Arts & Culture

Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival in Richmond 'reframes' Native life through film

WHRO | By Staff Report

Published October 29, 2026 at 11:30 AM EDT

Nina Berglund, who is Northern Cheyenne and Lakota, was the first Indigenous youth to see the documents in the Portuguese National Archives. The 15th-century documents, called papal bulls, were issued by the Vatican and gave European rulers authority to take land and enslave people who were not considered Christians. The concept later became part of U.S. law. — Nina Berglund, who is Northern Cheyenne and Lakota, was the first Indigenous youth to see the original documents in the Portuguese National Archives. The 15th-century documents, or papal bulls, were issued by the Vatican and gave European rulers authority to take land and enslave people who were not considered Christians. The concept later became part of U.S. law.

The festival is celebrating its 10th year and includes films from around the world. It will be held in mid-November in Richmond and is always held in Virginia.

The Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival, which runs Nov. 18-22 in Richmond, raises the visibility of Native American cultures and filmmakers, as well as stories of Indigenous communities around the world.

The festival includes more than 50 full-length movies, short films and documentaries in categories of animation, comedy, horror and drama. They represent subjects from Brazil, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.

The festival was founded in 2016 by Virginia tribal leaders and others active in the state's movie industry. Virginia is also home to Jamestown, which in 1607 became the first permanent English settlement in North America.

European colonization decimated tribes and their cultures. When the entertainment industry developed, Native characters were often portrayed with demeaning stereotypes, "which lack nuance, accuracy and complexity," the festival website states.

"The Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival offers new insight into previously under-told narratives."

The photo is from the documentary, "The Doctrine," which examines how 15th-century papers formed the notion of the "Doctrine of Discovery," which sanctioned colonization, codified racism and slavery and continues to impact the world, particularly through climate change. — The photo is from the documentary, "The Doctrine," which examines how 15th-century papers became known as the "Doctrine of Discovery." The doctrine sanctioned colonization, codified racism and slavery and continues to impact the world, particularly through climate change.

The festival features several world and Virginia premieres, including "The Doctrine." The documentary follows a group of teens from the Minneapolis area who travel to Rome to meet with Vatican officials about a series of 15th-century documents. The Vatican had issued the papers, which became known as the Doctrine of Discovery, and it gave European leaders the blessing to steal land from non-Christians. The practice became part of U.S. law and has had ongoing repercussions.

Other debuts include "People of the West," which centers on colonization in California, and "No Greater Act: Pueblo Resistance," which details Indigenous resistance to the Spanish in the 1540s and is considered by some historians as the "First American Revolution."

Screenings will be held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 200 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd. and the neighboring Virginia Museum of History and Culture, 428 N. Arthur Ashe Blvd.

Comedian Bobby Wilson, writer for the award-winning "Reservation Dogs" series, will be a host.

The two sites will also host free pre-festival events from Sunday, Nov. 15 through Tuesday, Nov. 17, including lectures, a filmmakers panel and musical performances.

Other events, such as The Powhatan Homelands marketplace and a family powwow, will run Saturday and Sunday during the film festival.

Several non-festival events are free. Festival tickets start at $30.

Visit pocahontasreframed.com for tickets and more information.