Rite of the Shaman had a 3-week-long theatrical run after the movie was scouted by Purdie Distribution during the Utah Film Festival awards show. The movie swept the festival, winning Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music Score, and Best Supporting Actress.
The Rite of the Shaman screenplay was inspired by Tyrell Oberle (the actor who plays Kai). He was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 16, went through chemotherapy and surgery, and is in remission. He is a botanist, horticulturalist, hiker, rock hounder, and lover of nature.
Rite of the Shaman draws from Norse and Celtic shamanic traditions in which a healer confronts darkness in order to bring ancestral wisdom into the world.
During a special screening for educators and first responders, Rite of the Shaman was labeled "a curriculum of compassion" by historian Paulette Stevens. The Utah Science Association Executive Director and multiple school district board of directors want it played in high schools across the country.