WE ARE GUARDIANS - TULSA THEATRICAL PREMIERE
FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025
SPECIAL OPENING NIGHT Q&A | 5:30 PM
SCREENING FROM 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Join us for a screening of We Are Guardians, a powerful new environmental doc, at Circle Cinema with a special opening night Q&A. The Q&A will feature Amber Morning Star Byars (Impact Strategist for the film / member of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) and Warren C. Queton (Kiowa Tribe Legislator / Kiowa, Seminole, & Cherokee) in conversation with Michelle Svenson (Tulsa Artist Fellowship Artistic Program Producer). Warren will also perform an opening and closing prayer with the event.
We Are Guardians (2023, 1h25min, Not Rated, US) is a powerful, character-driven documentary following Indigenous forest guardians in Brazil as they confront the forces driving deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. Directed by Edivan Guajajara, Chelsea Greene, and Rob Grobman—and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio—the film offers a rare, intimate perspective on one of the most critical ecological and human rights crises of our time.
The film follows Indigenous forest guardians in their fight to protect the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil from destruction. Through a raw and intimate lens, We Are Guardians explores the complex intersections of politics, economics, and climate science, shedding light on the global implications of deforestation in one of the world’s most vital ecosystems.
ABOUT AMBER MORNING STAR BYARS
An enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Amber Morning Star Byars is a multidisciplinary artist, lawyer, and Indigenous rights activist. Amber graduated from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2018 with BFA in Indigenous Liberal Studies. She went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating with two certificates in business law in 2022.
In 2023, Amber founded Good Trade Productions and has since provided impact production services for the two-time Emmy winning film, Lakota Nation vs United States and the Academy Award nominated documentary, Sugarcane. Amber currently serves as a cultural advisor for AMC Networks and was named one of DOC NYC’s New Leaders for 2024.
Amber currently resides in her hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
ABOUT MICHELLE SVENSON
Michelle Lee Svenson (she/her/hers) is a film producer and programmer with over twenty years in the arts industry. She double majored in both Film Production and Art History at Boston University and has since become an advocate for increasing the visibility of diverse creatives. She served as a producer and programmer for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian where she produced over fifteen film festivals and consulted on countless productions by or with Native filmmakers. She has served on funding initiatives and boards including Tribeca Film Institute’s All Access program, the International Sámi Film Institute's Indigenous Film Circle and IFP’s Feature Film project. She brings with her a background in publicity from her roles as the PR & Marketing Director for the Institute of Contemporary Art and elected speaker for the Boston Arts Marketing Association. Her independent work has been dedicated to collaborating directly with artists and filmmakers in producing, distributing and marketing their art and films, having global showcases at prominent festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, MOMA, the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and the Hirshhorn Museum, to name a few. Projects she has worked on include the current documentary-in-progress, “Drowned Land” by Choctaw filmmaker, Colleen Thurston, Blackhorse Lowe’s “Shimásání,” and “Fukry,” the photographic exhibition and book “KYOPO” by Korean-American artist CYJO, the launch of the all-Native Coast Orchestra with Laura Ortman and Timothy Long, and the recently completed documentary “Goff” by Tulsa filmmaker, Britni Harris. She is currently a programmer for DocLands Film Festival in Marin, California. Michelle is of Korean and Swedish heritages and was raised in both Oklahoma and Greece.
ABOUT WARREN QUETON
Warren Queton, known as “P’aw Ah,” a Kiowa name meaning “The moon is coming,” proudly identifies as Kiowa, Cherokee, and Seminole. He is a lifelong advocate for education. Queton has devoted his professional pursuits to advancing educational opportunities for Native communities. He has held roles such as the Tribal Liaison Officer at the University of Oklahoma and the Director of Higher Education for the Kiowa Tribe. Elected to the Kiowa Legislature in 2022, Queton represents the citizens of District 7 with dedication and a deep commitment to his people. A veteran of the United States Army, he upholds the traditions of the Kiowa Black Leggings Warrior Society, embodying the values of service and honor central to his community. Beyond his public service, Queton has explored creative expression through acting. He earned recognition for his portrayal of “Clinton” in FX's critically acclaimed Reservation Dogs and now stars as “Uncle Ed” in the new series The Lowdown. Having relocated to the Tulsa Area in 2022 with his wife, Welana Fields Queton, and their beloved dog, Lettie Jane, Warren continues to engage with Native traditions, including singing native music and dance.
ABOUT CIRCLE CINEMA
As Tulsa’s oldest movie theater, Circle Cinema celebrates creativity, the arts, and filmmakers from around the corner and across the world. We educate, enlighten, and entertain guests 365 days a year through selected features and programs that connect our community to global issues, environments, and cultures. Originally opened in 1928 as a silent movie theater, Circle Cinema now operates as the only nonprofit cinema in the area. Our mission is to use film to foster understanding and appreciation of the diversity of the human experience, creating a sense of community among our viewers.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Circle Cinema is committed to providing a welcoming and accessible experience for all guests. Free parking is available on-site, with wheelchair-accessible entry directly from the parking lot. Our facility is fully ADA-compliant, and assisted viewing and listening devices are available for many film screenings.
Please note that assisted viewing and listening options vary by film. For details on accessibility devices available for your next visit, please contact the Circle Cinema Box Office at 918-585-3456.
Established in 2015, the Tulsa Artist Fellowship was created as a place-based initiative by the George Kaiser Family Foundation (GKFF) to address pressing challenges faced by contemporary artists and arts workers living in and joining Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa Artist Fellowship believes the arts are critical to advancing cultural citizenship and supports community-invested practitioners who intentionally engage with our city.
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To connect, email info@tulsaartistfellowship.org or call +1 539 302 4855