Ernest Whiteman III is a Northern Arapaho filmmaker and director of the First Nations Film and Video Festival. He is also a writer and adjunct professor whose dedication to empowering and representing Native voices is at the core of his projects. I had the pleasure of working with Ernest for several years and watched him transform classrooms, students, teachers, and what they thought was possible.
Ernest leads with a quiet firmness that intrinsically teaches patience, reflection and intention. He has the ability to rein in rowdy students by knowing exactly what will engage them and, within minutes, will have them organized into a film crew calling “quiet on the set!” Though an established professional, which can tend to burn out the best of us, Ernest has retained a rare sense of curiosity about the world and actively explores what it would be like to see things differently, particularly on screen.
First Nations Film and Video Festival is an important part of the much-needed dialogue about Native perspectives (or lack thereof) in media and, because of the dedication of Ernest and his team, it will only continue to grow. Whether writing a novel, a superhero movie or teaching at the college and elementary levels, Ernest’s authenticity and imagination set him apart in so many positive ways.
