''Drunktown's Finest'' is an American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

directed by

Sydney Freeland Sydney Freeland (born October 10, 1980) is a Navajo filmmaker. She wrote and directed the short film ''Hoverboard'' (2012) and the film ''Drunktown's Finest'' (2014), which garnered numerous acclaims after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. ...

. The film had its world premiere at the

2014 Sundance Film Festival The 2014 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 16, 2014 until January 26, 2014 in Park City, Utah, United States, with screenings in Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance Resort in Utah. The festival opened with '' Whiplash'' directed by Da ...

on January 18, 2014. The film later screened at the Sundance London Film Festival on April 25, 2014. The film was acquired by

Sundance Channel Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV, formerly known as Sundance Channel (United States). * Sundance Channel (Canada) * Sundance Channel (Netherlands) * Sundance Channel (Europe) * Sundance Channel (Iberia) * Sundance Channel (Asia) * Sunda ...

after its premiere at

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

and was scheduled to broadcast in 2014.

Plot

Three young

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest fe ...

Native Americans - an adopted Native girl, a young father-to-be, and a trans woman who dreams of being a model - strive to escape the hardships of life on an Indian reservation. Nizhoni seeks out her past, well after being adopted by a white Christian family, Felixia, a trans woman, pursues a spot in the "women of the tribe" calendar, and Sickboy is headed to basic training so he can take care of his soon-to-be-born child.

Cast

Jeremiah Bitsui Jeremiah Bitsui (born ) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Victor in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Better Call Saul''. Early and personal life Bitsui was born in Chinle, Arizona. He is of Navajo and Omaha descent, a ...

as Luther SickBoy Maryboy *Carmen Moore as Felixia *Morningstar Angeline as Nizhoni Smiles *

Kiowa Gordon Kiowa Joseph Gordon (born March 25, 1990) is an American actor of Hualapai descent. He is best known for his role as shapeshifter Embry Call in ''The Twilight Saga,'' as well as Junior in the TV series '' The Red Road''. Early life Gordon was ...

as Julius *Shauna Baker as Karah *Elizabeth Frances as Angela Maryboy

Reception

''Drunktown's Finest'' received positive reviews from critics. Geoff Berkshire of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' wrote that "Freeland takes her time bringing her characters together, allowing the audience an opportunity to marinate in the unique experiences of each individual first. The slow-burn approach is smartly executed, and the intersecting plotlines veer toward schematic only during Sick Boy and Felixia’s chance encounter at a grocery store, which leads to an eventful night out." John DeFore in his review for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' praised the film by saying that "Native American themes get a fresh look in three-handed drama." Gary Green of ''HeyUGuys'' gave the film three stars, calling it "A low-budget picture with bigger things on its mind."

References

External links

Official website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drunktown's Finest 2014 films American drama films 2014 drama films Films about Native Americans Films scored by Mark Orton American LGBT-related films LGBT-related drama films 2014 LGBT-related films Films about trans women 2010s English-language films 2014 directorial debut films 2010s American films