First Nations Filmmaking

(Updated: 03-April-09, Checked: 12-Sept-09)

See also: First Nations Arts

Associations

American Indian Film Institute Media arts centre that encourages using media to express Native voices
Native Networks (Smithsonian) Listing of Aboriginal Film/Video Organizations from North and South America

Biographies

Native Networks:People (Smithsonian) Biographies of Aboriginal people involved in film. Includes Canadian and American filmmakers.
Jeff Bear (personal Blog on Blogger)
Shirley Cheechoo (Native Networks)
Gil Cardinal (National Aboriginal Achievement Awards)
Annie Frazier Henry (Dreamspeakers) [pdf]
Marianne Jones (Urban Rez)
Zacharias Kunuk (Native Networks)
Shelly Niro (Women Make Movies)
Loretta Sarah Todd (Library and Archives Canada)
Alanis Obomsawin (Library and Archives Canada)
Paul Rickard (Native Networks)
Christine Welsh (National Film Board of Canada)

Distribution Companies

Video Out Non-profit Vancouver based distribution centre. Search for indigenous, first nation, first nations, aboriginal, Indian, Indians, native. (However, this may return 'false hits' ie. native plants.) Also search for specific First Nations, ie. Nisgaa, Kwakwaka'wakw, etc.
Film West Associates Produces and distributes informational and educational films. Click on "First Nations Catalogue" (on the left) to view their Aboriginal titles. This will bring up a list of movies about and made by First Nations. Movie information includes appropriate grade levels for using the videos in the classroom
VisionMaker Video A service of Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT). Site has an Educational Catalog and a Home Video Catalog for Native videos and DVDs, mostly produced in the United States.
Moving Images Distribution Distributes independent films Moving Images Distribution Catalogue Click on the "i" in the subject index to find films listed under the "Indigenous People" heading.

Education Programs

Aboriginal Program (Gulf Islands Film and Television School)
Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking (Capilano College)

Film Festivals

Cowichan International Aboriginal Film Festival (Duncan, BC)
IMAGeNation (Vancouver, BC) IMAGeNation's own page is no longer active. This is Redway's summary of the 2006 festival.
Dreamspeakers Film Festival (Edmonton, AB)
One World Film Festival (Ottawa ON)
ReelWorld Film Festival (Toronto, ON)
imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival (Toronto, ON)
Monument Valley Film Festival (Kayenta, AZ)
Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival (Moose Factory, ON) Weeneebeg's page is no longer active. This is Wawatay's summary of the 2007 festival.
Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival (Winnipeg, MB)
American Indian Film Festival (San Francisco, CA)
First Nations First Features (New York and Washington, DC)
Native American Film + Video Festival (New York)
Animation Celebration! Smithsonian (New York)

Film Search

VTape The "Video Art Research Database" searches for articles about films. The "Online Catalogue" searches for films. Be sure to click the "Aboriginal" box on the search screens.

For Producers

Native American Public Telecommunications Applications and guidelines for their Public Television Program Fund, Producer Opportunity Fund, and Finished Program Acquisitions (Lincoln, NE)
Video In Studios Not for profit Video production, exhibition and distribution centre (Vancouver, BC)

Production Companies

First Nations Films Creates and distributes documentary films by, for and about First Nations.
Aarrow Productions Produces television and documentary films. Aboriginal owned and operated out of Victoria, BC.
Big Red Barn Entertainment Produces television and documentary films (Vancouver, BC.). Produced Chiefs and Champions a series about Aboriginal athletes and leaders. Not exclusively Aboriginal productions.
Big Soul Productions Aboriginal owned and operated, they produce television, documentary, music videos, etc (Toronto, ON). Produced award winning series Moccasin Flats.
Dark Thunder Productions Aboriginal owned and operated, they use film to tell Aboriginal stories (Saskatoon, SK).
Northern Native Broadcasting Owned by the 14 First Nations of the Yukon, they produce radio and television programs (Whitehorse, YK).
Primitive Entertainment Produces documentary film and documentary series (Toronto, ON). Not exclusively Aboriginal. Produced Stolen Spirits of Haida Gwaii
Urban Rez Productions Aboriginal owned and operated, they produce documentary and entertainment films and television (Vancouver, BC)

Film at UBC

Ethnographic Film Unit at UBC Produces documentary films that focus on community-based resource use. Not exclusively Aboriginal.
UBC Subject Resources for Film (UBC Library Guide)
Aboriginal History Media Arts Lab UBC lab dedicated to stimulating critical discussion about Aboriginal portrayal in the media
Finding First Nations Videos (Xwi7xwa Library Guide)

Last modified: Sep 12, 09

The University of British Columbia

First Nations Filmmaking