Groundbreaking Animation Series Injunuity Brings Real Native Issues to Public Television

(Lincoln, Neb.) — Injunuity is a unique mix of animation, music, and real thoughts from real people exploring our world from the Native American perspective. A breakthrough trans-media project in its own right, Injunuity filmmaker Adrian Baker (Hopi) has created this compelling content for the web, portable technologies, and public television. Innovative narratives are told through nine short stories that present a visually stunning, thought-provoking collage of reflections on our world, our shared past, our turbulent present, and our undiscovered future. 

Featuring over twenty Native voices who share their heartfelt thoughts and opinions on various topics in Indian Country, the project topics include language preservation, destruction of sacred sites, the realities of rez life, the origins of democracy in North America, economic consumption, gender identity, and the environment. 

This interactive media project allows great depth of content, without interrupting the overall experience. Baker introduced Injunuity to Vision Maker Media in the 2009 Open Call for new media funding. The concept was innovative, compelling, and beneficial to Native communities, and showed a desire to explore new distribution platforms to attract the online generation. 

“Most of us are aware that the history of Native America is filled with struggles against oppression and marginalization. We are taught that the Native way ― while at times glorious ― is a thing of the past, but in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth. My hope is that Injunuity can serve as a starting point for discussions and that we, as a society, will have the good sense to seek out the Native wisdom that we have long ignored in order to help guide us as we move into the future,” said Adrian Baker (Hopi), Injunuity’s director and producer. 

One of the main features of Injunuity is the website’s hot-linked “text fall” of words and terms that flow down the page, behind and around the main viewing screen. This feature makes the interactive trans-media experience accessible using desktop, mobile, or tablet web browsers. 

“Injunuity offers a brilliant and refreshing view into what is important to Native Americans. Vision Maker Media is excited to share these diverse stories with Public Broadcasting audiences,” said Shirley K. Sneve (Rosebud Sioux), Vision Maker Media’s Executive Director. 

To watch the shorts online, visit www.visionmakermedia.org/injunuity or the film’s website at www.injunuity.org. Injunuity — which received major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and Vision Maker Media — is an offering of the National Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA). The half-hour program and interstitials will be available to public television stations nationwide Friday, October 25, 2013, for feed with broadcast rights beginning November 1, 2013. For broadcast information in your area, please visit www.visionmakermedia.org/watch. 

About ITVS 
The Independent Television Service (ITVS) funds, presents, and promotes award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the web, and the Emmy® Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Monday nights at 10 PM on PBS. Mandated by Congress in 1988 and funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, ITVS has brought more than 1,000 independently produced programs to American audiences to date. For more information about ITVS, visit itvs.org 

About Vision Maker Media 
Vision Maker Media shares Native stories with the world that represent the cultures, experiences, and values of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Founded in 1977, Vision Maker Media, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) which receives major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, nurtures creativity for development of new projects, partnerships, and funding. Vision Maker Media is the premier source for quality Native American and Pacific Islander educational and home videos. All aspects of our programs encourage the involvement of young people to learn more about careers in the media— to be the next generation of storytellers. Located at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we offer student employment and internships. For more information, visit www.visionmakermedia.org.

 About NETA 
The National Educational Telecommunications Association is a professional association that serves public television licensees and educational entities in all 50 states, the U.S., Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. We connect people and ideas, by providing quality programming, educational resources, professional development, management support, and national representation. For more information, visit www.netaonline.org. 

Additional Information Regarding Injunuity:

Feed Date/NOLA: NETA | Friday, October 25, 2013 (feed times offered back-to-back)
Interstitials: INJUN 00 H1 1230-1330/HD04
Half-Hour Program (TRT 29:06): INJN 00 H1 1330-1400/HD04
Broadcast rights beginning November 1, 2013 

Run time: 29:06 or offered in nine separate interstitials 

Credits: 
A film by Adrian Baker (Hopi).
Injunuity is a co-production of Adrian Baker, the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and Vision Maker Media. 

Funding for Injunuity: 
Major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and Vision Maker Media. 

Film Pages:
Injunuity Website: www.injunuity.org
NETA: http://www.netaonline.org/search/ProgramDetails.aspx?id=4067
ITVS: www.itvs.org/films/injunuity
Vision Maker Media: www.visionmakermedia.org/films/injunuity

Distributed by: Vision Maker Media 1800 N. 33rd Street; Lincoln, NE 68503 shopvisionmaker.org 1-877-868-2250 

Sign-up to get notified of when the DVD becomes available:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/injunuity

Crew Bios:
ADRIAN BAKER (HOPI), DIRECTOR/PRODUCER 
As the creative director for MadLab Creative, Adrian's client list included DreamWorks Records, Sony Screenblast, and Wild Brain Animation. Over the last ten years Adrian has produced and directed many projects including the award-winning animated poetry series SlamBox as well as sfON, a nine-part series of animated shorts that eventually made its way to CurrentTV. In addition to his animation, Adrian is also a published short-fiction writer and has optioned a screenplay. He currently lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and daughter. 

MANNY LIERAS (DINÉ/COMANCHE/CHICANO), PRODUCER 
As an emerging leader in the California Native American community, Manny Lieras has many talents and wears many hats. When he’s not working as the program coordinator at the American Indian Child Resource Center in Oakland, you might find him coaching youth football for the Sports and Nutrition Program, volunteering his time to teach traditional drumming at the Intertribal Friendship House in Oakland, or singing at one of the many pow-wows across the country, where he has won several large-scale competitions, both individually and as a member of All Nation Singers.