Instead of a red carpet and paparazzi, the Cinefilmu Film Festival had incense, sound baths and artists everywhere you looked.
This grassroots festival highlighted connection and kinship at their all-day event on Saturday, showcasing short films from across Minnesota and the world.
Their goal? To center QTBIPOC filmmakers and their creations. Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center in St. Paul hosted the festival.
There were 12 screenings throughout the day; while some were traditional selections of short films, others included conversation-based workshops and live script readings by fellows in Mamá Papaya’s StorySeeds program, one of the founding organizations of the festival.
This marked the second year of Cinefilmu and its continued mission of bringing long-ignored narratives to the screen.
“This is where we support and highlight people in our community,” festival director Olu Famule said to kick off the screenings.
The festival’s theme this year was kin, and it was a guiding force in how they collected submissions and built the physical space.
“Kin to us means found family,” Mariah Hanson, the creative director and scenic designer, said. “And to rest, and hold, and celebrate one another.”
Throughout the festival space, there were chairs, cushions and quiet corners for guests to embody that idea of kin — to slow down and be present with others.
“We didn’t want to host our festival in traditional spaces like theaters,” Hanson said. “By us doing it here at IRoots, we’re opening up a new sector of audience.”
Hanson said the community already relies on Indigenous Roots, making it easier for them to access the art without traveling or accruing additional costs.
Half of the screenings took place in the Bodega, the largest room at the festival. Deep blue lights set the mood for the day, inviting guests to get comfortable and enjoy the stories on screen.
Neighboring businesses also contributed their spaces to Cinefilmu.
Eagle and Condor Native Wellness Center was transformed into a healing room, where guests could lie down on a bed and relax.
Down the hallway was Cristy’s Bridal, turned into the second screening room.
Inside, racks of colorful formal dresses lined the walls. The audience sat on chairs nestled in an intimate clearing between the skirts.
“This is a festival that’s homemade,” Nicole Donoso, the director of operations, said. “There’s so much love and intentionality behind all of it.”
In addition to the hard work of the festival organizers, a team of volunteers also ensured events ran smoothly the day of.
University of Minnesota student and volunteer Samantha Cortez said she heard about Cinefilmu because her professor, Raven Johnson, was going to screen three of her short films.
“It’s a really fire way for everybody to be able to collaborate and make something of our own,” Cortez said. “It’s not trying to be Sundance but something more intimate.”
Attendees felt this sentiment as well.
“It’s important to watch and experience other people’s stories,” Michelle Edens said, who attended Cinefilmu for the first time on Saturday. “It’s also an opportunity to highlight people who have stories to tell that are overlooked.”
