Ian Munsick's 'Voices of the West' Garners Award Recognition
(EBM) When Wyoming native Ian Munsick created the concept of White Buffalo for his sophomore album, it expanded far beyond simply curating another collection of songs. With the White Buffalo representing a sacred symbol for the plains tribes of North America, representing prosperity and rebirth, the album's name saw Munsick undertaking a responsibility to represent his homeland and the people who reside there in an authentic way.
In doing so, Munsick created a documentary to compliment the project, White Buffalo: Voices of the West - casting the spotlight on friends whose stories often go unheard - which was released in January to Apple iTunes, Apple, Google Play, Kanopy (Libraries), Microsoft, Vudu, YouTube Rentals and Amazon TVOD.
Now, just shy of four months after its release, Voices of the West is an award-winning film, with two awards and four Film Festival selections to-date. Named Best Feature Documentary at Angeles Film Festival and Best Documentary at C47 Film Festival; Voices of the West was also selected to be in Arizona International Film Festival, EQUUS International Film Festival, Kansas City FilmFest International and Riverside International Film Festival.
"So much about what makes Wyoming and Montana special are the things most folks don't know about. The mystery that surrounds that part of the country is part of what makes it so captivating," states Munsick. "Native American culture has an enormous influence on western and cowboy culture, yet hardly ever gets the recognition it deserves. We are very proud and honored to share some of these stories in Voices of the West and, hopefully, bring more appreciation to a population that rarely gets it."
Spanning nearly an hour, the film delves into conversations with Pro Buckin' Horse producer and entrepreneur from the Blackfoot Tribe, Dougie Hall; rancher, horse trainer and actor from the Crow Tribe, Stephen Yellowtail; cowgirl from the Blackfeet Nation, Sammy Jo Bird; and Munsick as the four explore the modern-day relationship between cowboys, ranchers and Native American tribes - and how they often rely on each other to live off the land out west.
Hailed by HITS Daily Double and The New Yorker alike for putting the "western back in country," Munsick released his full-length sophomore album White Buffalo in April 2023, earning accolades from Billboard, American Songwriter, People, MusicRow and more. Grammy.com remarked, "Munsick's ability to turn his Western upbringing into relatable sentiments is the epitome of what makes him special... his passion for his homeland - from the culture to the people - rings through in both the lyrics and the musicality."
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