PEMBROKE — The fourth annual Lumbee Film Festival opens Friday at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Main Street here.

The year’s event returns to the big screen with 18 new films directed by indigenous filmmakers, screening over two days and is presented by the North Carolina Museum of Art. In addition to original films, participants can expect live music, food and fellowship.

The festival opens with an outdoor screening of “RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World,” an electrifying look at the American Indian influence in popular music — despite attempts to ban, censor and erase Indian culture.

The film reveals how early pioneers of blues and jazz had American Indian roots, and how artists like North Carolina’s own Link Wray helped define its evolution and forever changed the trajectory of rock ‘n’ roll.

Before the film, Robeson County native and Lumbee Tribe member Charly Lowry will perform a mixture of her well-known songs and new works. Lowry appears in “RUMBLE” along with mentor Pura Fé and many other well-known Lumbee musicians.

Lowry first gained international recognition as a semi-finalist on American Idol in 2004 but has since built a following for her unique, energetic and captivating performances. She is also active as an advocate for American Indian rights and women’s rights.

Three shorts blocks will screen at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Sept. 18 starting at 2 p.m., with the “The Sun Shines, The Water Flows” shorts block, which includes films by Lumbee youth, like “Climate Change,” directed by Leanna and Ethan Deese, made through the Unlocking Silent Histories project. The film explores climate change and its implications on local and global communities.

“Each year the Lumbee Film Festival gets better and better,” said Kim Pevia, the festival’s founding director. “I am so excited about this year’s lineup of short and feature films. Some are traditional and some have us thinking out of the box. Some are local and some are far away. Just like in real life. Something for everyone. Come join us. You will be glad you did.”

The festival is organized through a partnership between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Cucalorus Film Foundation, with the goal of showcasing films made by American Indians while raising awareness about the legacy of indigenous artists. The festival creates a platform for emerging Native artists, especially those working in the Southeastern United States.

For tickets, passes and the full festival schedule visit https://www.cucalorus.org/lumbee-film-festival/.