Heather Rae

Heather Rae (October 1, 1966 - Venice, California) is an American film and television producer and director. She has worked on documentary and narrative film projects and is best known for Frozen River (2008), Trudell (2005) and Tallulah (2016).[1][2]

Heather Rae
NationalityAmerican
Occupation
Years active1990–present
Known forFrozen River
Trudell
Tallulah
Spouse(s)Russell Friedenberg (m. 1999)

Career

Rae has worked as a producer for more than twenty years, being recognized as one of Variety's Ten Producers to Watch in 2008,[3] and receiving the Piaget Producers Award and the Cinereach Producers Award.[4][5] For five years Rae was an adjunct professor at Boise State University, teaching film studies.[6]

She co-founded the True West Cinema Film Festival and sat on the board of directors for True West.[7][8] She established a production center in Boise where independent filmmakers such as Gregory Bayne, Randy Redroad and Blackhorse Lowe worked. It produced four feature films before being shuttered. Rae is a current and Founding Board member of the Sun Valley Film Festival.[9]

From 1996 to 2001 Rae worked for the Sundance Institute.[10] After leaving Sundance, Rae worked for one year as senior vice president of production for Winter Films.[11] From 2012 to 2015, Rae served as an Artist Trustee for the Sundance Institute's Board of Trustees.[12]

Although Rae is not a recognized tribal citizen, much of her work has been in advocacy for Native, Indigenous and other marginalized voices. She has mentored filmmakers for many years for organizations such as The Sundance Institute, Film Independent, and other media and entertainment organizations.

Rae has worked with filmmakers in several countries, including the Sami and British Film Institutes in Europe,[13] New Zealand's Script to Screen and Power of Inclusion Summit,[14] and in Egypt with Film Independent's Global Media Makers partnership with the Cairo International Film Festival.[15]

Notable works

Trudell (2005) was the culmination of more than a decade of Rae’s work as a filmmaker and activist. It has played in more than 100 film festivals worldwide,[8] receiving honors such as Best Documentary Feature at the 30th Annual American Indian Film Festival and a Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival. In 2006, Trudell was nationally broadcast on PBS in the documentary series Independent Lens.[8]

Frozen River (2008) received seven nominations and won two Independent Spirit Awards, including Rae winning the Piaget Producers Award.[16] It won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and received two Academy Award nominations for the Best Actress (Melissa Leo) and the Best Original Screenplay (Courtney Hunt).[17] It was nominated for five Gotham Awards and won the Best Feature and the Breakthrough Actor awards in The 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards.[18][19]

Tallulah (2016) starring Elliot Page and Alison Janney, written and directed by Sian Heder. Tallulah premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and is a Netflix Original Film.[20]

The Dry Land (2010) directed by Ryan Piers Williams starring America Ferrera, Melissa Leo, Jason Ritter and Wilmer Valderrama which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.[21][22][23]

I Believe in Unicorns (2014) directed by Film Fatales founder, Leah Meyerhoff and starring Natalia Dyer, Peter Vack and Julia Garner which premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest Festival.[24]

Bull (2020) written by Annie Silverstein and Johnny McAllister and directed by Annie Silverstein. Bull stars Rob Morgan and premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.[25]

Outer Range (2020-2021) Amazon series, Rae is an executive producer alongside Plan B. Outer Range was created by Brian Watkins and starring Josh Brolin.[26][27]

Backroads (2000) as a co-producer, directed by Shirley Cheechoo, which premiered at Sundance in 2000.

Filmography

Feature films
Producer Executive producer
  • Apache 8 (2011)
  • Mosquita y Mari (2012)
  • Young Lakota (2012)
  • Winter in the Blood (2013)
  • Five Thirteen (2013)
  • 1982 (2013)
  • Dawnland (2018)
  • Once Upon a River (2019)
  • For the Love of Rutland (2020)
  • I'll Meet You There (2020)

Associate producer

  • Silent Tears (1997) (actress)

Co-Producer

  • Backroads (2000)
  • Asylum Seekers (2009)

Television
Year(s) Title Role Notes
1994 The Native Americans Field producer
2009 500 Nations 3 episodes
1996 Storytellers of the Pacific
2008 30 Days Consulting producer 1 episode
2006-2013 Independent Lens Executive producer (2013) - Producer (2006,2008) 3 episodes
2017 Rise Executive producer 1 episode
2020 Outer Range Executive producer

Short films
Year(s) Title Role
1990 Birth Our Own Producer / Director
1997 Silent Tears Associate producer
2004 The Wicked Men Consulting producer
2009 Shimásáni Producer
2019 Sweetheart Dancers Consulting producer
2019 Paulette Director

Honors
  • In 2005 she was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for her film Trudell. Also in 2005 she won the Documentary Special Jury Award for Trudell at the Seattle International Film Festival.
  • In 2008 she won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival with Frozen River.[28] She also won Best Film at the Gotham Awards for Frozen River.
  • In 2009 she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best feature for Frozen River at the Independent Spirit Awards. Also at the Independent Spirit Awards she won the Piaget Producers Award also for Frozen River and Ibid.
  • At the 2009 USA AFI Awards she won the AFI award for Movie of the Year again with Frozen River.
  • In 2013 Rae was awarded the Vision Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival for her excellence in filmmaking.
  • In 2016 Rae was recognized by Cinereach with the Producers Award. She was the Inaugural recipient.[29]

Personal life

In 1999, Rae married Russell Friedenberg, the American director and screenwriter. They have three children; her daughter is actress Johnny Sequoyah.[30]

References
  1. Van-Syckle, Katie; Van-Syckle, Katie (2016-04-27). "Movies About Women Nearly Impossible to Finance, Say Indie Producers". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  2. "Frozen River". The Hollywood Reporter. 18 January 2008.
  3. Kaufman, Anthony; Kaufman, Anthony (2009-09-10). "Heather Rae". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  4. Finke, Nikki; Finke, Nikki (2009-02-22). "2009 Spirit Awards: Truly Indie Anymore?". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  5. "Cinereach Producer Award". Cinereach. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  6. "Local filmmakers get Bronco project". Idaho Press. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  7. "BSU instructor wins prize at Sundance". Idaho Press. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  8. "Trudell | ITVS". itvs.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  9. Times-News, KAREN BOSSICK For the. "Your guide to the Sun Valley Film Festival". Twin Falls Times-News. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  10. Wednesday, Sundance Institute; August 3rd; 2016. "5 Native Program Alumni Invited to Join the Academy". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. "Tribeca Film Institute". www.tfiny.org. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  12. Thursday; May 24th; 2012. "Sundance Institute Elects Three New Trustees". www.sundance.org. Retrieved 2021-01-20.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Closer: Sundance London 2016 | Sight & Sound". British Film Institute. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  14. "New Zealand Power of Inclusion Summit Adds 'Black-ish' Star". The Hollywood Reporter. 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  15. "US Ambassador to ET: 'Diplomacy,film can go hand in hand in terms of being tools for cultural outreach". EgyptToday. 2020-12-09. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  16. Knegt, Peter; Knegt, Peter (2008-12-02). "AWARDS WATCH '08 | "River," "Rachel," "Ballast" Lead Spirit Award Nominations". IndieWire. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  17. "Heather Rae". Film Independent. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  18. HERNANDEZ, LEE. "Penélope Cruz honored at Gotham Awards". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  19. Itzkoff, Compiled by Dave (2008-12-03). "Gotham Award Winners (Published 2008)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  20. Lincoln, Ross A.; Lincoln, Ross A. (2016-06-29). "'Tallulah' Trailer: Kidnapping, Coming Of Age And Accidental Parenthood". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  21. Catsoulis, Jeannette (2010-07-29). "Telling a Soldier's Tale (Published 2010)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  22. "The Dry Land". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  23. "Sundance Institute Names 2017 Episodic Lab Fellows" (PDF).
  24. Leydon, Joe; Leydon, Joe (2014-03-24). "Film Review: 'I Believe in Unicorns'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  25. "'Bull' Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  26. Otterson, Joe; Otterson, Joe (2019-02-28). "Heather Rae Sets First-Look TV Deal With Amazon". Variety. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  27. White, Peter; White, Peter (2020-01-14). "Amazon Inks Exclusive Overall TV Deal With Brad Pitt's Plan B, Sets Mystery Drama 'Outer Range'". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  28. "2016 Jury". ASIAN WORLD FILM FESTIVAL. Retrieved 2021-01-21.
  29. Welk, Brian (2019-06-07). "Cinereach Bestows $50,000 Awards to 4 Independent Film Producers (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  30. "Johnny Sequoyah | About | Believe | NBC". archive.vn. 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
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