Ryan Begay

Ryan Begay’s journey into film is honestly pretty wild. Guy started out as a US Air Force veteran—yeah, not your typical filmmaker origin story. He ended up at Colorado Film School in Denver, which is where he caught the filmmaking bug. After that, he wrapped up a BFA in New Media Art at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. Dude’s been all over—writing and directing short films, music videos, PSAs, you name it. And he’s not just bossing people around behind the camera; in 2011, he suddenly realized, “Wait, acting is awesome too.” He’d already popped up in a bunch of short films, but after “Blaze You Out,” he was fully hooked on being in front of the camera too. Since then, he’s been everywhere—indie movies, big budget blockbusters, TV series that actually get noticed. He doesn’t just stick to one thing, either. Writing, directing, acting—it’s all on the table for him. Plus, he’s super passionate about building up a bigger, stronger Diné and Native American presence in film and TV. Not just as actors, but writers, directors, the whole deal. If you’re looking for someone who’s putting in the work both in front of and behind the camera, with a real drive to make space for Native voices in Hollywood, Ryan’s your guy. And honestly, it’s about time.