The nonprofit Sundance Institute marked a powerful moment for Indigenous cinema during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival with the announcement of this year’s Merata Mita and Graton Fellowship recipients at the Native Forum Celebration in Park City. Selected for the 2026 Merata Mita Fellowship was Masami Kawai, while the 2026 Graton Fellowships were awarded to Isabella Madrigal and Tsanavi Spoonhunter. Together, the three artists represent a dynamic new generation of Indigenous storytellers shaping contemporary cinema through narrative and documentary forms.
The Legacy and Purpose of the Merata Mita Fellowship
The Merata Mita Fellowship is awarded annually to an Indigenous woman-identified filmmaker preparing to direct a feature film and honors the groundbreaking legacy of Merata Mita, the first Māori woman to write and direct a dramatic feature film. Mita was also a passionate mentor who served as an advisor and artistic director of Sundance Institute’s Native Lab from 2000 to 2009, helping foster a global Indigenous filmmaking community. Now in its eleventh year, the fellowship provides financial support, mentorship, year-round creative development, strategic services, and access to the Sundance Film Festival, continuing Mita’s lifelong mission of empowering Indigenous voices.
Masami Kawai’s Vision as the 2026 Merata Mita Fellow
Los Angeles–born and Oregon-based filmmaker Masami Kawai, who is of Ryukyuan descent from the island of Amami, brings a deeply personal and socially engaged perspective to her storytelling. Her work explores race, class, and Indigeneity in the United States and has screened internationally. A former Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Lab fellow, Kawai described receiving the Merata Mita Fellowship as a tremendous honor, noting that Mita’s life gave her the courage to embrace her identities as a filmmaker, educator, and mother while inspiring her to contribute to the global Indigenous creative community Mita helped build.
The Graton Fellowship and Support for California Native Storytellers
Now in its third year, the Graton Fellowship supports Indigenous filmmakers from California-based tribes and is made possible through an endowment from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria. The fellowship offers recipients $25,000, mentorship from Indigenous Program staff, creative and professional development opportunities, and participation in Sundance Institute programs throughout the year, helping artists advance projects currently in development or production.
Tsanavi Spoonhunter’s Commitment to Documentary Storytelling
Tsanavi Spoonhunter, who is Northern Arapaho and Northern Paiute, is a nonfiction filmmaker based in Northern Nevada who works as a director, producer, and writer. She holds a Master of Journalism degree from the University of California, Berkeley, with a concentration in documentary film and founded the multimedia company Mahebe Media in 2023. Spoonhunter shared that the fellowship reflects her roots among Paiute communities in California, which shaped her identity and inspired her commitment to telling stories grounded in Indigenous experience, resilience, and truth.
Isabella Madrigal’s Storytelling Grounded in Ancestral Wisdom
Writer, director, and actor Isabella Madrigal, who is enrolled Cahuilla and Turtle Mountain Ojibwe, brings a multidisciplinary approach to filmmaking that centers ancestral knowledge, healing, and Indigenous futurisms. A Harvard alum and Sundance Institute Native Lab fellow, Madrigal began developing her upcoming feature as a community theater project performed with Native communities across California. Reimagining the story for film, she aims to draw from Cahuilla cosmology while honoring Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives, using storytelling as a tool for empowerment and cultural resilience.
A Celebration of Indigenous Cinema’s Growing Impact
The Native Forum Celebration unites Sundance Institute Indigenous Program fellows, grantees, alumni, and supporters on Traditional Ute Nation Territory each year during the Festival. The event recognizes Indigenous-led projects in the Festival lineup while honoring the artists and contributors shaping the future of Indigenous storytelling. Sundance Institute has supported Indigenous filmmakers since its earliest labs in 1981, helping elevate voices that have gone on to achieve global recognition and lasting cultural influence.
Looking Ahead to a New Era of Indigenous Storytelling
With Masami Kawai, Isabella Madrigal, and Tsanavi Spoonhunter stepping into their fellowship roles, the 2026 Sundance Film Festival continues to nurture bold, culturally rooted voices. Through financial backing, mentorship, and community support, the Merata Mita and Graton Fellowships not only honor legacy but actively shape the future of Indigenous cinema, ensuring these artists’ stories reach audiences worldwide with authenticity, power, and imagination.
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