Native Film Stars John Reddy and Jashaun St. John Named Breakout Sundance Stars

By Jamilah King Jan 23, 2015

The Sundance Film Festival is only in its second day, but already there’s a lot of buzz about "Songs My Brothers Taught Me," a film directed by Chinese-American filmmaker Chloé Zhao about life between a brother and sister on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The two stars of the film, John Reddy and Jashaun St. John, were named among 10 breakout stars at this year’s Sundance by The Wrap:

Reddy and St. John may be non-professional actors but Chloe Zhao’s feature debut isn’t a one-off for either of them. The duo play half-siblings who embark on separate paths when the unexpected death of his father complicates his plans to leave the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Like "Beasts of the Southern Wild," this drama could surprise audiences who go in with an open mind regarding a community rarely seen on the big screen.

The film’s trailer hasn’t been released, but you can keep up with it on Facebook