZA (World Premiere)

Bike Vessel – Directed by Eric D. Seals (New York Premiere)

Black Barbie: A Documentary – Directed by Lagueria Davis (New York Premiere)

Brief Tender Light (Ghana/USA) – Directed by Arthur Musah (New York Premiere)

Disney Launchpad Shorts (Presented by Disney+)

Beautiful, FL – Directed by Gabriela Ortega

Black Belts – Directed by Spencer Glover

Maxine – Directed by Niki Ang

Project CC – Directed by Cashmere Jasmine

The Ghost – Directed by Erica Eng

The Roof – Directed by Alexander Bocchieri

POV Showcase (Presented by WNET)

By Way of Canarsie – Directed by Emily Packer and Lesley Steele

Freshwater – Directed by dream hampton

Sol in the Garden – Directed by Emily Cohen Ibañez and Débora Souza Silva

Still Waters – Directed by Aurora Brachman

The Dream of a Horse (Iran) – Directed by Marjan Khosravi (New York Premiere)

U.S. And World Narrative Shorts

A Version – Directed by Asad Farooqui (New York Premiere)

August Visitor – Directed by Ifeyinwa Arinze

Becoming – Directed by Tramaine Raphael Gray

Children of Light (Korea/USA) – Directed by Minkyu Kang (New York Premiere)

Choices – Directed by Justin Luis Denis (World Premiere)

Cousins – Directed by Karina Dandashi

Cut Me If You Can – Directed by Nicolas Polixene and Sylvain Loubet (New York Premiere)

Death & Ramen – Directed by Tiger Ji

Don't Touch My Hair – Directed by Matthew Law (New York Premiere)

Don't Wait Up For Me – Directed by Alain Alfaro (New York Premiere)

ExpoZure – Directed by Kimson Albert (World Premiere)

Hématome (Belgium) – Directed by Babetida Sadjo

Homing – Directed by Ricardo Varona (New York Premiere)

House Party (United Kingdom) – Directed by William Alexander Boyd III (U.S. Premiere)

Incomplete – Directed by Zoey Martinson

I Held Him – Directed by Hans Augustave

JAMAAL – Directed by Yvonne Orji (World Premiere)

Jerome – Directed by Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz (New York Premiere)

LOOK BACK AT IT – Directed by Felicia Pride

Lunchbox – Directed by Anne Hu

Magic Ring – Directed by Alex Ashe

My Two Left Feet – Directed by Damian Gonzalez (U.S. Premiere)

October Mourning – Directed by Frederick Thornton (New York Premiere)

Reunion – Directed by Zainab Jah and Tim Naylor (New York Premiere)

Spaceship – Directed by Jorge G. Camarena (New York Premiere)

The Burden – Directed by Tish Arana (New York Premiere)

The Fore-men (Canada) – Directed by Adrian Bobb (East Coast Premiere)

The Old Young Crow (Japan) – Directed by Liam LoPinto (New York Premiere)

TikTok Challenged – Directed by Ivan Rome

YELLOW (United Kingdom) – Directed by ELHAM EHSAS (East Coast Premiere)

Documentary Shorts

Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games – Directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson (Presented by ESPN Films)

Duckworthy – Directed by M.G. Evangelista (New York Premiere)

I Was a Soul Train Dancer – Directed by Timiza Sanyika (New York Premiere)

Merman – Directed by Sterling Hampton IV

PART OF ME - Anuar Khalifi BY Yasiin Bey (Spain) – Directed by Jordi Esgleas Marroi (New York Premiere)

OVER THE WALL – Directed by KRYSTAL TINGLE

SLICE – Directed by Zaire Love (New York Premiere)

The Big Idea: Birth Without Bias – Directed by Sarah Klein, Tom Mason (New York Premiere)

Things Long Left Unsaid – Directed by Antonia Thornton (New York Premiere)

WA GUEJJ GUI - OCEAN PEOPLE – Directed by Clé Hunnigan (World Premiere)

Animation Shorts

Bridges – Directed by Jonathan Davenport (World Premiere)

BURNING RUBBER – Directed by Christopher Fequiere and Dara King (New York Premiere)

Lil’ Ruby – Directed by Bartek Kik (New York Premiere)

Perfect City: The Bravest Kid – Directed by Shengwei Zhou (East Coast Premiere)

Tomato Kitchen (China) – Directed by Junyi Xiao

Experimental

BET Presents: A Love Letter to Hip Hop – Directed by Benny Boom

FLOWER – Directed by Lauren Finerman

It Smells Like Springtime – Directed by Mackie Mallison

Quiet As It's Kept – Directed by Ja'Tovia Gary (New York Premiere)

Paradise Ft. Terrace Martin & Alex Isley – Directed By child. (Presented By Jill Newman Productions)

Young Creators Showcase

BURNT MILK (Jamaica) – Directed by Joseph Douglas Elmhirst (U.S. Premiere)

Of Silence and Song – Directed by Dai Leyi (New York Premiere)

Shallots and Garlic / Bawang Merah Bawang Putih (Indonesia/Canada) – Directed by Andrea Nirmala Widjajanto (New York Premiere)

Xiaohui and his cows (China) – Directed by Xinying Lao (New York City Premiere)

UNERASABLE – Directed by Déon Ragin (World Premiere)

Screenplays

I Don’t Dream in Spanish Anymore – Written by Missy Hernandez

Long Live AJ – Written by Marvin Van Buren

Panorama Connection – Written by Nicole Weaver

The Washroom – Written by Omar Al Dakheel and Elie El Choufany