Our Water Ways: Indigenous Documentary Films

Sean Milanovich is a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. He lives on the Cahuilla Reservation in Palm Springs, CA with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Milanovich is the vice-president of the Native American Land Conservancy where he engages with the Native American community and advocates for their natural resources.

Gina Milanovich (Cahuilla Luiseño, Mayan) is a filmmaker specializing in telling stories of Indigenous people. She is a graduate from San Francisco State University where she studied cinema and Native American history. Her home is Palm Springs, CA, which is the land of the Cahuilla people.

Isaiah Mendoza (Tongva/Chicano) is a member of the Indigenous Media Team at Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples. Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Mendoza studied film and photography at Pasadena City College before transitioning into documentary film. Through his work as a filmmaker, Mendoza looks to gather and unearth Indigenous perspectives on land and water to protect native homelands.

Maritza Alvarez is a queer, Xicana/Indigenous filmmaker highlighting unconventional narratives since 2000. They wrote, shot and produced a 2005 Sundance short and founded 13 Visions productions. They co-direct the Media program with Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples (SPI), and directed the photography for SPI’s first feature film documentary.

Nanobah Becker (Diné) is an award-winning indie filmmaker whose work spans the past 20 years. Her new music video EYES TWIRL ROUNDS and Our Water Ways, a feature length documentary produced for Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples, premiered in 2025. Nanobah, a native of Albuquerque, currently calls Tovangaar home.

Spenser Jaimes is Coastal Chumash, affiliated with Smuwic & Island Chumash, living in the village of Syuxtun. He works at Sacred Places Institute for Indigenous Peoples on the Media team. He is also the founder and CEO of Limuw Productions, an independent film production company documenting Chumash knowledge and history.

Adam Piron (Kiowa/Mohawk) is a filmmaker and programmer based in Southern California. He currently serves as director of Sundance Institute’s Indigenous Program and is a cofounder of COUSIN, a collective supporting Indigenous artists expanding the form of film.