Telefilm Canada funds six Indigenous projects for a total of $3.3 million    

Telefilm Canada is announcing its investment of $3.3 million in six Indigenous film projects through the Indigenous funding streams for the Theatrical Documentary Program and the Production Program in both the English and French markets. 

An annual commitment of $4 million is earmarked for Indigenous creators from Canada’s Indigenous communities, with the remainder amount reserved for Indigenous projects submitted through the Talent to Watch Program and the Development Program.

INDÍGENA (documentary) 
Director and screenwriter: Siku Allooloo 
Production: Arc-En-Ciel Films Inc. 
Province: British Columbia 
Language: English, Indigenous (Hiwatahia (Taíno)) and Spanish 

Inuguinq (documentary) 
Directors and screenwriters: Olivia Ikey and Kim O’Bomsawin 
Production: Terre Innue Inc. 
Province: Quebec 
Language: English and Inuinnaqtun 

Land of No Pain (documentary) 
Director and screenwriter: Émilie Martel 
Production: Kannon Films Inc. 
Province: Ontario 
Language: English and Spanish 

Nika and Madison (drama) 
Director: Eva Thomas 
Screenwriters: Eva Thomas and Michael McGowan 
Production: REDLIGHT FEATURE PRODUCTIONS INC. 
Province: Ontario 
Language: English and Ojibwa (Anishinaabemowin) 

Seventeen (drama) 
Director and screenwriter: Justin Ducharme 
Production: Your Boy Productions and Experimental Forest Films Inc. 
Province: British Columbia 
Language: English 

Smudge the Blades (comedy) 
Director: Cody Lightning 
Screenwriters: Samuel Miller and Cody Lightning 
Production: Lightning Mill Inc. 
Province: Alberta 
Language: English and Cree 

Telefilm received a high volume of applications under the Indigenous funding stream this year. In this intake, the 18 projects assessed represented close to $12.6 million in funding requests.  

More funding decisions, including projects from the Theatrical Documentary Program for both English and French markets, will be announced in the coming weeks. Statistics on all films funded in the year will be released once all funding decisions have been made.      

An advisory committee of external and internal Indigenous representatives assessed the projects and made recommendations to Telefilm. The decision-making process considered Telefilm’s goal of fostering a diversity of voices in the industry, ensuring that Telefilm funds a balanced portfolio of productions that reflect a variety of genres, budgets and company sizes, regions of the country and points of view. Names of selection committee members will be published on the Project Financing Advisory Committees webpage once all funding decisions have been made.     

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MEDIA CONTACT 
Joyce Richards 
Advisor, Public Relations 
Telefilm Canada
Joyce.Richards@telefilm.ca