When gang leader Rob Brown is sentenced to prison for a fifth time, he must confront his role in bringing violent drug culture into his beloved American Indian community in northern Minnesota.

[9] The Seventh Fire went on to play in over 50 markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Boston, and San Diego.

Main subjects Rob Brown and Kevin Fineday Jr spoke on a panel with federal officials, journalists, and academics including Bill Keller, Editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project, Jamelle Bouie, chief political correspondent for Slate, and Karen Diver, former Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs following the screening.

The New York Times critic Glenn Kenny wrote, "The betrayal of Native Americans by larger forces looms over this powerful movie without ever being explicitly discussed.

"[15] Akiva Gottlieb of Documentary magazine praised the film as "a powerful work of social advocacy that pushed its case for criminal justice reform all the way to the White House.

"[16] The Los Angeles Times's Noel Murray said "The Seventh Fire covers enough ground to function as a character study, an ethnography and a social issue film, all in one.

By tackling the larger issue of Native American gangs through the story of two northwest Minnesota drug dealers, Riccobono personalizes a problem that deserves more attention.