Joanelle Romero

'Joanelle Romero' (qv) is an actress, award-winning director and producer. Joanelle is a citizen of Mescalero-Chiricahua Apache, Dinétah, Paiute and SpanishSephardic. A relative of Pawnee, Pojoaque, Southern Ute, Lakota and Haudenosaunee. Joanelle's father was born on the Jicarilla Reservation and her great-grandmother from her mother's father side was born on the Mescalero Reservation.Born 1957 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the first of three children, mother Rita Rogers and father Robert Romero. Joanelle grew up in to the entertainment industry. At age 3, she acted with her mother and grandfather in plays in New Mexico. In the 60's, Joanelle's mother was signed to Universal Studios and was in nine Elvis Presley films. At age 9, Joanelle used to go to the set on MGM Lot with her mother and hang out with Elvis and Nancy Sinatra, where she learned her love for filmmaking. As a young girl at age 12, Dennis Hopper became her legal guardian. At age 18, Joanelle was cast in her first leading role in the CBS television movie _The Girl Called Hatter Fox (1977)_ (qv). That film marked the first time a Native actress carried a leading role in a contemporary movie. She went on to study at Lee Strasberg Actors Studio in Hollywood.To date, she is the only Native filmmaker to be short-listed for an Oscar in the Documentary Short Branch. She is founder & president Red Nation Celebration Institute, Red Nation International Film Festival, Native Women in FILM & Television, Red Nation Television Network. She is a member of The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences. She has two adult children, graduates of Yale University and Berklee College of Music.::anonymous