Margaret Mead Film Festival

Hundreds of filmmakers and scholars, thousands of moviegoers, and over 40 international nonfiction films and media converge over four thrilling days of screenings, conversations, and parties at the Mead.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a contemporary Northwest Coast artist from the Haida nation and a descendant of Charles Edenshaw, who more than 100 years ago created dozens of carvings for the Museum’s Northwest Coast Hall (currently under renovation). In this installation of an automobile hood covered in copper plate, the artist fuses parallel signifiers of social and economic status: Haida copper shields, a traditional symbol of wealth, and cars, which can serve a similar function in contemporary society. Yahgulanaas will be on-site to discuss his work.

Special events and dialogues complement our extraordinary slate of films each year. Join us for dynamic conversation exploring what it means for community-based artists and filmmakers to tell their own stories.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead documented cultures and helped others connect to communities around the world using the groundbreaking medium of her time, film. The Mixed Media Lounge  showcases virtual reality, augmented reality, and more as modes to encounter diverse cultural stories.

NEW THIS YEAR: A rich trove of storytelling lies beyond mainstream film markets across collectives that have sprung up in dynamic numbers since 1986. Collectively illuminates how media empowers communities whose voices were previously underrepresented. The three collectives showcased this year represent a diverse group of visual storytellers—East African filmmakers, Indigenous voices of the Brazilian Amazon, Cambodia’s multimedia memory-makers—and provide training and access to filmmaking equipment as well as mentorship. The resulting stories offer unique and vital cultural perspectives celebrated by the Margaret Mead Film Festival.

The Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award recognizes documentary filmmakers who embody the spirit, energy, and innovation demonstrated by anthropologist Margaret Mead. The award is given to a filmmaker whose US premiere feature-length film displays artistic excellence and original cultural storytelling. Learn more about this year’s contenders and jury!

Mead volunteers are integral to festival operations—from flyer distribution to screen testing films to staffing our virtual reality stations. We are lucky to work with such a talented and passionate group! Learn how to get involved.