Editor

Iconic actor Wes Studi will be honored Sunday October 22nd at Violet Crown, followed by the New Mexican premiere of Hostiles directed by Scott Cooper starring Wes Studi, Christian Bale, and Rosamund Pike. Hostiles, shot in New Mexico takes place in 1892, legendary Army captain Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale) undertakes one final mission before retirement: escort Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) – a dying Cheyenne war chief – and his family back to sacred tribal lands. After 20 years of violent struggle, this gesture of peace is as unthinkable as it is harrowing. Together they battle against a punishing landscape and the brutality of men alike, coming to the rescue of a young widow (Rosamund Pike) amidst the carnage of her murdered family. Two great warriors, once rivals across the battlefield, must learn to trust each other and find peace in an unforgiving land. A heroic odyssey of survival, HOSTILES becomes a story not about the miles traveled nor the battles fought, but the journey towards respect, reconciliation and forgiveness.

Q&A with Wes Studi hosted by Chris Eyre to follow the film at Violet Crown Cinema, 4:00pm Sunday, October 22nd, 2017.

The spectacular actor gained attention in 2016 as Kaetenay in Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful”. Wes is perhaps best known for his powerful portrayal of Magua in "The Last Of The Mohicans", and starring as Det. Joe Leaphorn in Tony Hillerman's "Skinwalkers", "Coyote Waits" and "Thief Of Time" on American Mystery! for PBS. His other film credits include the title role in "Geronimo: An American Legend", Eytukan, the Na’vi chieftain in “Avatar”, "Dances With Wolves", "Powwow Highway", "Street Fighter", "Deep Rising", "Heat", "Undisputed", "Mystery Men", "The New World", and "The Only Good Indian". He has appeared on television in the PBS series "We Shall Remain", “The Red Road”, "Kings", "The Mentalist", HBO's "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee", Larry McMurtry's "Commanche Moon", and "Streets of Laredo", "Into The West", "Superfire", American Playhouse PBS "Trial Of Standing Bear", "Longarm", "Return To Plum Creek", and TNT's "The Broken Chain" and "Crazy Horse".

On stage Wes has performed his one man show "Coyote Chews His Own Tale" which debuted at the West Coast Ensemble Theater in Hollywood, and went on to standing-room-only audiences in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Other theater credits are "Wolf In Camp" at The Armory For The Arts in Santa Fe, Stravinsky's "A Soldier's Tale" with son Daniel Studi and the Santa Fe Chamber Orchestra, "Black Elk Speaks", "Royal Hunt Of The Sun", and "Ten Little Indians" at the American Indian Theater Company (AITCO), "My Three Angels" and Woody Allen's "Don't Drink The Water" at The Gaslight Theater in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and "The Pendleton Blanket" for The Mark Taper Lab in Los Angeles. In 1999 Wes produced and directed the film "Bonnie Looksaway's Iron Art Wagon", which was shot in Santa Fe.

Also a musician and songwriter, he plays bass with the band Firecat of Discord. Wes is an expert horse trainer, an accomplished sculptor of stone, and the author of two children's books for the Cherokee Bilingual/Cross Cultural Education Center. Currently the Spokesman for the Indigenous Language Institute, he is fluent in both spoken and written Cherokee, his native language, and he provided the Cherokee translations for the Pulitzer Prize winning drama "The Kentucky Cycle". Wes was born in Nofire Hollow, and raised in Northeastern Oklahoma. He currently resides in Santa Fe, NM with his wife, singer-actress Maura Dhu Studi, and their son Kholan.

Embracing Santa Fe’s reputation as a city with great theaters, the festival features the hottest selections of international and American independent films at each of the art house theaters in Santa Fe including Violet Crown, Jean Cocteau Cinema, Lensic Performing Arts Center, Center for Contemporary Arts, and The Screen.

Who: A Tribute to Wes Studi

What: Hostiles directed by Scott Cooper

Where: Violet Crown Santa Fe 1606 Alcadesa St.

When: 4:00pm, October 22nd

Tickets: $20 https://www.goelevent.com/SFIFF/e/HostilesATributetoWesStudi

SFIFF Box Office: 505-349-1414