Montgomery College Alumna Wins Student Emmy for Documentary Spotlighting Native Artist

For Genevive Ira Banaticla, an internship project became an award-winning digital media opportunity.

The 2026 Montgomery College graduate recently received a Student Emmy Award from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter new window of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. She was recognized in the solo storyteller category for “Skateboard Art,” new window a documentary she produced, filmed and edited during her multiyear internship with Montgomery College Television (MCTV). new window

“I couldn’t have done this without the guidance, training, support and all the opportunities that Montgomery College Television gave me for content creation,” Banaticla said.

The Emmy-winning video profiles Native American artist and skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, a member of the Diné (Navajo) Nation whose work blends traditional wood craftsmanship with contemporary skateboard art. Filmed during the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival new window on the National Mall, the documentary explores how Greenwood uses art to celebrate her heritage, create visibility for her community and inspire others.

“It was a huge honor working with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival because it is an institution dedicated to preserving culture, and this is something that I also feel strongly about,” Banaticla explained. “It's a very personal craft for the artist, so I employed lots of close-up shots to show Di'Orr controlling her creative space.”

The documentary was created as part of MCTV's internship program, which partners each year with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to document the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. As their capstone project, student interns demonstrate technical and creative skills while working alongside professionals and producing original stories that celebrate cultural traditions from around the world.

Today, Banaticla continues to build community through visual storytelling, creating designs for local nonprofits and educational organizations. She hopes to pursue a career in media production, with aspirations of one day joining the art department of a major motion picture studio.