Bringing People to GATHER in Support of Native Food Sovereignty

Bringing People to GATHER in Support of Native Food Sovereignty

Andrew Williams and his wife, Sarita, are long-time supporters of First Nations, and their ongoing commitment to our work is recognized and valued. This fall, Andrew further engaged with First Nations to facilitate a screening of First Nations’ GATHER film, bringing together their friends and family and members of the film community to learn more about Native food sovereignty and the amazing work being done in Native communities.

Andrew said the idea for the event started with conversations he had with First Nations’ Associate Director of Individual Giving Jona Charette (Northern Cheyenne/Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa). He shared with her how he had watched GATHER on Netflix during the pandemic, and that the film resonated with him, both as a supporter of First Nations and our projects and initiatives for nourishing Native foods and health, and also as a filmmaker himself.

Andrew is the Vice President of Originals for Soapbox Films, a full-service video production company based in Los Angeles, specializing in films, advertising, and creative effects and storytelling. Andrew said GATHER is special because it is visually beautiful, and it tells a story that people don’t see often. “It was so powerful, we were excited for more people to experience it,” he said. “The more people we can share that with, the better.”

To explore this opportunity, Andrew introduced First Nations to his colleagues at Soapbox Films, who coordinated logistics, provided the venue, and facilitated the evening’s programming. They generously contributed time and talent in bringing the event to fruition on November 29, 2023, at the NoHo Theatre 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood in coordination with Native American Heritage Month.

The event featured a viewing of the film, plus a question and answer session with the director and cast, and it drew participants from the California film community as well as First Nations friends and allies throughout California and representatives from our California Tribal Fund.

For First Nations, the event was an opportunity to further underscore the importance of Native food systems and tell the stories of our community partners. It was also one of the few GATHER panels to feature multiple members of the GATHER cast, including film director Sanjay Rawal (joining virtually) and cast members Nephi Craig (joining virtually) and Sammy Gensaw, Elsie Dubray, and Clayton Harvey (joining in person). It was one of the first times the cast members had been together since the film launched in 2020.

For Andrew, it was also an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the film, which was important to Andrew as a filmmaker. Specializing in original content and creative storytelling, Andrew is known for producing a number of films and documentaries, notably The Muppets Take the Bowl and The Muppets Take the O2. He also serves as an executive producer for Muppets Now and Muppets Haunted Mansion.

Introducing his friends and colleagues to GATHER was a way to not only advance storytelling through the power of film, but also let more people know about the work of First Nations.  “The mission of First Nations has always spoke to me, and the issues of food and resource sovereignty and giving spacing and empowering the communities that were here originally – that’s something I wanted to support, our family wanted to support, and our company wanted to support, and it’s an honor to be able to do it here,” he said.

Jona said creating these types of opportunities for First Nations’ supporters is one of her favorite parts of her position, and she often works with supporters to host events, facilitate small-group gatherings, or provide resources or presentations for education and engagement. “I speak for all of First Nations in expressing how much we value our supporters,” she said. “We are always about that personal interaction and making sure that people feel connected to our work and are a part of the stories of our community partners.”

Jona emphasizes that when it comes to supporting First Nations or any charitable organization, there are many ways to get involved. Whether it’s by making a monetary donation, or providing information to friends or family, volunteering, hosting an event, or sharing a post on social media, every contribution is valued and appreciated. “What I love about my job is getting to know supporters and what’s important to them, and helping them explore ways they can make a meaningful difference,” she said.

First Nations thanks Andrew, his wife Sarita, the director and cast of GATHER who came to the event, and everyone at Soapbox Films for making this exciting evening happen. We are honored to have your support.