AlICIA HAWKINS
FILMMAKER
ALICIA Hawkins
Postindustrial chemical sunsets and copious amounts of lake effect snow provided an awe-inspiring backdrop for Alicia’s upbringing in Buffalo, NY. A childhood in the rust belt not only informed her aesthetic, but also inspired her to tell stories, as both an artist and educator, that highlight resilience and explore multiple perspectives that are not often featured in mainstream narratives.
She studied American history at the University of New Mexico and continued her formal education at the University of Washington where she earned a Master of Communication. Alicia's award winning thesis film, “American Red and Black: Stories of Afro Native Identity,” investigates mixed heritage issues and has been shown at a variety of venues throughout the US and Canada. In 2015, it was named by Indian Country Today as one of the “10 Fascinating Documentaries about Native Americans You Can Watch Right Now” and a "must-see Native American documentary" by Sundance TV.
Alicia also earned an MFA from Temple University where she was awarded a Future Faculty Fellowship and the Ben and Minnie Lazaroff Award for screenwriting (2019). Currently based in Los Angeles, Alicia continues to produce media and educational materials that incorporate a diverse perspective.
Top: On the Lower West Side of Buffalo, Bottom: In Los Angeles
HIGHLIGHTS
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Original screenplays have won awards and been recognized by various festivals and organizations, including the Austin Film Festival, Filmmakers First Fund, REEL Sisters of the Diaspora, Hollywood Diversity Film Festival, Stowe Writing Workshop Fellowship, and ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship.
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Squeaky Wheel Resident, 2023, Summer resident for documentary film project, Don’t Go Back to Sleep. (https://squeaky.org/event/meet-the-residents-alicia-solstice-hawkins-and-maggie-hazen/)
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Film "American Red and Black" was named by Indian Country Today as one of the “10 Fascinating Documentaries about Native Americans You Can Watch Right Now" and was selected by Sundance TV as a must-see documentary about Native Americans.
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IMAGeNation 8th annual Film Festival, Awarded “Outstanding Documentary.”
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Tulalip Film Festival, Awarded “Best Original Score.”
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Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival, Awarded “Best Short Documentary."
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Additional Screenings: National Museum of the American Indian (NYC), Antioch University, University of Kansas (Lawrence), University of Indiana (Bloomington), Washington State Faculty and Staff of Color Conference (keynote), Seattle Community College, University of Washington, Greg Kucera Gallery, Burke Museum, American Indian Film Festival, Pan African Film Festival, Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas, Brooklyn Festival of the Arts, Detroit Women of Color Festival, and, Reel Sisters of the Diaspora, and Native Voices Film Festival.