Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is proud to announce the start of its 2018 CBC New Indigenous Voices training course which began yesterday in Winnipeg.

NSI welcomed students with a pipe ceremony led by Elder Colin Mousseau and a traditional feast. These are the first of the traditional Anishinaabe spiritual components that continue throughout the program.

The students are:

• Cynthia Murdock (Winnipeg)
• Adeline Bird (Winnipeg)
• Rhonda Lucy (Toronto)
• Joe Courchene (Winnipeg)
• Jon Berg (Burnaby)
• Diandre Thomas-Hart (Winnipeg)
• Damian Frazee (Winnipeg)
• Daniel Bear (Winnipeg)
• Shauntelle George (Winnipeg)

“It’s exciting to welcome this year’s students and to celebrate the start of their journey together as a group,” said Ursula Lawson, CBC New Indigenous Voices program manager. “They’ll be diving right into training, developing their stories for the screen and strengthening their skills in screen-based media and storytelling.”

Over the next 14 weeks, students participate in six weeks of workshops and seminars led by industry experts. This is followed by two weeks of short film production and a six week, full-time internship at a broadcaster or independent production company, giving them firsthand experience in the industry. Training concludes with a graduation ceremony and screening of the three short films made by the students. Minimum wage is provided throughout the course.

Graduates have gone on to work with companies including CBC, Media RendezVous, Animiki See Digital Production Inc., Manito Ahbee and APTN. They have worked on numerous film, television and web productions, developed their own projects and screened them at national and international film festivals.

CBC New Indigenous Voices is led by Ursula Lawson alongside NSI associate program manager Kaya Wheeler, NSI Indigenous training programs advisor Lisa Meeches and Elder Colin Mousseau.

CBC New Indigenous Voices is funded by: Title, Presenting and Tuition Sponsor CBC; Program Partners Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage, the Centre for Aborginal Human Resource Development (CAHRD) and Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Industry Partner the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC); Industry Supporter imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival; and Service Sponsor William F. White. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

Renowned for having given many emerging filmmakers, television writers and producers their first breaks, the National Screen Institute provides training and production support through courses like NSI Totally Television, CBC New Indigenous Voices presented by NSI, NSI Features First, NSI Business for Producers, NSI IndigiDocs and TELUS STORYHIVE Web Series and Digital Shorts.

NSI also offers exposure through the NSI Online Short Film Festival and provides resources and support to those in the film, television and digital media industries at nsi-canada.ca

All media enquiries

Laura Friesen, Manager, Communications & Alumni Relations
Tel: 204.957.2999 or email: laura.friesen@nsi-canada.ca

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As Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival continues this week in Toronto, we’ve sent our NSI IndigiDocs students to take in the fest, including sessions with broadcasters, filmmakers and industry execs.

NSI IndigiDocs is a development launch pad for producer/director teams looking to produce a short documentary. Attendance at Hot Docs is part of their training prior to embarking on their short documentary production.

Watch for our fabulous students while you’re there.

Producer Christine Friday (left) and director Cara Mumford

Path Without End – A 10-minute poetic dance documentary following Christine Friday’s journey to speak her family’s truth and reclaim their power through dance.

Producer Ryan Wilson (right) and director Charlene Moore

When the Children Left – a short doc following Shoal Lake 40 First Nation member and activist Angelina McLeod as she fights for a high school in her community after the death of her sister Amelia.

Producer Chris Ross (right) and director Candy Fox

Bad Indians – an Indigenous love story about Andrea Landry and Colby Tootoosis, who have left jobs where they fought for change inside colonial institutions to raise a family and revolutionize their community in hopes of creating a healthier future.

Producer Damien Eagle Bear (left) and director Caitlyn Pantherbone

Big Momma – a short doc following an Indigenous and two-spirited aspiring comedian, musician and dancer preparing himself for his first big show as a stand-up comic.

• • •

NSI IndigiDocs 2017-19 is funded by Program Partners APTN, Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and RBC Emerging Artists Project; Boot Camp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Supporting Sponsors the Directors Guild of Canada, Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment, Telefilm Canada, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Breakthrough Entertainment and the Jim Murphy Filmmakers Bursary; Provincial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music and Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund; Industry Partners the National Film Board and the Directors Guild of Canada; and Service Sponsor Line 21 Media. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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A short documentary about the life of a boy with high-functioning autism whose life is filled with fairy tales and make-believe.

The story follows Jack as he sews his first princess ball gown, tailored for a debut at the Royal Ball. He introduces us to his particular tastes in costume wardrobe, carefully applies his costume makeup and patiently works his way through sewing classes.

This film is an intimate portrait of a unique and intelligent child, immersed in his own world and fully supported by his caring family and sewing teacher.

Creative team

Writer/director: Lesley Johnson
Producers: Lesley Johnson, Laura Wright
Editor: Nadia Tan
Cinematographers: Lesley Johnson, Joffrey Saintrapt
Composer: Erica Procunier

Filmmaker’s statement

Jack is not your typical 11-year-old boy. His closet is jam-packed with dresses and tulle, his room stacked with hats and wigs, and every surface is covered with makeup tins, face paint and books about goblins, witches, trolls and enchanted forests.

Jack has high functioning autism, and fairy tales and make-believe are a major part of how he connects to the world.

Those familiar with autism will understand the concept of a ‘special interest;’ a passionate and consuming fixation that garners a remarkable level of dedication, focus and energy. While many children with autism have difficulty with school, they often have a gifted knowledge and high degree of aptitude for their special interest. In Jack’s case, his detailed memory of stories and fairy tales is astounding, helping maintain his interest in learning despite struggles with reading and writing.

I met Jack at a friend’s sewing studio where we bonded over having both been ‘ghost Marie Antoinette’ for Halloween the previous year, and I was instantly captivated by his chatty and inquisitive nature.

From spending time with Jack’s family, I gained some insight into the journey of parents caring for, in his words, a boy who sometimes likes girl things. He is fortunate to have continual access to a wide range of activities, and is fully supported in his passion for dress-up, drama and costume design.

Jack’s story lives at the intersection of childhood, autism and gender identity. My intention was to tell the story of a child telling us exactly who he is, and what makes him happiest.

About Lesley Johnson

Lesley Johnson is a Toronto- and Yellowknife-based filmmaker and producer. She studied film in York University’s MFA program, and was a participant of Montreal International Documentary Festival’s (RIDM) 2016 Talent Lab.

Her short documentary Princess Jack has gone to festivals internationally, was nominated for a Golden Sheaf award at Yorkton, and was released on CBC’s Digital Docs platform. Her latest film Charlie recently premiered at BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival in London.

As a producer, Lesley worked on the APTN docu-series Dene A Journey, Shadow of a Giant distributed through the National Film Board, and The Argument (with annotations), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was selected for TIFF’s Top Ten.

Her next project is a documentary that looks at Dene revitalization and resurgence in the Northwest Territories.

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Sandy Doyle is an outspoken, no-nonsense business woman. She became a worldwide celebrity with the creation of her diner Blondies Burgers.

Creative team

Writer/director: Craig Guiboche
Producer: David Zellis

Filmmaker’s statement

Like most Winnipeggers, I’ve heard much about Sandy Doyle and her famous (or infamous) diner Blondies Burgers. People told me she was harsh, brash and outright mean. Perhaps she just wasn’t very good at dealing with unruly customers. Regardless, her restaurant was famous. She was famous. People were travelling from all over the world to eat her food!

After nearly 30 years in business, Sandy made an announcement that she was soon retiring. Before she left, I had to find out who the real Sandy Doyle was.

I discovered there were two people. The real Sandy and the character she created to serve the customers: Blondie.

Over the years, Sandy and Blondie have merged to become the person she is today. I like to call her “The Alice Cooper of the Restaurant Business.”

This film serves as a tribute to Sandy and everything she has achieved.

About Craig Guiboche

Craig Guiboche is an editor, graphics designer and award-nominated visual effects artist. He started as the head graphics designer at A-Channel (now City) and went on to work in graphics for CBC.

He spent time as an editor at the National Film Board. He has worked on hundreds of television shows, documentaries, feature films, short films, commercials, music videos and movie trailers. His work has reached audiences around the globe.

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When a woman witnesses what she believes is a husband abusing his wife, she ignores standard procedures and takes matters into her own hands.

Creative team

Writer/director: John Ainslie
Producer: Kimberly-Sue Murray

Filmmaker’s statement

This was a labour of love financed by the director and lead actress. We came together with a small group of four crew members and donated gear to make what we feel is a very poignant and timely short film.

About John Ainslie

Canadian Film Centre alumnus John Ainslie is best known for the throwback horror comedy feature Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. His screenplay was nominated for a Fangoria Chainsaw Award and the film won Best Midnight Film at the prestigious Sitges International Film Festival in 2009.

Prior to writing, John worked as a director of photography and won the Borsos Prize for best cinematographer at the Whistler Film Festival for his work on the feature Sk8 Life.

After honing his directing craft on short films, John wrote and directed his first feature film – the award-winning The Sublet, called “one of the most effective psychological horror films of the decade” by horrorgeeklife.com. It premiered at Whistler Film Festival and won awards for best actress and best cinematography at Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival.

John followed that up with the intense thriller short She Came Knocking. Called “one of the best short dramatic films I’ve seen in years” by Greg Klymkiw of The Film Corner, it was awarded best short film at the Canadian Film Festival 2017 in Toronto where it premiered, and won a Remi Award at WorldFest-Houston 2017.

John currently resides in Miami and is developing a number of feature films including a feature version of She Came Knocking.

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