Thursday, March 31 – 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. • Free and open to the public on UR Campus

Location : Ukrop Auditorium – Queally Hall – Robins School of Business – University of Richmond

• Free parking is available adjacent to the Robins School of Business in lots R8 and R9 •

Acting Experiences from Both Sides of the Atlantic:
A Native American Perspective

A masterclass by Actor George Aguilar

George Aguilar (Apache/Yaqui) shares his experiences as a Native American actor and stuntman on both sides of the Atlantic. Working with some of the most distinguished people in cinema in both the US and France yet also having had to refuse roles in films for ethical reasons, George has a unique perspective on acting and on the film industry that cinema students, academics, and professionals need to know.

Throughout his career, George’s concern and actions supporting the well-being of all actors, notably fellow Native American actors, are more than exemplary. His story illustrates how various forms and manifestations of discrimination, racism, inequity, and injustice still remain prevalent in the film industry today. The Oscars ceremony boycott by actors incensed at the lack of diversity in this year’s nominations and a dozen Native American actors walking off set last year from Adam Sandler‘s culturally insensitive “comedy” are more than headlines. These statements and walk-outs are appeals, wake-up calls, to the industry and to the general public about ills in the system. In addition to his own experiences, George Aguilar will discuss recent Native American filmmaking and some of its leading directors and actors.

About George Aguilar

In the US and in Hollywood, George Aguilar’s many films include, among others, Robert Aldrich’s Ulzana’s Raid starring Burt Lancaster; Tom Laughlin’s The Trail of Billy Jack; Percy Adlon’s Bagdad Café (Cahuenga) with Jack Palance and CCH Pounder; Roland Joffé’s The Scarlet Letter with Demi Moore; and the last film by director George Sluizer and actor River Phoenix, Dark Blood.
George has been part of popular television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (Wakasa); Steven Spielberg’s production Into the West (Big Foot) with actress Irene Bedard (Cree/Inupiat/Inuit/Yupik/Métis); and the feature Dreamkeeper made for television film with its all-star cast of Native American/First Nations actors.

In 1999, George began his European film career with Gérard Lauzier’s Le Fils du Français starring Fanny Ardant and Josiane Balasko. Since then, George has acted in Jean-Luc Godard’s Notre musique; Patrice Leconte’s Les Bronzés 3; Gérard Krawczyk’s La Vie est à nous!; Josiane Balasko’s L’Ex-femme de ma vie, Client(e) and Demi-Soeur, Bruno Poldalydès’ Versailles Rive Droite and Le Mystère de la chambre jaune, and Marc Barrat’s Orpailleur, just to name a few. George generously acts in short films as well as charity and non-profit advertisements. In France, his acting does not stop with cinema. Over the past five years, George has captured the attention of audiences with his on-stage performances in Josiane Balasko’s plays La Nuit sera chaude and Un grand moment de solitude.

• Master Class sponsored by UR Film Studies Program •