Leslie Korn and Max Montalbán, Film Directors
Leslie Korn and Max Montalbán are filmmakers whose work is rooted in long-term engagement with Indigenous communities and sovereignty movements. They have worked at the Center for World Indigenous Studies (CWIS) since 1994 and 2018, respectively.
CWIS is an Indigenous-directed nonprofit founded in 1979 at the request of Pacific Northwest tribal governments and staffed by Indigenous, Latine, and non-Indigenous creatives and activist scholars.
Drawing on her Ashkenazi diasporic roots, Korn began her work in film through feminist activism in the 1970s and later founded a pro bono health clinic in rural Indigenous Mexico, where she has worked for over five decades.
Montalbán, who is of Zapotec heritage, has worked in film as a cinematographer and editor for over 10 years.
Their collaborative short films, Salal, Cedar and Spruce, Searching for Capomo, and Cradling the Heart, have screened and received recognition at festivals including the Latin American Native Film Festival (LANFF) and the Quetzalcóatl Indigenous International Film Festival.
BreakPoint: The Untold Story of the Constitution Express is their first feature documentary. Together, their work reflects a shared commitment to Indigenous sovereignty, cultural continuity, and collective responsibility.