Help get Winters to AmDocs18


Winters Plainbull (above) lives in Billings, Montana and grew up on the Crow Reservation. Last Spring, Pat Nabong, and I, Cloee Cooper (below)- both students completing our Masters in Journalism at Northwestern, met Winters in Billings and made a documentary about his life. He was generous enough to let us into his home, introduce us to his family and friends, and share vulnerabilities and laughter with us as if we were lifelong friends.



In November we were excited to learn that our film, Being Winters, was selected to premier at the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, California on April 7th.  One of Winters' dreams is to go to California. As filmmakers and journalists, we believe that the people who share their stories with us deserve to take center stage and see their own stories come to life again. So we cannot miss this opportunity to bring Winters to the film festival. But as journalists in our first year out of school, we are struggling to make it happen and we need your help.

So far, we have spent $386 to buy his ticket from Billings to Palm Springs and another $130 to pay for his lodging. Here is the catch - because Winters is a larger person, United Airlines is charging him for an additional ticket to fly, which will cost another $600.  We want him to come so badly, but we cannot afford the extra ticket. Please help us bring him to the premier, and help make his dream (and ours) come true.

Thank you for helping make this a reality! We want to thank those of you able to contribute $10 with a shout out and photos on social media of Winters at the festival. If you are able to contribute $15, we will also send you a postcard with a screenshot from the film. Those able to contribute $25 or more will also receive a private link to the documentary, Being Winters. Thank you for your support!


Film synopsis
Somewhere between the majority white conservative city of Billings, Montana where he grew up and the Crow Reservation where he attended college, 21-year-old Winters Plainbull, a Crow Native American, is seeking a space where he can simply be himself. Despite grappling with an unconventional gender identity, a learning disability, and being a larger person, along with the complexities of experiencing anti-Native American sentiment and living in public housing, Winter's resilience and resolve to continue being himself inspires those around him.