We had an incredibly rich slate of submissions, and after much deliberation, we’re thrilled to announce the two projects chosen for the 2024/25 Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator and to introduce the film teams behind them: Riders of the Dawn, co-directed and produced by Prairie Rose Seminole and Katrina Lillian Sorrentino; and The Undefeated, directed by Karman Rosen and produced by Ivan MacDonald.
Read an in-depth interview with Prairie Rose and Katrina here and with Kamran and Ivan here.
In Riders of the Dawn four Indigenous women from the Medicine Wheel Ride unite to confront the heart-wrenching realities of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives crisis (MMIW/R), interweaving their personal losses, collective traumas, and the challenges of organizing their annual ride through the iconic Sturgis motorcycle rally. As the women prepare for the 2025 ride, they draw strength from one another, navigating a landscape fraught with pain and resilience. With laughter and tears, these warriors invite audiences to witness their powerful triumph over adversity in a compelling tale of sisterhood. Read more about Riders of the Dawn here.
For more than 400 years, America tried to extinguish the flames of native culture, banning and punishing their language, religion, dress, and traditions. In The Undefeated, five native youth athletes are using their platforms to re-ignite a cultural renaissance—spreading pride and awareness of their people across the country and beyond. Their stories will cover their personal struggles of balancing life on the reservation with trying to excel in the outside world at the highest level, as well as what it means to be proudly Native in a modern context. Read more about The Undefeated here.
Conceived in 2020, after the success of Bing Liu’s film Minding The Gap (2018), the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator has so far supported six projects with grants, mentorships, and KTQ production support: 2020/21 – Traces of Home, directed by Colette Ghunim, and Untitled: Art and Disability Culture, directed by Reveca Torres; 2021/22 – Freedom Hill, directed by Resita Cox and Still Searching, directed by Latoya Flowers); 2023/24 – Unlocked directed by Luke Terrell, and Barbara Forever, directed by Brydie O’Connor.
We’re grateful to Hulu for showing their support for independent, impactful storytelling through the Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator. By championing filmmakers in this way, Hulu is not only making resources available to filmmakers; it is reinforcing the value of stories that challenge, inspire, and broaden our understanding of the world, which is more important now than ever before.