HEATHER RAE|heather@appaloosapictures.org

Heather Rae has worked in some producing capacity on more than a dozen documentaries and half dozen features through her eighteen years in the film industry. She began working on TRUDELL in 1992 and after twelve years the project is the creative culmination of years of work as a filmmaker and activist.   For Six years Rae ran the Native Program at the Sundance Institute and was a programmer for the Sundance Film Festival.

After leaving Sundance in 2001 she went on to work for Winter Films as Senior Vice President of Production. For the past five years she has worked independently including a recently produced feature film, FROZEN RIVER, written and directed by Courtney Hunt and starring Melissa Leo (21 GRAMS, THREE BURIELS) Misty Upham (SKINS, EDGE OF AMERICA) and Marc Boone Jr. (MEMENTO, TREES LOUNGE.) As well IBID, starring Christian Campbell (REEFER MADNESS, TRICK) and Russell Friedenberg (also written by.) Rae was a producer on AMERICAN MONSTER, starring Adam Beach, Gary Farmer and Udo Kier.   She is also producing A THOUSAND GUNS, with director Blackhorse Lowe (5TH WORLD.) Additionally she is producing THE SPACE BETWEEN ALL THINGS with Randy Redroad (THE DOE BOY) directing. Rae is directing and producing a feature documentary FAMILY: THE FIRST CIRCLE about the foster care system and the impact of meth on the Westsern United States. Raeco-produced BACKROADS, directed by Shirley Cheechoo, which premiered at Sundance in 2000.   Prior to her years at Sundance, Rae produced on such documentary films as CBS's 500 NATIONS, Turner Broadcasting's THE NATIVE AMERICANS, and PBS' STORYTELLERS OF THE PACIFIC. She produced the behind-the-scenes making of SMOKE SIGNALS for the Sundance Channel and was an Associate Producer on SILENT TEARS, directed by Cheechoo.

Rae teaches Film Studies at Boise State University. Rae is Cherokee and a mother of three. She and her family reside in Boise, Idaho.