The Trickster Story

TricksterFilms takes its name from Trickster Coyote, an eccentric fixture in Navajo mythology.  Company founder Bennie Klain (Navajo) wanted the company logo to reflect his unique background and to personify the types of productions they would undertake.  In all of the old fables, which are still used to teach children, Trickster Coyote has both a bad heart and a good heart. He is both attractive and a bit dangerous because he’s so unpredictable.  Yet somehow he always maintains a constant empathy for those around him, teaching us something about ourselves and our shared humanity.  TricksterFilms carries on this tradition by infusing age-old stories with up-to-date characters and situations.

Casey Camp on the set of Share the Wealth.

Nicole Horseherder, Nancy Schiesari, and Bennie Klain on set for Weaving Worlds.

Wade Rowland, Bennie Klain, and Casey Camp on the set of Share the Wealth.

Location Shots

From the Director

The projects I undertake demonstrate my willingness to engage the challenging task of bridging Indigenous concerns and social commentary with broader artistic and audience considerations, highlighting universal themes and cultural inequities that deserve a human voice.  My goal is to bring new voices and hidden histories to broader audiences, allowing them to engage my stories on their own terms by presenting unflinching portrayals of Native and non-Native characters and institutions from an Indigenous perspective. 

-Bennie Klain

Navajo weaver Lorraine Herder in Weaving Worlds.

He’s irreverent and tricky, but he maintains a constant empathy for those around him.