Joanelle Romero facts for kids

Joanelle Romero is an amazing American filmmaker and actress. She is known for starting the Red Nation Television Network and the Red Nation International Film Festival. Joanelle Romero's film, American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian, was even considered for an Academy Award!

In 2007, she was honored during Women's History Month by the National Women's History Project. This shows how important her work is.

About Joanelle Romero

Her Early Life

Joanelle Romero was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1957. Her mother, Rita Rogers, was also an actress. Joanelle grew up in Los Angeles, California.

She has shared that she has a rich family background. She is connected to several Native American nations, including Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache, Dinétah, and Paiute Nations. She also has Spanish Sephardic Jewish heritage.

Her Work in Film

Joanelle Romero is a talented filmmaker. Her documentary short film, American Holocaust: When It’s All Over I’ll Still Be Indian, was a big success. It was even considered for an Academy Award! The famous actor Ed Asner narrated this film.

Joanelle did many jobs for this film. She directed it, produced it, wrote the story, and even created the music! The film compares the Holocaust with how the United States government treated American Indians. It also looks at how these events still affect people today.

In 1991, Joanelle started her own company called Spirit World Productions. She wanted to create more roles and stories for Native Americans in movies and TV. This is why she made Spirit World Productions.

As an actress, Joanelle has appeared in several films. Some of her roles were in The Girl Called Hatter Fox (a TV movie from 1977), Barbarosa (1982), Parasite (1982), and Powwow Highway (1989).

Making a Difference

Joanelle Romero also founded a non-profit group called Red Nation Celebration Institute (RNCI) in 1995. This group helps Native American artists and filmmakers.

In 2005, she received the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award. This award recognized her courage to speak the truth and her vision to see it.

That same year, Joanelle started the very first Native American Heritage Month in Los Angeles. This important event takes place every November. Because of this, she is sometimes called "The First Lady" of American Indian Heritage Month.

Since 2016, Joanelle Romero has been a member of the American Film Academy. This is the group that gives out the Academy Awards!

Film and TV Roles

Joanelle Romero has acted in many movies and television shows. Here are some of them:

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games