REGINA SIMONS

“Filmmakers have the power to heal the past by telling their stories.” Haile Gerima

Stories hold transformative power. The diverse experiences of our collective journeys deserve to be seen, heard, and understood. My filmmaking work is rooted in the mission to write, produce, and direct films that amplify voices often overlooked—shedding light on narratives that challenge, inspire, and heal.

As a proud descendant of the Diné (Navajo), Hopi, Assiniboine, and Santee Nations, my family history weaves into the fabric of my storytelling. Growing up as a performer since age five, I witnessed the persistent lack of authentic Indigenous representation in film. The absence of roles reflecting our richness and complexity motivated me to step behind the camera, where I continue refining my filmmaking craft. This work is an act of reclamation—and a call for deeper equity in media.

Too often, Indigenous stories have been told through a non-Native lens. This outsider perspective flattens our experiences and perpetuates stereotypes. Representation matters—not as a trend, but as a path to transformation. As one of the most influential mediums of our time, film shapes the narratives circulating through society. My filmmaking journey—grounded in curiosity, hands-on learning, and lived experience—is driven by the belief that storytelling can shift perspectives and inspire change.

My short film, Pretendian, explores the appropriation of Native American identity through a fictional lens but inspired by actual events. It challenges the audience to confront the harm caused by false claims to Native heritage and the erasure of authentic Indigenous voices in their place. In contrast, Grey is a hybrid, experimental film that moves inward—into memory, lineage, and the embodied trauma of a woman reckoning with the violence that shaped her bloodline. By pulling out a grey hair, Grey becomes a meditation on aging, biracial identity, generational pain, and survival.

Together, these films speak in conversation—one external, the other internal. Pretendian exposes how identity can be taken, while Grey asks what it means to inherit it—both reflect my commitment to telling stories that confront painful truths, reclaim silenced voices, and challenge how we see ourselves and one another.

I see filmmaking as a bridge between worlds—between past and present, memory and myth, identity and performance. Through my work, I hope to offer stories that empower the present and light a path toward a more inclusive future. Stories heal—especially the ones we dare to tell.