Filmmaker Tracy Rector centers community care through Indigenous storytelling

Filmmaker and educator Tracy Rector has spent decades supporting Indigenous storytellers through film and community-based programs, according to ICT and Underscore Native News.

Rector is the founder and co-director of 4th World Media Lab, a yearlong fellowship that supports emerging and mid-career Indigenous filmmakers through mentorship, training and industry access. She also helped launch Longhouse Media in 2005 to support Native youth filmmaking. Rector said her approach to storytelling is rooted in community care, cultural responsibility and what she calls narrative sovereignty.

In 2025, 4th World Media Lab marked its 10th anniversary as part of the Seattle International Film Festival, while Indigenous-made programming at the festival reached its 20th year. Rector said the fellowship prioritizes relationships, collaboration and support for filmmakers whose work is often marginalized.

Rector said her work is shaped by motherhood, activism and a commitment to ensuring Indigenous communities have the tools and agency to tell their own stories.