Ferndale, WA, native Sky Hopinka is a Ho-Chunk Nation national and descendant of the Pechanga band of Luiseño Native Americans. He is a video artist, photographer, writer, and teacher, in addition to being a filmmaker. His films include Trade (2013), Jáaji Approx. (Festival 2016), Visions of an Island (2016), Dislocation Blues (2017), Lore (2019), Kicking the Clouds (2022), and Sunflower Siege Engine (2023). maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore is his first feature. He is the recipient of a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship.