Young Native Americans Bust the Seduction of Drugs on the Reservation

LOS ANGELES - May 18, 2017 - PRLog -- The UTE Mountain UTE Tribe (UMUT) youth wrote, directed, produced and performed in their second short film, The Strength of Siblings.  The students finished their 32 minute short in two weeks.  For most of the students, this is the first film set they have worked on.  Most of them have no formal acting training or acting experience.  The Strength of Siblings will premiere at the Garifuna International Film Festival on Sunday, May 21, 2017 at 5:15PM at the Electric Lodge in Venice, CA.  The theatre is located at 1416 Electric Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90291.

The short film tells a story about the harm of meth substance abuse while exploring the power of family unity.  When the oldest brother of four siblings stumbles into a destructive pattern of self-medication, his three siblings work together to get him on a better path.

The film is made under the auspices of Films By Youth Inside (FYI Films) in partnership with the UTE Mountain UTE Tribe and CROPS.  FYI Films is a non-profit that empowers incarcerated youth by teaching them filmmaking.  The Strength of Siblings follows the UMUT youth's and FYI Film's award winning film, Escape, which took home top honors at LA Skins Fest.  The Strength of Siblings addresses substance abuse on the reservation in Towaoc, Colorado. Award winning Writer/Director and FYI Films Founder, Alex Munoz, quotes ""The youth identified a problem in the community and decided to tackle it head on.  This film is anchored in their desire to build a better future." It's an unusually well crafted dramatic film featuring an ensemble cast. Some of the UMUT council members, elders and youth will attend the screening.

Ticket information is available at http://garifunafilmfestival.com/schedule/shorts-3/.