Chris Eyre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Eyre
Eyre at South by Southwest in 2011
Born	1968 (age 56–57) Portland, Oregon, United States
Citizenship	Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, United States
Education	New York University (MFA)
Occupation	Film director, film producer
Years active	1994-present

Chris Eyre (born 1968) is a famous Native American film director and producer. He is an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. Eyre is known for making movies that tell powerful stories about modern Native American life.

Early Life and Schooling

Chris Eyre was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon, with his adoptive parents. Even though he was raised by non-native parents, he is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma.

In high school, Eyre became interested in photography. This led him to study television production in college. He later earned a degree in Media Arts from the University of Arizona.

To follow his dream of making movies, he moved to New York City. He studied filmmaking at the prestigious New York University Tisch School of the Arts. His student film, Tenacity (1994), was shown at famous film festivals, including Sundance.

Career in Filmmaking

A Big Break with 'Smoke Signals'

In 1998, Chris Eyre directed his most famous film, Smoke Signals. The movie was a huge success. It won two major awards at the Sundance Film Festival.

Smoke Signals was special because it was the first major movie that was directed, written, and co-produced by Native Americans. It also featured a cast of mostly Native American actors. Eyre said the film is about forgiveness, a theme that everyone can understand.

Later Films and TV Shows

After Smoke Signals, Eyre continued to direct important films. His work often shows what life is like for Native Americans today.

Exploring Modern Stories

His second film, Skins (2002), tells the story of two brothers on the Pine Ridge Reservation who are dealing with difficult challenges. Eyre wanted to show contemporary Native Americans, not just historical figures.

Another well-known film is Edge of America (2004). It's based on the true story of a teacher who coaches a girls' basketball team on a reservation. The team learns about winning, and the coach learns about their culture. For this film, Eyre won a major award from the Directors Guild of America. He was the first Native American director to receive this honor.

Eyre also directed a short film called A Thousand Roads (2005). It was made for the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. The film follows four different Native Americans in their everyday lives.

Working in Television

Eyre has also directed for popular television shows. He worked on episodes of Law & Order and Friday Night Lights.

He directed two TV movies for the PBS series Mystery!. These movies, Skinwalkers (2002) and A Thief of Time (2004), were based on popular books by Tony Hillerman. They are mystery stories set in the American Southwest.

In 2009, Eyre directed parts of a PBS mini-series called We Shall Remain. This series showed that Native American history is a key part of American history.

More recently, Eyre has been a director and executive producer for the TV series Dark Winds. The show, which started in 2022, is a mystery series set in the Navajo Nation. He has worked with famous people like Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin on the project.

Style and Themes

Chris Eyre is known for telling stories with a lot of heart. His films often explore themes like identity, family, and what it means to be a Native American in the modern world. He creates characters that feel real and stories that make you think.

Personal Life

Chris Eyre's personal story has had a big impact on his work. Growing up in a small town in Oregon gave him an appreciation for rural life. Later, he searched for and found his birth mother. Learning about his roots helped him explore ideas of identity and belonging in his films.

Eyre is dedicated to his heritage. He works to promote Native American culture and education through his films and other projects.

Legacy and Impact

Chris Eyre is a very important person in Native American filmmaking. His movies have helped people better understand Native American cultures. He has also inspired many new Native American filmmakers to tell their own stories.

Awards and Honors

• In 2007, Chris Eyre was named a USA Rockefeller Foundation Fellow and received a $50,000 grant.
• In 2012, he became the chairman of the film department at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.

Filmography

Short film

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

Feature film

Producer

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

Executive producer

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

Television

TV movies

TV series