Tag Archives: Film festival

Entry 4: imagine NATIVE

Imagine Native is a Toronto based Indigenous run media company. They are a non-profit society with the aim of  distributing a breadth of Indigenous created media content. In addition to organizing film festivals and screenings, they offer workshops and resources for emerging artists (http://www.imaginenative.org)

Hidden in their publication page, there are numerous topical essays related to arts and technology. This content is worth a lengthy glance.  They also offer a quick preview for their film festival content.

This is a great resource to find films that are not advertised or supported by large format media.

 

3.3: Indigenous Feature Film Production in Canada: A National and International Perspective

Study can be found at this website

This is a large study by ImagineNative Film and Media Arts Festival that examines Aboriginal film production in Canada. This study makes the case that First Nations’ stories represent a huge untapped resource in Canada. Canada’s film industry has not yet fully explored the stories of indigenous peoples. Not only are these stories important to our collective identity as Canadians, but they also enormous commercial potential.

3.2: The Aboriginal Voice: the National Film Board and Aboriginal Filmmaking Through the Years

Website: The Aboriginal Voice

This site provides the history of Aboriginal Voice, which is a program that saw Aboriginal films be created by Aboriginal people. The rationale behind the program is summed up in a 1972 letter:

“There was a strong feeling among the filmmakers at the NFB that the Board had been making too many films “about” the Indian, all from the white man’s viewpoint. What would be the difference if Indians started making films themselves?” [Letter from George Stoney, executive producer, Challenge for Change, January 3, 1972]

The site includes six NFB films made by First Nations peoples. The films explore contemporary social and political issues from across Canada, including a film about Haisla people reclaiming a stolen artefact and a film documenting the confrontation between First Nations fishermen and the federal government in Burnt Church, New Brunswick.

3.1: Sundance Film Festival: Native American and Indigenous Film Program

Website: Native American and Indigenous Film Program 

Sundance was initially founded by American filmmaker Robert Redford, who wanted to ensure that indigenous filmmakers were given voice at the festival. Since 1981, the Sundance institute has supported 300 indigenous artists through grants, mentorships, and the platform of the film festival. This page contains a six minute video on the topic of the Sundance Institute’s Native American and Indigenous Film Program with interview clips of many indigenous filmmakers. Filmmaker Ty Sanga remarks  “film has become that new evolution to not only express who we are but also preserve our culture.

Module 3, Post 4 – ImagineNATIVE

The Toronto’s ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival aims to eliminate stereotypical notions of Indigenous peoples by encouraging First Nations youths to use different media to tell their stories. I first stumbled upon this article which spoke about the various topics this project addresses, such as aboriginal identity, education, language and racism. The organization is visiting small communities in Canada and offering workshops to the youths on how to use tablets to record and edit their film. This CBC Yukon video explains the project. What I liked about it was that non-aboriginal students are also involved in the project because they feel it’s important to address the inequality problems.

Wanting to learn more about it, I found the organization’s website. I found this site a bit difficult to navigate in searching for video entries, and was only able to view one. However, the site contains information on previous festival, the organization, and its history.

This resource can be useful for someone looking to find ways, using media and technology, to help indigenous peoples express what they are feeling and educate the world about their culture.