The 4th Annual Lumbee Film Festival returns with 18 new films directed by indigenous filmmakers screening over two days at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Main Street in Pembroke. This year’s festival is scheduled for Sept. 17-18 and is presented by the North Carolina Museum of Art and includes live music, film, food and fellowship.

“Each year the Lumbee Film Festival gets better and better,” said festival Founding Director Kim Pevia. “I am so excited about this year's line-up of short and feature films. Some are traditional and some have us thinking out of the box. Some are local and some are far away. Just like in real life. Something for everyone. Come join us. You will be glad you did."

The festival witl begin with an outdoor screening of “RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World,” an electrifying look at the Native American influence in popular music despite attempts to ban, censor and erase Indian culture.

The film reveals how early pioneers of the blues and jazz had Native American roots, and how artists like North Carolina’s own Link Wray helped to define its evolution and forever changed the trajectory of rock 'n' roll.

Before the film, Robeson county native and Lumbee Tribe member Charly Lowry will perform a mix of her songs. Lowry appears in “RUMBLE” along with mentor Pura Fé and many other well-known Lumbee musicians. Lowry first gained international recognition as a semi-finalist on “American Idol” in 2004, but has since built a following for her energetic and captivating performances. She is also active as an advocate for Native rights and women’s rights.

The festival is organized through a partnership between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Cucalorus Film Foundation with the goal of showcasing films made by American Indians while raising awareness about the legacy of indigenous artists. The festival creates a platform for emerging Native artists, especially those working in the Southeastern United States.

Three shorts blocks will screen at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. with the “The Sun Shines, The Water Flows” shorts block which includes films by Lumbee youth like “Climate Change” made through the Unlocking Silent Histories project as well as films from the Wapikoni Mobile collective from Canada who use media to raise awareness about Indigenous cultures, issues and rights.

The “Roots Run Deep” shorts block starts at 3:30 p.m. and includes the poetic and observational documentary “Concrete 49” by LFF Alum Justin Deegan. The short is a subtle and effective examination of the lives of indigenous people living in New York City. The “All My Relations” shorts block brings together five dramatic works to close out the afternoon’s survey of short form indigenous cinema.

A special screening of “The Trancscenders,” a feature film by Montana Cypress (Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida) will be screened immediately following an awards ceremony at 8 p.m. on Sept.18 at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub. The film follows the struggles of two brothers who find a remedy that promises to “transform their primitive behavior” as they transition from life in the city which differs greatly from their upbringing on the reservation.

For tickets, passes and the full festival schedule visit www.cucalorus.org/lumbee-film-festival/.