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The Indigenous Heritage Film Festival is a week-long celebration of the Indigenous history and cultural contributions of Cape Ann’s earliest inhabitants.  Indigenous Peoples have lived here since the last ice age – approximately 10,000 years ago! While much of the evidence of their lives has been lost, descendants and artifacts remain to tell stories with ageless voices that will carry on long into the future.

This event will be  an inclusive educational film festival that honors Indigenous Peoples’ experiences and contributions on and beyond Cape Ann as part of the Gloucester 400+ celebration. We hope this festival engages, entertains  and educates attendees of all ages.  

Our primary goals for this project are:

To educate our community in regard to the rich cultural, artistic and humanitarian contributions of the Indigenous People who first settled and lived here and throughout North America. To reach the largest possible group of residents from Cape Ann and the North Shore we will screen films in local theaters, schools, and other accessible local venues. We will have both afternoon and evening film screenings. All screenings and events will be free to attend in our effort to reach the largest possible audience.

To encourage thoughtful discussions and conversations within our community, we will include films that address the treatment of Indigenous People in America. To that end, some films will address stereotypes, misinformation or misguided generalizations about these communities. We believe that our community will benefit from knowing more  about and acknowledging our collective history. 

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