Lucy Walker's Waste Land, about "catadores" living in Rio de Janeiro's huge landfill site; Bansky's Exit Through the Gift Shop; and Restrepo, co-directed by British photographer Tim Hetherington among American troops in Afghanistan, revealed the strength in fact-based film -making among our native directors.
With the release of Lily van Java (Lily of Java) in 1928, ethnic Chinese became involved in the industry; by 1940 native directors had become common.
No native director of any consequence has painted the corruption of contemporary Russia with a beadier accuracy than Alexei Balabanov, even if most of his films are weakened by commercial considerations.
Many more films will be offered in the festival's other categories -- American Spectrum, dedicated to emerging filmmakers; World Cinema Native Forumm, which features films by Native American directors; and the Midnight Madness series, for the quirkier entries (the source of "Blair Witch" last year).
"The exhibit really captures the work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants," said Cristina Ballí, a Brownsville native and director of Texas Folklife, who curated "Taquerías" with the Brownsville Heritage Museum.
The event will honor the actor Matt Dillon, a Mamaroneck native; the director Lasse Hallström of Bedford, and his producing partner Leslie Holleran of Larchmont.
KEVIN SMITH, the Red Bank native and director of New Jersey-based films like "Clerks" (1994) and "Jersey Girl" (2004), is under no illusions about his celebrity status in his home state.
Before Sirsi moved in three years ago, the downtown "was half empty -- people looked at it as absolutely dead," said Lynne Lowery, a Huntsville native and director of the Huntsville Association, the city's historic preservation group.
He is something less than a ghost, unable to reproach us for having forgotten him, or to discuss more difficult questions: whether he was a dazzling charlatan or the first Native American director to ride to the forefront of Hollywood cinema.
Even one of France's most-prized native sons, director Olivier Assayas, is catching Yankee Fever.
Effendi did not direct another film until 1951, with Djiwa Pemuda, and the first subsequent native film director, Andjar Asmara, only began his career in 1940, with Kartinah.
