Chris Eyre

Chris Eyre was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Klamath Falls by his adoptive parents, Earl and Barbara Eyre. Despite his non-native upbringing, he is an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. During his time at Klamath Union High School, from which he graduated in 1987, Eyre developed an interest in black-and-white photography, leading him to pursue further education in television production at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.{{Cite web |last=Atkin |first=Hillary |date=November 2, 2020 |title=Chris Eyre, writer/director/producer |url=https://www.emmys.com/news/online-originals/nahm/chris-eyre |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Interview with Chris Eyre (2006) |url=https://hemisphericinstitute.org/en/hidvl-interviews/item/1669-interview-with-chris-eyre.html |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=hemisphericinstitute.org |language=en-gb}} After completing his studies there, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts from the University of Arizona in 1991. His passion for storytelling brought him to New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he pursued a Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking from 1992 to 1995. His second-year film, Tenacity (1994), garnered attention at various film festivals, including Sundance.{{Cite web |title=Chris Eyre, Director {{!}} Savages & Scoundrels |url=http://savagesandscoundrels.org/people/creative-team/chris-eyre,-director/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=savagesandscoundrels.org}}

In 1998, Chris Eyre worked on two film projects. His first release was Things We Do (1998). Eyre's breakthrough came with his direction of Smoke Signals (1998), a film developed from a Sundance directing workshop and later bought by Miramar Films. Winning the Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers Trophy and the Audience Award, the film was noted for being the first nationally distributed feature film directed, written, co-produced, and prominently featuring American Indian actors. It also won "Best Film" honors at the 1998 American Indian Film Festival.{{cite web|title=Awards|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0264220/awards|website=IMDb}} Eyre described Smoke Signals as a film about the universal theme of forgiveness, which he believed would resonate with audiences for years.{{Cite web |title=Chris Eyre's Smoke Signals - Filmmaker Magazine - Winter 1998 |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/archives/issues/winter1998/aliennation.php |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=filmmakermagazine.com|date=December 7, 2012 }}

Following his initial success, Eyre directed several other significant films such as Skins (2002), which was shot on the Pine Ridge Reservation, and Edge of America (2003), which won a Peabody Award.

Eyre's second film, Skins (2002), is the story of two brothers on the Pine Ridge Reservation, a tribal cop and a Vietnam vet battling alcohol and emotional problems. He said at a screening: "The only thing you get in making period pieces about Indians is guilt. I'm interested in doing what non-Indian filmmakers can't do, which is portray contemporary Indians."{{cite news |title=Telling the Truth From Inside Indian Country |first=Joshua |last=Brockman |date=29 September 2002 |access-date=3 October 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/29/movies/film-telling-the-truth-from-inside-indian-country.html}}

Eyre's Edge of America (2004) was the 2004 Sundance Film Festival "opening night" film. Edge of America (2004) is loosely based on the true story of a black English teacher who goes to the Three Nations Reservation to teach, but ends up coaching the very underachieving girls basketball team and takes them all the way to the state finals. In the process, he learns as much about their culture and race relations in America as they learn about winning and self-esteem. On January 29, 2006, Eyre won the Directors Guild of America's award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children's Programs for Edge of America, becoming the first Native American to win the award.{{Cite web |last=Foundas |first=Scott |date=2004-01-21 |title=Edge of America |url=https://variety.com/2004/film/markets-festivals/edge-of-america-1200536924/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Wissot |first=Lauren |date=2012-07-12 |title=The Work is the Reward: Chris Eyre on Hide Away - Filmmaker Magazine |url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/48113-the-work-is-the-reward-chris-eyre-on-hide-away/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Filmmaker Magazine {{!}} Publication with a focus on independent film, offering articles, links, and resources. |language=en-US}}

Eyre's short film, A Thousand Roads (2005), the "signature film" for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, opened in Washington, D.C., on April 10, 2005, for an unlimited and exclusive engagement. It is a contemporary film, following four American Indians in different locations, as they each confront everyday events.{{Cite web |date=January 27, 2014 |title=Joy Harjo |url=https://www.joyharjo.com/a-thousand-roads-1 |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Joy Harjo |language=en}}

In 2011, Eyre finished Hide Away (2011), collaborating with Salem writer Peter Vanderwal. His work, deeply reflective of his rural, Klamath Falls upbringing, often explores themes beyond Native American stories, focusing on universal human experiences and the spirit of living vicariously through varied characters. The film's cast includes Josh Lucas and Ayelet Zurer.[http://www.israel21c.org/briefs/new-hollywood-film-for-israeli-actress New Hollywood film for Israeli actress] (December 24, 2009) in [http://www.israel21c.org/ Israel 21c Innovation News Service] Retrieved 2010-01-05

Other notable projects include The Doe Boy (2001) and Freedom Riders (2009).

Eyre has also made contributions to television, directing episodes of popular series like Law & Order and Friday Night Lights.

Eyre has also directed two episodes of the famed PBS series Mystery!; A Thief of Time (2004) and Skinwalkers (2002) starring Adam Beach as Jim Chee, and Wes Studi as Joe Leaphorn. Both were executive produced by Robert Redford and based on the best selling Tony Hillerman novels. Skinwalkers (2002) is a mystery involving skinwalkers or shape-shifters, and the murders of several medicine men. A Thief of Time (2004) is a who-dunnit that intertwines very competitive anthropologists, possible artifact thievery, a missing professor, and the legend of the Anasazi.

In 2008 Eyre directed the first three episodes of We Shall Remain (2009), a mini-series that establishes Native history as an essential part of American history from PBS's acclaimed history series American Experience.{{Cite web |last=Fitts |first=Alexis |title=Interview: Chris Eyre, Native American Director, and Ric Burns, Documentary Filmmaker |url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/2009/05/interview-chris-eyre-native-american-director-and-ric-burns-documentary-filmmaker/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Mother Jones |language=en-US}}

In 2017, Eyre is reported to be working on a documentary on "racism in New Mexico", with his starting point being the monument to Juan de Oñate in Alcalde, New Mexico, whose foot was cut off in 1997.{{cite news |last=Romero |first=Simon |date=30 September 2017 |title=Statue's Stolen Foot Reflects Divisions Over Symbols of Conquest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/us/statue-foot-new-mexico.html |access-date=3 October 2017 |newspaper=The New York Times}}

In recent years, Eyre has been involved in the Navajo noir series Dark Winds, which premiered on AMC+ in 2022. Serving as an executive producer and director, Eyre has worked alongside notable figures such as Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin. The series represents a shift towards television for telling Native stories, a medium where Eyre believes there has been a significant opportunity for Native voices to be heard.{{Cite web |last=Saperstein |first=Pat |date=2023-08-03 |title='Dark Winds' Director Chris Eyre on Why Native Stories Are Finally Getting Made: 'This Door Is Blown Open' |url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/features/dark-winds-director-chris-eyre-westerns-navajo-language-1235685617/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |first=Laura E. |last=Marcus |title=Dark Winds Q&A w/ Director Chris Eyre |url=https://www.amc.com/blogs/dark-winds-q-and-a-director-chris-eyre-on-why-zahn-mcclarnon-is-the-perfect-joe-leaphorn--1054503 |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=www.amc.com |language=en}}

Chris Eyre's directorial style is characterized by its poignant storytelling, rich character development, and deep respect for cultural values. His films often address issues of identity, redemption, and the complexities of Native American life in modern America.{{Cite web |last=Juillerat |first=Lee |title=Chris Eyre (1968-) |url=https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/eyre_chris_1968_/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=www.oregonencyclopedia.org |language=en}}

Chris Eyre's upbringing in Klamath Falls with his adoptive parents instilled in him a love for the rural aesthetics and simple pleasures of life, such as driving pickups. His search for his birth mother, Rose Lumpmouth, and discovery of his roots have profoundly impacted his personal life and professional work, infusing his projects with themes of identity, belonging, and reconciliation. Eyre is known for his dedication to his heritage and cultural advocacy, actively participating in initiatives that promote Native American culture and education. His personal experiences and background not only shape his filmmaking perspective but also drive his commitment to telling stories that resonate with authenticity and depth.

Chris Eyre is considered a pivotal figure in Native American cinema. His work has not only contributed to a greater understanding and appreciation of Native American cultures in mainstream media but has also inspired a new generation of Native American filmmakers.

Chris Eyre was named a 2007 USA Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and awarded a $50,000 grant by United States Artists, a public charity that supports and promotes the work of American artists.

Chris Eyre was appointed as chairman of the film department at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design as of January 2012.

Short film

• A Thousand Roads (2005)
• Ishi's Return (2016)
• Memories of Miss O'Keeffe (2017)

Producer

• The Doe Boy (2001)
• Imprint (2007)
• California Indian (2011)

Executive producer

• The Seventh Fire (2015)
• Fourplay (2018)

TV movies

TV series

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

• {{official website|http://www.chriseyre.org}}
• {{IMDb name|0264220}}
• {{Cite web

| title = Chris Eyre

| publisher = NativeWiki

| accessdate = April 29, 2012

| url = http://nativewiki.org/Chris_Eyre

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090123224159/http://nativewiki.org/Chris_Eyre

| url-status = usurped

| archive-date = January 23, 2009

}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20031209121737/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/mystery/american/index.html Mystery! American at pbs.org]
• [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/weshallremain/ We Shall Remain]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070220201200/http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/Public/USADonors/USANationalLeadershipCommittee/RockefellerFoundation/index.cfm Rockefeller Foundation 2007 Fellows]
• [http://www.unitedstatesartists.org United States Artists Arts Advocacy Organization]

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Category:1968 births

Category:Film directors from Oregon

Category:American television directors

Category:American television producers

Category:Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes people

Category:Living people

Category:Native American filmmakers

Category:Artists from Portland, Oregon

Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners

Category:Sundance Film Festival award winners

Category:College of Santa Fe faculty

Category:Film producers from Oregon