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Demond Melancon

Big Chief of the Young Seminole Hunters

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Documentary Films




Across the Canal, Documentary Short (2025), USA, Denim Tears, Tremaine Emory

 

Documentary Short

Across the Canal
A Film by Denim Tears

Big Chief Demond Melancon is a New Orleans native needle and thread artist. Big Chief is well known for creating massive Suits as a Black Masker. His Suits are sculptural forms based on the size of his body which are composed of intricate, hand-sewn beadwork revealing a collective visual narrative.

In 2025, after a four-year creative journey with Tremaine Emory, Big Chief Demond Melancon’s legacy inspired the globally resonant Denim Tears x Levi's® Season 4 Collab, merging the Black Masking Culture with contemporary fashion.

“New Orleans represents a unique intersection of African, Indigenous, and French cultural influences that have shaped American identity in profound ways … This collection honors the sacred traditions of the Mardi Gras Indians while recognizing their continued relevance in contemporary culture.” (Tremaine Emory, Denim Tears)

Title
Across the Canal

Director
Tremaine Emory

Category
Documentary Short, USA, 2025




Documentary Short (2019), USA, Michal Pietrzyk

All on a Mardi Gras Day, Documentary Short (2019), USA, Michal Pietrzyk

 

Documentary Short

All on a Mardi Gras Day
Big Chief Demond of the Young Seminole Hunters

An intimate portrait of Big Chief Demond Melancon’s obsessive journey through the secret 200-year culture known as the Black Masking Culture of New Orleans. The documentary short touches on the social and cultural significance of the Black Masking Culture of New Orleans with an observation on the many ways the city is changing.

Accepted into over 40 film festivals (in 12 countries) and nominated for Best Short Film at the Berlinale and Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival, two of most prestigious film festivals in the world. With key grand prize wins at three Oscar-qualifying film festivals in Seattle, Rhode Island, and Australia, this documentary short went on to be qualified for an Academy Award in 2020.

Title
All on a Mardi Gras Day: Big Chief Demond of the Young Seminole Hunters

Category
Documentary Short, USA, 2019

  • US Premiere
    Slamdance Film Festival, Park City, UT

    International Premiere
    Berlin International Film Festival, Berlin, Germany

    New York Premiere
    Tribeca Film Festival, New York, NY

  • Best Documentary Short Nominee
    Tribeca Film Festival

    Best Short Film Nominee
    Berlin International Film Festival

    Grand Jury Prize Winner
    Seattle International Film Festival

    First Prize Best Short Documentary
    Rhode Island International Film Festival

    Best Documentary Short
    Sidewalk Film Festival

    Best Documentary Short
    BendFilm Festival

    Special Mention Short Film
    Traverse City Film Festival

    Best Short Film Special Mention
    Milano Film Festival

    Audience Award for Best Short Film
    Chicago International Film Festival

  • KUKI International Short Film Festival
    November 18 - 25, 2019
    Berlin, Germany

    St. Louis International Film Festival
    November 7 - 17, 2019
    St. Louis, MO

    Washington West Film Festival
    October 24 - 28, 2019
    Washington, D.C.

    WOMEX Film Programme
    October 23 - 27, 2019
    Tampere, Finland

    Uppsala International Film Festival
    October 21 - 27, 2019
    Uppsala, Sweden

    Valladolid International Film Festival
    October 19 - 26, 2019
    Valladolid, Spain

    Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
    October 18 - 26, 2019
    Hot Springs, AR

    Milwaukee Film Festival
    October 17 - 31, 2019
    Milwaukee, WI

    Chicago International Film Festival
    Audience Award for Best Short Film
    October 16 - 27, 2019
    Chicago, IL

    New Orleans Film Festival
    October 16 - 23, 2019
    New Orleans, LA 

    Tallgrass Film Festival
    October 16 - 20, 2019
    Wichita, KS

    International Short Film Festival of Cyprus
    October 12 - 18, 2019
    Limassol, Cyprus

    BendFilm Festival
    Best Documentary Short
    October 10 - 13, 2019
    Bend, OR

    Show Me Shorts Film Festival
    October 5 - 24, 2019
    New Zealand

    Milano Film Festival
    Best Short Film Special Mention
    October 4 - 10, 2019
    Milan, Italy

    Nashville Film Festival
    October 3 - 12, 2019
    Nashville, TN

    Sioux City International Film Festival
    October 3 - 5, 2019
    Sioux City, IA

    Tirana International Film Festival
    September 23 - 29, 2019
    Tirana, Albania

    DC Shorts Film Festival
    September 19 - 28, 2019
    Washington, D.C.

    Tacoma Film Festival
    September 17 - 23, 2019
    Tacoma, WA

    Odense International Film Festival
    August 26 - September 1, 2019
    Odense, Denmark

    Nevada City Film Festival
    August 23 - 30, 2019
    Nevada City, CA

    MakeDox Creative Documentary Film Festival
    August 20 - 26, 2019
    Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

    Sidewalk Film Festival
    Best Documentary Short
    August 19 - 25, 2019
    Birmingham, AL

    Rhode Island International Film Festival
    First Prize Best Short Documentary
    August 6 - 11, 2019
    Providence, RI

    Traverse City Film Festival
    Special Mention Short Film
    July 30 - August 4, 2019
    Traverse City, MI

    Indy Shorts International Film Festival
    July 25 - 28, 2019
    Indianapolis, IN

    Lower East Side Film Festival
    June 6 - 10, 2019
    New York, NY

    Rooftop Film Festival
    May 17 - August 24, 2019
    Brooklyn, NY

    Seattle International Film Festival
    Grand Jury Prize Winner
    May 16 - June 9, 2019
    Seattle, WA

    Tribeca Film Festival
    Best Documentary Short Nominee
    April 24 - May 5, 2019
    New York, NY

    Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
    February 15 - 24, 2019
    Missoula, MT

    Berlin International Film Festival
    Best Short Film Nominee
    February 7 - 17, 2019
    Berlin, Germany

    Slamdance Film Festival
    January 25 - 31, 2019
    Park City, UT

 

 
 
 


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