ABOUT ME
Alaskan Films is an Indigenous-owned production company specializing in film, television, photography, and multimedia storytelling. Our services span documentaries, promotional videos, organizational storytelling, event coverage, and digital media production.
Our experience includes contributing to documentaries recognized with over 50 film festival laurels, award-winning editing, and digital strategies that have doubled and tripled organizations' social media audiences. From concept development to final delivery, we combine creative storytelling, technical expertise, and proven results to bring every project to life.
I'm ‘Wáats’asdíyei Joe Yates, a Haida filmmaker and producer from Southeast Alaska with 16 years of experience creating award-winning films, national television productions, and multimedia content. My work includes two Emmy nominations for PBS KIDS' Molly of Denali and producing for National Geographic's Life Below Zero: First Alaskans.
Beyond television and film, I've managed creative projects, produced media for Indigenous organizations, and worked extensively in education, teaching filmmaking and storytelling to Native youth in rural Alaska.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
Whether you're developing a film, planning a multimedia project, or looking for an experienced creative professional to join your team, we'd like to hear from you. Tell us about your project, goals, or opportunity, and we'll discuss how our experience can help bring it to life. From initial planning through final production, we're ready to explore what's possible.
SELECTED WORK
Our selected work reflects more than 15 years of storytelling across national television, independent filmmaking, documentary production, and community-driven projects. From award-winning films to productions for National Geographic and PBS KIDS, each project demonstrates our commitment to compelling visuals, authentic storytelling, and meaningful connections with audiences.
LIFE BELOW ZERO: FIRST ALASKANS
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
STORY WORK PRODUCER &
FIELD PRODUCER
MOLLY OF DENALI
PBS KIDS
WRITER
REUNITING OUR NATIONS
TLINGIT & HAIDA
CINEMATOGRAPHER
& EDITOR
INDIGENOUS RESISTANCE: NOW & THEN
ALASKA HUMANITIES FORUM
CINEMATOGRAPHER
& EDITOR
WHALING CAPTAIN
ARCTIC SLOPE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
EDITOR
MY MESSAGE TO YOU
ALASKAN FILMS
CINEMATOGRAPHER
& EDITOR
BEFORE THE CUT
A drifter. A carver. A shed full of second chances.
A young Haida man returns to the community of Hydaburg after the death of his estranged father, expecting to leave his past behind. Instead, he finds himself drawn into a carving shed, a community, and a relationship that forces him to reconsider the man he thought his father was—and the man he might become.
Before the Cut is a feature screenplay by Wáats'asdíyei Joe Yates, rooted in the people, places, and lived realities of Southeast Alaska. It is a story about grief, inheritance, community, and the difficult process of deciding what we carry forward.