Sydney Freeland facts for kids

Sydney Freeland (born October 29, 1980) is a talented Native American filmmaker. She is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, a Native American tribe.

Sydney Freeland has written and directed several films. Her movie Drunktown's Finest (2014) was shown at the famous Sundance Film Festival and received many good reviews. Her next film, Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, also premiered at Sundance and was released on Netflix in 2017. Her most recent film, Rez Ball, was released in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Sydney Freeland was born in Gallup, New Mexico, in 1980. Her father was Navajo, and her mother was Scottish. She grew up on a Navajo Reservation.

She went to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. There, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in computer animation and a Master of Fine Arts degree in film. In 2004, she received a Fulbright scholarship. This allowed her to study Indigenous peoples in Ecuador. She also received a Disney Scholarship in 2007 and was a Disney Fellowship semifinalist in 2008. In 2009, she was a fellow at the Sundance Institute Native Lab, which helps new filmmakers.

Sydney Freeland's Career in Film

Before directing her first major film, Drunktown's Finest, Sydney Freeland gained experience in many roles. She worked as a production assistant, a writer, and a camera intern. She worked for well-known companies like The Food Network, Walt Disney, Comedy Central, and National Geographic.

Directing Short Films and Features

Freeland directed a short film called Hoverboard, which was six minutes long. She used a website called Kickstarter to help raise money for this film. The movie was inspired by the popular film Back to the Future Part II.

Her film Drunktown's Finest tells a story about young Native American people growing up. It explores important ideas about who you are and the challenges faced by Native American communities. The film's title was chosen to challenge a negative way the town of Gallup, New Mexico, had been described in the past. Freeland wanted to show a more accurate and positive view of her home community.

Directing Web Series and TV Shows

Sydney Freeland also directed a digital series called Her Story. This series was about queer and trans women. It was nominated for an Emmy Award in a new category for short comedy or drama series.

In 2014, Freeland was recognized as a United States Artists (USA) Fellow. This award celebrates artists who make important contributions to their fields.

In 2022, she joined the team directing the superhero series Echo for Disney+. This series is set in the Marvel universe. Also in 2022, she was included in the Fast Company Queer 50 list, which highlights influential LGBTQ+ leaders.

Sydney Freeland's Film and TV Work

• 2008: The Migration (Short film) - director
• 2012: Hoverboard (Short film) - producer, writer, director
• 2014: Drunktown's Finest - screenwriter, director
• 2016: Her Story (Web Series) - director
• 2017: Deidra & Laney Rob a Train - director
• 2018–2019: Grey's Anatomy (TV series) - director (2 episodes)
• 2018: Heathers (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Station 19 (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Chambers (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Tales of the City (miniseries) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Fear the Walking Dead (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Impulse (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2019: Emergence (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2020: Nancy Drew (TV series) - director (2 episodes)
• 2020: The Wilds (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2021: Rutherford Falls (TV series) - director (4 episodes)
• 2021: Reservation Dogs (TV series) - director (2 episodes)
• 2022: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV series) - director (1 episode)
• 2024: Echo (TV series) - executive producer, director (4 episodes)
• 2024: Rez Ball - screenwriter, director

Awards and Recognitions

Sydney Freeland's work has earned her several awards and nominations.

• In 2014, her film Drunktown's Finest won the Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Cinematography Award (Honorable Mention) at the Ashland Independent Film Festival.
• Also in 2014, Drunktown's Finest won the Festival Award Winner for Narrative Feature at the Heartland Film Festival.
• At L.A. Outfest in 2014, Drunktown's Finest received the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding American Narrative Feature and the HBO Outstanding First Narrative Feature.
• The film also won the Jury Award for Best of New Mexico at the Albuquerque Film & Media Experience in 2014.
• At the American Indian Film Festival in 2014, Drunktown's Finest won the American Indian Movie Award for Best Film and Best Supporting Actress. Freeland was also nominated for Best Director.
• In 2016, her web series Her Story was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

See also

In Spanish: Sydney Freeland para niños

• List of transgender film and television directors