Main Blues

The fourth annual Monument Valley Film, Blues and Arts Festival will be held Friday through Sunday in Kayenta Township.

Founded in 2006, the Monument Valley Film Festival is the only festival of its kind on the Navajo Nation. The film festival highlights the appreciation of Native American film as an art form. The film festival this year will take place in collaboration with two other major events: the first will be the "Rez Dog Biographies": a James Sables photo exhibit and fund-raiser to be held under the tutelage of Dr. Charlotta Begay at the new Kayenta Animal Care Facility located near the Transfer Station in Kayenta.

To kick off this year's festival, an outside stage will open its doors Friday at 5 p.m. for the Blues Festival. The evening of blues music will be hosted by comedian James Junes. Five blues bands are scheduled to rock the festival: The Plateros, Aaron White (Grammy nominee and Native American Music Award Winner), Coalition, Chucky Begay and the Mother Earth Band, and Skylar Wolf.

The second event will showcase new, up-and-coming artistic talent at the Kayenta Recreation Center. "Art For The People" will be a showcase for the fine arts -- people who work with gold, silver, sculpture, painters and other mediums. Art for the People, Inc. is a non-profit collective of Native American artists who organized as a union.

"The goal of the Monument Valley Film, Blues and Arts Festival is to serve as a repository for up and coming Native filmmakers," said Malcolm Benally, community development coordinator for the Kayenta Township. "It is a chance for film buffs to meet Native filmmakers and learn about the craft. There is a lot of talent here on the Navajo Nation."

The films will be shown at Kayenta Town Hall. For a schedule of events, visit www.monumentvalleyfilmfest.com/ or call (928) 429-0671. Entry to the festival is free to the public.