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LMGI COMPASS
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Winter 2021
It is no surprise that the Red
Nation Celebration Institute
(RNCI), the first and largest
global women-led enterprise
to empower American Indian
& indigenous storytellers,
honored the Location
Managers Guild International
and veteran location manager
Todd Christensen/LMGI, with
the "Red Nation Drum™"
during the 25th RNCI Virtual
Awards. Joanelle Romero,
Founder of the Red Nation
International Film Festival
(RNIFF) & Awards, presented
the "Red Nation Drum"
LMGI
Partners
with the
Red Nation
Celebration
Institute
awards to recognize individuals
who use the power of their
voice to make a difference. The
drum represents the heartbeat
of all living beings and is a gift
to honor the hard work done on
behalf of Native Americans in
media, the arts, social justice,
environment and human rights.
The honors followed the
successful partnership between
the LMGI and the Red Nation
Celebration Institute, the
launch of an inaugural LMGI
virtual master class, and a
highly successful Zia Pueblo
food drive in New Mexico
spearheaded by Christensen.
The partnership began with
Romero's vision to train Native
Americans for below-the-line
production careers and drive
revenue to Indian Country.
As a Native American woman
with more than 40 years as a
member of SAG-AFTRA and
as an active member of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences, she reached out
to film commissions, guilds,
and longtime friend and
fellow Academy member
Todd Christensen for
support.
"The first organization to
respond was the LMGI
and the rest is history,"
says Romero. The timing
of Romero's vision and
outreach was impeccable.
The LMGI had just recently
initiated its first Diversity,
Equity and Inclusion
Committee, whose mission
is to educate, train, elevate
and retain a diverse pool of
location professionals.
LMGI member and DEI
Committee member—
Kristin Dewey—
immediately responded
to Romero's call by
helping to organize a
location career's master
class for the 25th Red
Nation International Film
Festival that highlighted
location scouting and
management as a viable
career path. Panelists
included Susan Masten
(Founder & Co-president of
Women Empowering Women
for Indigenous Nations),
LMGI President Mike Fantasia
and LMGI members Kokayi
Ampah, Todd Christensen and
Kristin Dewey.
Dewey also helped to create
a new Indigenous Film Crew
Registry. "Through casual
conversation, I learned that
Kristin's stepmother, Susan
Dewey, sat on the Board of
the American Indian Registry
for the Performing Arts back
in the '80s and '90s. Kristin
agreed to lead the charge
in creating a new registry of
vetted, qualified, indigenous
film crew candidates as a way
to help studios and production
companies who want to
diversify and be more inclusive
in their hiring practices," says
Romero. "We're so happy to
have her on the team and
thrilled that she ultimately
joined us as a co-producer
of the 25th Red Nation
International Film Festival.
by Jen Farris
