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The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is pleased to announce the world premiere one-hour special of four acclaimed short documentary films made through the 2017 edition of training course NSI IndigiDocs. The four films will air as a compilation on APTN on September 6 at 2 p.m. CT*.

“The National Screen Institute is proud of these talented filmmakers and their work. They’re telling important stories and APTN plays a vital role in sharing them and making sure they’re seen across the country,” said Brendon Sawatzky, NSI director of programming. “APTN has been a valued partner since NSI IndigiDocs was launched in 2012. We’re grateful for their part in our students’ success.”

NSI IndigiDocs offers development and mentorship for up to four producer/director teams to produce a short documentary.

Teams receive a cash award of up to $16,000 to put towards the production of a 10-minute documentary, and attend the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto. Each team is paired with an industry mentor to help with the development and production of their film.

Training includes post-production services and mentorship at the National Film Board in Montreal. Completed films are shown as part of an exclusive one-hour special broadcast on APTN and individual films appear on documentary Channel, nfb.ca and nsi-canada.ca.

Films made through the course have screened at festivals throughout Canada and internationally. Cedar: Tree of Life screened at the American Museum of National History’s Margaret Mead Film Festival (2018), Arica Nativa Film Festival in Chile (2018), and won the programmer’s choice Canadian short documentary award at Edmonton International Film Festival (2018). Leave It On the Water screened at Māoriland Film Festival (2019), Seattle International Film Festival (2019) and won outstanding documentary film at CineVic’s Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival in Victoria, BC (2019). Both films also screened at imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival 2018.

*Check your local listings for times in your region.

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2017 NSI IndigiDocs films

Lost Moccasin (11:37)
Produced by Darcy Waite, directed by Roger Boyer (Winnipeg, MB)

Bradford Bilodeau, a Sixties Scoop survivor, was taken from his family in Valley River First Nation and put up for adoption at an early age. Bradford did not meet his birth family until later in his life. The film follows Bradford as he travels back to his home community, where he meets with his Uncle Bobbie to find out more about his mother and his past.

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Cedar: Tree of Life (10:32)
Produced by April Johnson, directed by Odessa Shuquaya (Vancouver, BC)

Cedar: Tree of Life tells how three Indigenous women use the material and medicine of Cedar, and how they share their knowledge in both traditional and contemporary contexts and as a form of resistance.

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Mihkowapikwaniy (11:51)
Produced by Petie Chalifoux, directed by Micheal Auger (North Vancouver, BC)

Fuelled by the desire to improve the quality of life for his people and to grieve the senseless and tragic death of his youngest daughter, Bella, Lubicon Lake First Nation Chief Billy Joe Laboucan creates a special place for healing. This place is called Mihkowapikwaniy.

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Leave It On the Water (12:14)
Produced by Michele Mundy, directed by Steve Sxwithul’txw (Duncan, BC)

Outrigger racing is a global sport embraced by many Indigenous peoples. The film follows a canoe group, known as For the People, from a small isolated First Nation village, Penelakut, on Vancouver Island as they represent their community in the Queen Lili’uokalani race – the world’s largest outrigger canoe race based out of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

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NSI IndigiDocs is funded by Program Partners APTN, Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and RBC Emerging Artists Project; Boot Camp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Strategic Sponsors the Directors Guild of Canada and documentary Channel; Supporting Sponsors Telefilm Canada, Super Channel, CBC Gem, Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA), Corus Entertainment, 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; Industry Supporters imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Service Sponsor Line 21 Media. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is a charitable, not-for-profit organization. Renowned for having given many content creators their first breaks, NSI provides customized training, mentorship and production support through courses like NSI Totally Television, CBC New Indigenous Voices presented by NSI, NSI Features First, NSI IndigiDocs and TELUS STORYHIVE. NSI also showcases Canadian content through the NSI Online Short Film Festival.

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 the 2019 edition of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicks off, we celebrate films from NSI grads screening in the coming days:

• Tammy’s Always Dying (feature, pictured) from director Amy Jo Johnson (NSI Diverse TV Director) and exec producer Harry Cherniak (NSI Features First)

Thursday, September 5 at 6 p.m., Sunday, September 8 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, September 14 at 1 p.m.

• The Last Porno Show (feature) from exec producer Borga Dorter (NSI Totally Television)

Tuesday, September 10 at 9 p.m. and Thursday, September 12 at 9 p.m.

• Volcano (short film) from director Karen Moore (NSI Features First)

Sunday, September 8 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, September 14 at 6:30 p.m.

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NSI grads participating in Telefilm Canada’s Pitch This! event are Natalie Urquhart (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Totally Television), Kathleen Jayme and Michael Grand (both STORYHIVE 100K).

NSI grads are also attending TIFF Filmmaker Lab and TIFF Writer’s Studio.

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