August 2005

Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Creek) is the director of the short film Goodnight, Irene and the feature film Four Sheets to the Wind. Four Sheets to the Wind premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. In 2006, Harjo received the Tribeca All Access Creative Promise Award for his script Before the Beast Returns and a Media Arts Fellowship from Renew Media. Goodnight, Irene premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, and was cited for Special Jury Recognition at the Aspen Shortsfest. In 2004, Harjo became one of first five Annenberg Film Fellows at the Sundance Institute. Harjo studied film and video at the University of Oklahoma and formerly worked for the Seminole Nation communications department in Wewoka. He grew up in Holdenville and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Making a film is a very scary thing. You just put your heart into it and hope that things go right. You also hope that special things happen during the process that you didn't expect. So much is out of your hands, but you have to make a film that you are proud of…hopefully other people will like it as well."

Screened by NMAI

• Four Sheets to the Wind (2006) director
• Goodnight Irene (2004) director

Image credits: Sterlin Harjo - courtesy of the filmmaker; Sterlin Harjo - photograph by James Kinestino (Saulteaux)