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The National Screen Institute is pleased to announce that four short documentary films from the second year of NSI Aboriginal Documentary will be featured on APTN on October 10 as a one-hour special at 8 a.m. CT*.

“We are grateful to APTN for their ongoing support of NSI Aboriginal Documentary and its filmmakers,” said John Gill, CEO of NSI. “Giving these talented emerging filmmakers a national platform is hugely valuable and helps their stories reach the wide audience they deserve.”

“APTN is pleased to partner with the NSI once again,” said Jean La Rose, APTN Chief Executive Officer. “This program has been important to lay the ground work and train each selected producer and director team, pairing them with an industry mentor to assist with the final development and production of a short documentary film.”

The films will be repeated on October 13 at 2:30 p.m. CT* and again on October 16 at 12 a.m. CT*.

The Spirit of Birth

Director: Rebeka Tabobondung | Producer: Michelle St. John

After a colonial legacy of silencing Indigenous women’s wisdom, a searching mother and midwife’s journey to revitalize traditional birth knowledge.

Released

Director: Chantal Rondeau | Producer: Jennifer Bowen-Allen

Karen Nicloux, a First Nations traditional artist, recently released from prison, re-stitches the fabric of her life together one piece at a time.

The League

Director: Jenna Neepin | Producer: Justina Neepin

The Aboriginal Mixed Curling League and Bonspiel have been around for over 20 years. Norman Meade, the league founder and organizer, shares his story of how the league began and hopes that the next generation of curlers will continue to keep the league and sport alive.

Mia’

Director: Amanda Strong | Producer: Bracken Hanuse Corlett

A hybrid documentary using animation and sound as a vehicle to tell the story of transformation and re-connection of the main character Mia’s struggles to return home, as she traverses through polluted waters and skies, witnessing various forms of industrial violence and imprint that have occurred upon the land.

*Check your local listings.

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NSI Aboriginal Documentary 2013-15 was made possible by Presenting Sponsor NBCUniversal; Program Partners APTN, RBC Emerging Artists Project, and Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage; Bootcamp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, imagineNATIVE and Hots Docs; Tuition Sponsor NBCUniversal; Provincial/Territorial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music and Yukon Film & Sound; Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (ACCT) and Service Sponsor Line 21 Media Services.

NSI Aboriginal Documentary 2015-17 is funded by Presenting Sponsor NBCUniversal; Program Partners APTN, Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and RBC Emerging Artists Project; Aboriginal Training Programs Partner Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries; Boot Camp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment, Telefilm Canada, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Hot Docs and Breakthrough Entertainment; Tuition Sponsor NBCUniversal; Provincial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music and Creative Saskatchewan; Industry Partners National Film Board, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television 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.

• • •

We are currently accepting applications for this program. Apply to NSI Aboriginal Documentary.

All media enquiries

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

Clockwise from left: Josh Epstein, Leah Johnston, Ryan Reaney, Christine Buijs and Kate Green

A group of NSI alumni is currently attending the Reykjavik Talent Lab in Iceland as part of the Reykjavik International Film Festival. The lab runs from October 4 to 8.

Kate Green (NSI Totally Television, NSI Lifestyle & Reality Series Producer), Leah Johnston (NSI Drama Prize), Josh Epstein (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First, NSI Totally Television) and Christine Buijs (NSI Drama Prize) are part of the lab aimed at talents who want to meet up with other like-minded folks and make first-hand contact with film producers and other professionals for help and consulting on their first feature film.

Although not an official grad, producer Ryan Reaney who worked on NSI Drama Prize short Distilled Love, also met up with our alumni.

Christine told me, “We’ve been doing workshops with various filmmakers (on the directing/screenwriting process, pitching, music, getting your first feature made, getting into film fests) as well as events and screenings.

We were invited to an event at the home of the president of Iceland. They had a formal reception to give director Darren Aranofsky a creative excellence award. They gave us champagne and we got to mingle. It was a smallish group invited so it was pretty cool.”

Among that small group was none other than Björk whom – I’m told with good authority – has been seen several other times by our grads.

If you’re at The Rock October 19 to 23 check out the 27th annual St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival.

Great films to catch by NSI grads:

Dramatic features

Away from Everywhere by director Justin Simms (NSI Drama Prize)

The Space Between by writer/director Amy Jo Johnson (Corus Diverse TV Director)

Maudie (pictured) by producer Mary Sexton (NSI Features First)

Shorts

Ingrid and the Black Hole by writer/director/producer Leah Johnson (NSI Drama Prize) and producer Walter Forsyth (NSI Totally Television)

If we missed your film, let us know!