American Indian Cinema Showcase
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday
Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch
$8 for adults, $6 for seniors and children, per film
236-3100, www.okcmoa.com

Oklahoma boasts a roster of 39 tribal nation headquarters, affording the state a colorful history and cultural database.

That makes the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch, the perfect place to stage the American Indian Cinema Showcase, now in its fourth year. The annual series highlights the work of American Indian filmmakers and issues important to native communities across the nation. Since its inception, the event has grown to include collective experiences of indigenous peoples throughout the globe.

From villages in Peru to the countryside of South Dakota, this year's lineup captures histories largely untold to mass audiences, said Brian Hearn, museum film curator.

"Native peoples have similar struggles across the world," Hearn said. "This showcase is something local that can communicate a global message."

From Thursday to Sunday, four features and a program of three shorts will be shown. Among the full-length films are two documentaries, "Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian" and "Contrary Warrior: The Life and Times of Adam Fortunate Eagle."

Hearn said the showcase evolves each year with the consistent improvement of the films, the growth of the filmmakers themselves, and the overall cultivation of talent with the passing of time.

Co-presented by the American Indian Cultural Center & Museum, the event kicks off 7:30 p.m. Thursday with the drama "Altiplano."

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and children, per film. For more information, call 236-3100 or visit www.okcmoa.com. "Ta'Chelle Jones

Oklahoman Sterlin Harjo's "Barking Water" screens Friday night as part of the American Indian Cinema Showcase