Array Releasing shared the official trailer for Frybread Face and Me, the award-winning indie coming-of-age film following two adolescent Navajo cousins as they bond over a summer spent on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch.
Starring in the film are Keir Tallman, Charley Hogan, Sarah H. Natani, Martin Sensmeier, and Kahara Hodges.
Release Date
Directed by Billy Luther, Frybread Face and Me world premiered at South by Southwest film festival, and opens in theaters and Netflix with a release date of November 24th, 2024.
Synopsis
Winner of the best narrative feature at the 2023 Urbanworld Film Festival, Frybread Face and Me follows two adolescent Navajo cousins from different worlds as they bond during a summer on their grandmother’s Arizona ranch, learning more about their family’s past and about themselves. Produced by Chad Burris and executive produced by Taika Waititi, the film stars Kier Tallman, Charley Hogan, Martin Sensmeier, Kahara Hodges and Sarah Natani.
Written and directed by Native American filmmaker Billy Luther of the Navajo, Hopi and Laguna Pueblo tribes, his previous credits include the award-winning documentary Miss Navajo, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and aired nationally on PBS’ Independent Lens that same year. Luther’s second documentary feature, Grab, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and aired nationally on Public Television. Luther’s short documentary film, Red Lake, had its world premiere at the 2016 LA Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary Short at the 2016 International Documentary Association Awards. In 2018, he launched his web series “alter-NATIVE” for PBS’ IndieLens StoryCast. Luther was most recently the writer and director for the AMC series “Dark Winds.
Reviews
Roger Ebert review gave the films 3 stars, and highlighted the diverse strands in the film writing “There’s a subtle LGBTQ+ thread that runs through “Frybread Face and Me.” It’s stated a few times in writer/director Billy Luther’s script that adolescent Benny struggles to live up to expectations of what a Diné man “should” be, and one scene sees Fry and Benny dancing together in traditional Diné women’s clothing. But the characters—and the movie—never press Benny too hard on the specifics of his still-developing identity, giving him the space to figure things out for himself.”
Mashable review went even further, saying “Frybread Face and Me makes every effort to be anything but a stereotype or cliché, despite its simple plot and straightforward acting performances from its supporting cast. When Benny (played by first-time actor Keir Tallman) is introduced to viewers, he’s raving about skirt-twirling Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks. He’s acting out the pregnancy dramas of a fictional TV soap opera with his G.I. Joe action figures. He’s being accosted by his overbearing, traditionally masculine father for not being enough of a man, which is later reiterated by his bull-riding Uncle Marvin (Westworld’s Martin Sensmeier). “Are you a cowboy or a cowgirl?” Marvin aims at Benny early in the movie. “I’m… just Benny?” the young boy responds.””
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Frybread Face and Me.
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