On the Ice Director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean Examines Tradition vs. Hip-Hop Culture in Alaska

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Writer-director Andrew Okpeaha MacLean makes his feature debut with the L.A. Film Fest entry On the Ice, a character tale about two Alaskan teenagers wrestling with guilt after the accidental murder of a friend. With its isolated setting, cast of non-actors, and rollercoaster ride of a Sundance premiere, the indie drama isn’t the easiest sell for mainstream America, but it’s a film that deserves to find an audience — a window into a generation of Alaskan teens balancing native culture with hip-hop, at a unique crossroads between community traditions and the volatile influence of urban culture.

On the Ice, based on MacLean’s Sundance award-winning short Sukimi (lensed by NYU classmate Cary Fukunaga, who executive produced On the Ice), was developed through the Sundance writing and directing labs and premiered earlier this year at Sundance. It went on to win Best Debut Film and the Crystal Bear award at the Berlin Film Festival and screened last weekend at the L.A. Film Fest; a grassroots self-release is in the works for the fall. MacLean spoke with Movieline about adapting his short into a full feature, his commitment to preserving native culture, bouncing back from the Sundance reviews that may have jeopardized an early distribution deal, and the rewarding, challenging journey he’s still taking with On the Ice.

On the Ice initially began as a short film, but after you debuted at Sundance you expanded it into a full feature. What was the process of

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