Powwow People (2025) by Sky Hopinka
Saturday, April 4, 2026, 1:10 pm
Sky Hopinka’s Powwow People
Sky Hopinka In Person
Presented in association with the Roxie Theater & Slash
Admission: $16 General / $14 Cinematheque Members
Event tickets here
On the occasion of the exhibition Sonic Transmissions, a solo exhibition featuring the work of artist/filmmaker/writer Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians), which offers a foray into his use of sound, Slash, San Francisco Cinematheque and curator Gina Basso will present his latest feature-length documentary Powwow People at the Roxie Theater for a special afternoon screening. The event precedes An Evening with Sky Hopinka, a public program taking place at Slash. Details here.
Powwow People is a vérité-style documentary grounded in the rhythms, relationships and lived experience of a contemporary Native gathering. Rather than entering as outside observers, the filmmakers organized the powwow itself, inviting dancers, singers, vendors and community members to participate in the making of this film. Structured around the arc of a single day, the film follows four central figures: Gina Bluebird, who frames the powwow’s shape and guides its setup; Ruben Littlehead, the MC whose presence anchors the present moment; Jamie John, a non-binary dancer imagining the future of these traditions and Freddie Cozad, a singer and drummer who considers the past. The film culminates in a 30-minute unbroken shot of a Northern Traditional dance special, drawing the viewer into the textures, movement and collective presence of the powwow. It is both a reflection of a beloved and complicated community and a gesture toward the continuities of Native life.
Related event: An Evening with Sky Hopinka, featuring a live reading and additional films, will be presented at Slash at 7pm April 4 (same day as the Roxie screening). Full details here.