DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern Oklahoma State University will host the eighth annual Native American Symposium Nov. 4 – 6 featuring keynote speaker Heather Rae, Cherokee film producer and director.

The symposium begins at 5 p.m. Nov. 4 with poetry and short story readings in the Native American Room located in the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library on the Durant campus.

The banquet is scheduled for 7 p.m. Nov. 6 in the Visual and Performing Arts Center with Rae speaking at 8 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend the eighth-annual Native American Symposium and Film Festival: Images, Imaginations, and Beyond. This event features presentations on Native American literature, history, sociology, education, science, art and film. Scholars, artists and members of Indian Nations from across the United States and beyond will come together to discuss topics related to the Native American experience.

All symposium sessions and films, except for the keynote banquet meal, are free of charge and open to students, faculty, staff and the general public.

Rae’s latest feature film, “Frozen River,” (2008) won Academy Award nominations for Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay.

Rae has worked in a production capacity on more than 12 documentaries and several feature films throughout her nearly 20 years in the film industry. Other film experience includes work as an actress, editor and crew member.

She spent 13 years working on “Trudell,” a documentary she directed about the legendary Native American poet and activist John Trudell. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2005. She has served as senior vice-president of production for Winter Films and has worked independently on such projects as “American Monster,” a 2005 feature film she produced.

She has worked on documentary films for CBS, Turner Broadcasting and PBS. She has also been involved in developing the field of Native filmmaking through her work with Akatubi Entertainment’s Film and Music Program on reservations throughout the American West.

Rae is an adjunct professor of communications at Idaho’s Boise State University, sits on the board of directors for Treasure Valley Television, Boise’s community TV affiliate, and chairs the board of the regional True West Cinema Festival.

A new addition to this year’s symposium is a film festival which will showcase “Frozen River,” along with a wide variety of documentary films by student, academic, and professional filmmakers.

The full schedule, description of the films and a registration form for the banquet may be found on the Southeastern Web site at www.SE.edu/nas/