The story of Dennis Banks and the American Indian Movement (A.I.M.) movement he co-founded in 1968 is making waves again, this time in the form of a film executively produced by a tribal nation.

“A Good Day to Die,” by filmmakers David Mueller and Lynn Salt (Choctaw), won best documentary at its world premiere at the deadCENTER Film Festival in Oklahoma City and the best documentary prize at the DreamSpeakers film festival. It is the first film of its kind to be executive produced by a tribal nation, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation of California

Now, the film has qualified for the Academy Award consideration.

Filmmaker Salt is hoping to keep the good reviews coming and make a run at an Oscar.

“We are trying to build a grass roots movement to help our film win the Oscar in the best feature length documentary category and would be grateful for any help you could give us getting word out to all Native communities about this important film about rarely told contemporary American Indian history,” she wrote to me in an e-mail.

Just a few seconds into “Good Day” trailer and you’ll see why it’s garnered such praise.

Salt also sent a list of upcoming film festivals you can view the film:
*Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival (Hot Springs, AR – Oct. 16) *imagineNATIVE Film Festival (Toronto, CANADA – Oct. 24) *American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA – Nov. 11) * Press op *Starz Denver Film Festival (Denver, CO – Nov. 12 & 13) * Press o• *LA Skins Fest (Los Angeles, CA – Nov. 19) Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival (Winnipeg, CANADA – Nov. 26)

Here’s hoping it’s coming to MT in the near future.

Jenna Cederberg

Tags: a good die to die, academy awards, American Indian Movement, David Mueller, deadCENTER Film Festival, Dennis Banks, dreamspeakers film festival, Lynn Salt, yocha deh, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation