Own Voice: Yes
Tautuktavuk (What We See)
Blurring the line between narrative and non-fiction, Uyarak and her eldest sister Saqpinak, embark on a difficult healing journey after a traumatic event that reminds them of the importance of community, culture, and family. Tautuktavuk (What We See) explores issues of trauma, resilience, and domestic violence from the perspective of two Inuit women.
Directors
Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk)
Writers
Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk), Gillian Robinson, Samuel Cohn-Cousineau, Norman Cohn
Cast
Carol Kunnuk, Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk)
Producers
Jonathan Frantz, Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk)
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
Inuktitut
In Flames
Set in modern-day Karachi, the film opens with the death of the family patriarch. Mother and daughter find themselves in a precarious situation where their existence is ripped apart. In order to survive in a hostile world dominated by men, the two women have to work together in the face of threats both real and supernatural.
Director
Zarrar Kahn
Writer
Zarrar Kahn
Cast
Ramesha Nawal, Bakhtawar Mazhar
Producer
Annam Abbas
Genres
Drama, Horror
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Global Experiences, Strong Female Leads
Original Language
Other Language
Black Life: Untold Stories – Northern Beats
A musical look at the rise of hip hop in Canada, as told by some of its earliest pioneers, culminating in the worldwide success of artists like Drake and The Weeknd.
Director
Will Prosper
Writers
Leslie Norville, Margot Daley
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, History
Original Language
English
The Great Salish Heist
Director
Darrell Dennis
Writers
Leslie D. Bland, Harold Joe, Darrell Dennis
Cast
Graham Greene, Darrell Dennis, Tricia Helfer
Producers
Leslie D. Bland, Harold Joe
Genre
Action/Adventure
Interest
Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Before I Change My Mind
1987: While the other students wonder if new kid Robin is a boy or a girl, Robin forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in.
Director
Trevor Anderson
Writers
Trevor Anderson, Fish Griwkowsky, Katrina Beatty
Cast
Lacey Oake, Dominic Lippa, Vaughan Murrae, Matthew Rankin, Shannon Blanchet
Producers
Alyson Richards, Katrina Beatty
Genre
Drama
Interests
Bullying, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Café Daughter
Tells the story of a nine year old half-Chinese half-Cree girl, Yvette Wong. On top of struggling to find her place in a small Saskatchewan community in the 1960s, she is also faced with the passing of her mother, who always told her children not to let anyone know they were Native Indian, as she believed they would have a better life if this information was kept hidden. Yvette confronts racism on the prairies in the classroom, with teachers and fellow students letting her know she is different from them. Despite wanting to be a doctor, her teacher states that girls can't be doctors, and that maybe she would be better suited as a nurse. Yvette begins to explore and embrace her Cree identity when she befriends Maggie Wolf, a part Mi'kmaq girl who encourages Yvette to be proud of her ancestry. When her Cree ancestry is revealed at school, Yvette confronts discrimination, but perseveres to pursue her dream of going to medical school.
Director
Shelley Niro (Kanien'kehaka)
Shelley Niro is a Mohawk filmmaker and multi-disciplinary artist. She is widely recognized for her photography, and in 2023, was recognized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian with a career retrospective. Her latest film, Café Daughter, premiered at imagineNATIVE in 2023 where it won the Audience Choice Award.
Writers
Shelley Niro (Kanien'kehaka), Kenneth T. Williams
Cast
Violah Beauvais (Mohawk)
Genre
Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Hey, Viktor!
Twenty-five years after starring in the hit 90s film Smoke Signals, Cody Lightning directs and stars in this uproarious mockumentary about a fictionalized version of himself attempting to make a sequel. When a mysterious fan offers a full budget for the film, Cody jumps at the chance, promising the full participation of the original cast. The only thing standing in his way is the small fact that the entire original cast hates him.
A refreshing and occasionally raunchy comedy, this charming underdog story is a great movie about how to make a terrible one.
Director
Cody Lightning (Cree)
Writer
Cody Lightning (Cree)
Cast
Cody Lightning (Cree)
Producers
Blake McWilliam, Sara Corry, Samuel Miller, Kyle Thomas
Genre
Comedy
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Cette maison (This House)
Drawing from the events surrounding her fourteen-year-old cousin’s murder in 2008, director Miryam Charles wants to finally unpack her grief and the trauma associated with it. Through dream-like reenactments of her own childhood and an imagined life for her cousin, Charles delves into the changing emotional, political, and historical climates surrounding her family as Haitian-Canadians in Quebec.
This beautifully crafted film is a bold and thought-provoking look at family, and a moving tribute to a life tragically cut short.
“A daring blend of documentary and fantasy that invests a deeply personal drama with a wide historical scope.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker
Director
Miryam Charles
Writer
Miryam Charles
Cast
Schelby Jean-Baptiste
Producer
Felix Dufour-Laperriere
Genres
Documentary, Drama, Experimental
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Black Filmmaker, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories
Original Language
French
My Animal
Living with a curse that turns her into a wolf if she’s out of the house after midnight, Heather (Menuez) is kept on a tight leash by her overbearing parents. But everything changes when she falls for the new girl in town, Jonny (Stenberg). The two form an instant connection, but as their relationship develops, it causes Heather to rebel, increasing the risk that her secret could be exposed – with disastrous consequences.
A stylish and tense horror-romance, this exciting first feature from director Jacqueline Castel features amazing performances from its two emerging leads, brought together with a cast of Canadian icons.
“My Animal marks an impressive, confident feature debut for several key talents.” – Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter
Director
Jacqueline Castel
Writer
Jae Matthews
Cast
Amandla Stenberg, Bobbi Salvör Menuez
Producers
Andrew Bronfman, Michael Solomon
Genres
Drama, Horror, Romance
Interests
Cult & Offbeat Cinema, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
The Queen of My Dreams
Sumptuously capturing the feel of a Bollywood film while telling a relatable cross-continental story, Fawzia Mirza’s impressive debut feature is an instant classic.
“Mirza has created a film bursting with creative energy and distinctive aesthetic sensibilities.” – Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter
Director
Fawzia Mirza
Writer
Fawzia Mirza
Cast
Amrit Kaur
Producers
Marc Tetreault, Jason Levangie, Andria Wilson
Genres
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Interests
Asian Filmmaker, BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, LGBTQ2S+, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language