Press Release: “Day in Our Bay” to show at Port Townsend Film Festival
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – “Day in Our Bay,” a short film that documents a day in the lives of Alaska Natives in the Bristol Bay region, will screen at the Port Townsend Film Festival, held Sept. 21-23 in Port Townsend, Wash. “Day in Our Bay” is competing in the Documentary Shorts category. The film will show twice: 3:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 21 and 9:15 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 23.
Two representatives of the film will attend the screenings and Q&A sessions: project manager Sonya Senkowsky, and Petla Noden, of Dillingham, whose original music and vocals provided the basis for the film’s theme (Editors: Representatives are available for interviews on request). The melody was inspired by his Yup’ik heritage, as well as by the Russian Orthodox religion, which is widely practiced in the region.
“Day in Our Bay” premiered at the Anchorage International Film Festival to a sold-out crowd on Dec. 2, 2011, and has since screened at numerous film festivals throughout the United States and in Canada. The film offers a glimpse into the lives of the people of the region: the traditions and subsistence activities, and the importance of passing this way of life to the next generations.
Alaska Natives who live in coastal areas, including the people of the Bristol Bay region, have much in common with the Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. In fact, several hundred shareholders of Bristol Bay Native Corporation currently reside in Washington state.
About Day in Our Bay
“Day in Our Bay” is a collaborative digital storytelling project created in honor of Bristol Bay Native Corporation’s (BBNC’s) 40th anniversary. One hundred and fifty-eight shareholders in 14 communities received video cameras to participate in a region-wide shoot on Oct. 15, 2011. With the help of 11 video mentors, selected participants spent the day filming various aspects of their lives in the Bristol Bay region. The footage was then compiled into a short documentary. “Day in Our Bay” was produced by BBNC, with project coordination and development support from the Creative Services division of Bristol Industries, LLC. Go to www.dayinourbay.org to find more information, see a press kit with high-resolution photos or watch the entire film.
About Bristol Bay Native Corporation
Formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of Dec. 18, 1971, Bristol Bay Native Corporation has approximately 9,000 shareholders who are Eskimo, Indian and Aleut. BBNC is a diversified company with investment and business holdings in oilfield and industrial services, construction, government contracting and petroleum distribution. More information about BBNC can be found at www.bbnc.net.
About Port Townsend Film Festival
Port Townsend Film Festival aims to introduce communities to film as art, education and inspiration. Throughout the year, the Port Townsend festival collaborates with schools, theatres and filmmakers to amplify the voice of independent media. For more information, visit www.ptfilmfest.com.
Access a PDF Press Kit on “Day in Our Bay” on our Media Contact page.
Day In Our Bay 