Justin Deegan is an enrolled member of MHA Nation, where TAHNAANOOKU’ was filmed. He identifies as Arikara, Oglala, and Hunkpapa. He is a cinematographer, photographer, and award-winning filmmaker. His work has screened at numerous festivals across Turtle Island, including Sundance, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Lumbee Film Festival, LA Skinsfest, the Phoenix Film Festival, and NatiVisions. Deegan’s work has shown on HBO, NBC, PBS, and the VICE Network, and has been featured in numerous publications, including Indian Country Today and Native News Online.
Justin is the founder of Thunder Revolution Studio, which follows this motto: “An Indigenous lens for an Indigenous narrative.” Justin both teaches filmmaker skills to Indigenous youth and works with Indigenous elders to document the oral histories of tribal nations. Justin is a fellow of the Newport FILM Cinematography Lab and was selected to participate in the Native American Media Alliance Unscripted Documentary Series.
