San Juan College (SJC) graduate Makayla Yazzie is transforming her passion for filmmaking into a growing business rooted in the Navajo language, culture and storytelling.
Graduate Turns Cultural Storytelling Into Award-Winning Business
This spring, Yazzie earned first place at Hawk Tank, securing a $5,000 prize for her business, Film Kalitso.
Film Kalitso offers freelance filming services while also developing creative projects that center on Navajo stories and community voices. Yazzie, a proud Navajo filmmaker, said her mission is to produce work that reflects and uplifts her culture while creating opportunities for future storytellers.
Support Helps Shape Creative Career Path
Although Yazzie did not originally plan to attend college, she said her experience at SJC played a key role in shaping her career direction. Through mentorship from professors and faculty, she was encouraged to pursue filmmaking as both an artistic passion and a professional path.
“I didn’t always see filmmaking as something I could turn into a business,” Yazzie said. “But Hawk Tank and SJC helped me realize I was already doing it.”
Hawk Tank Experience Builds Entrepreneurial Skills
Participating in Hawk Tank challenged Yazzie to think beyond creative production and approach filmmaking as an entrepreneurial venture. The experience helped her refine her business model, strengthen her goals and present her vision to a wider audience.
The first-place win also validated her efforts to build a sustainable creative business grounded in cultural storytelling.
Prize Money to Support Equipment and Community Projects
Yazzie plans to use the $5,000 award to upgrade filming equipment, strengthen marketing efforts and host community screenings that highlight emerging filmmakers. She is also currently collaborating with Navajo students on film projects within a college setting, with screenings and discussions planned for later this year.
These initiatives reflect her commitment to building both creative opportunity and cultural representation in media.
Continuing Education and Future Goals
Yazzie earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Digital Media Arts from San Juan College in May and will continue her studies in cinematic arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in the fall.
Looking ahead, she hopes to continue expanding Film Kalitso while integrating Navajo culture into education and storytelling, creating space for more Indigenous voices in film.
