Director's Works
Nike, Through the Storm Charles Frank, Fritz Bitsoie
Fritz Bitsoie, an award-winning Diné/Navajo filmmaker, is known for his film "The Trails Before Us." Featured at prestigious festivals nationwide, it explores culturally significant themes in the modern Native American experience. With a love for sci-fi and martial arts films, Fritz infuses his work with elements from genre cinema. His creative vision has earned him recognition, including the Best Artistic Vision award at Big Sky Doc Film Festival. He is also a 2023 4th World Fellow. Charles Frank is a director and co-founder of Voyager, a production company that tells stories of all sizes for brands, agencies, and audiences everywhere. His work has reached millions of people online, been featured in The New York Times and The Atlantic, and has received ten Vimeo Staff Picks. His latest short documentary, "Shanti Rides Shotgun," is having its World Premiere at SXSW. Charles has brought his unique sensibilities to commercial projects for Jack Daniel’s, McDonald's, DICK’s Sporting Goods and many others.
Crafting 'Red Lake' was a deeply personal journey for me (Fritz Bitsoie), rooted in my own Native American identity as a member of the Diné/Navajo tribe. I wanted to go beyond capturing the struggles of a high school football team on the Ojibwe reservation, this 20-minute documentary is more of an ode to resilience and unity. In the face of a two-decade-long victory drought, the players' unwavering spirit shines brilliantly on the field. Rather than dwelling on adversity, our aim was to illuminate the joy that football brings to the players, coach Nolan, and the entire Red Lake community. 'Red Lake' is not just a film; it's a celebration of perseverance, a testament to the vibrant spirit of a people, and my humble contribution to reshaping the narrative of Native American stories. I am very proud to be part of this game-changing project.