Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Alumni news in brief, July 2020: Part 3 – projects on the small screen

Posted: 06 Jul 2020 01:50 PM PDT

A roundup of projects from NSI alumni debuting or returning to a screen near you this season.

Key roles for NSI alumni in 2020-21 broadcast season

Debuting

Returning

Erin Haskett executive producer of Descender and Ascender

Lark Productions got the exclusive TV rights to the sci-fi graphic novel series Descender and sequel Ascender. President Erin Haskett (NSI Drama Prize) will be an executive producer for the project.

Skindigenous finds global audience

NSI IndigiDocs alumni Roxann Whitebean and Courtney Montour are writers/directors on Skindigenous, a documentary series exploring Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world. The APTN series has been licensed by PBS and acquired by NITV Australia, RSI Switzerland, Maori TV New Zealand, UR Sweden and USHUAIA France.

CBC TV picks up Mohawk Girls

Tracey Deer’s award-winning Mohawk Girls is now on CBC TV.

The series is created and directed by Tracey (NSI Storytellers, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program) and executive produced by Catherine Bainbridge and Christina Fon (both NSI Global Marketing), and Ernest Webb (NSI Aboriginal Cultural Trade Initiative). The show joins CBC’s Tuesday night comedy lineup with season one available now and season two launching Tuesday, August 4. Check your local listings.

You can also watch season one on CBC Gem with the rest of the series debuting later this summer and fall.

Mohawk Girls takes a comedic look at the lives of four modern-day women trying to stay true to their roots while navigating sex, work, love and what it means to be Mohawk in the 21st century. The half-hour dramedy follows these twenty-something women as they begin to forge their own identity within a community embedded with rules and cultural traditions.

Read the rest of our July alumni news in brief

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Alumni news in brief, July 2020: Part 2 – industry initiative selections

Posted: 06 Jul 2020 11:30 AM PDT

A roundup of industry initiatives involving NSI alumni.

Amanda Strong selected to Sundance Institute Native Filmmaker’s Lab

Amanda Strong (NSI IndigiDocs, pictured above) was selected as the first Canadian fellow to take part in the 2020 Sundance Institute Native Filmmaker’s Lab. The news was shared as the Indigenous Screen Office announced its new partnership with the Sundance Institute.

At the Native Filmmakers Lab, which runs virtually June 29–July 10, the fellows workshop scripts of their short films under the expert creative mentorship of Indigenous program alumni and other established filmmaking professionals serving as advisors along with the Sundance Indigenous program staff, led by Indigenous program director N. Bird Runningwater. Following the lab, fellows receive a year-long continuum of support.

ISO/Netflix partnership support

The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) Netflix Apprenticeship and Cultural Mentorship Program has selected a number of alumni to engage in cultural mentorship, engagement, learning and protocols work during the development phases of their projects. This includes engagement with Elders, language speakers, knowledge keepers and/or community members.

The goal of the second round for the Indigenous Production Apprenticeships is to create new opportunities for hands-on training and career progression for Indigenous creatives who want to take their careers to the next level.

The ISO/Netflix partnership was announced in June 2019 at Banff World Media Festival. The partnership is part of a $25M commitment to the sector made by Netflix as part of a five-year deal with Canadian Heritage to develop new talent in Canada.

2020 Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative

NSI alumni were selected for Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices.

Pitch program

Professional development program

The Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative is designed to offer a professional springboard for 100 Francophone, Indigenous, and women and non-binary creators and producers from across Canada. Participants receive a full access BANFF 2021 registration, a suite of virtual professional development programming leading up to the 2021 festival, and participation in a special networking event at BANFF 2021.

BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media

NSI alumni have been selected for BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media.

This initiative empowers and trains Canadian women entrepreneurs to launch and grow their own sustainable businesses within the screen-based industries. With a strong mandate to champion diversity at its core, the program is designed to advance gender equality across the media sector, bolstering the economic success of all women, including women of colour, Indigenous women, women with disabilities, LGBTQ2+ women and non-binary individuals.

CBC Creative Relief Fund support

The CBC Creative Relief Fund has awarded funding to a number of alumni projects.

The fund was launched in April in response to COVID-19 to provide $2M in urgently needed development and production funding to a diverse range of original Canadian projects, including scripted comedies and dramas, unscripted entertainment, kids and young adult programming, podcasts, play adaptations and short documentaries.

Innovation stream

Bad Mom Diaries (development) – Trey Anthony (NSI Totally Television)
A diverse range of moms, dads, caregivers and experts answer all your questions about parenting while in a pandemic. Let’s discuss: I hate my kids being at home, no energy to have sex, I want to kill my husband right now and more.

Free Delivery (development) – Sean De Vries (NSI Global Marketing)
A hilarious, spontaneous and fast paced game show where unsuspecting homeowners open their doors to accept a package only to discover they can win big if they can answer trivia and master the challenges.

Nitanis & Skylar (preschool) – Loretta Todd (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
An action-adventure animated series about Nitanis, a mystery-solving genius who joins forces with Skylar Lark, a mêmêkwêsiw (a Cree elfin-like Little Person), and Logan, a gerbil who can talk, so they can help the neighbourhood find lost people, places and things.

Super Freaky (tween) – Jeremy Torrie (NSI Aboriginal Cultural Trade Initiative)
A youth-oriented program exploring urban myths, supernatural stories and other unnatural phenomena in our world.

Wild Geese (development) – Matt Sadowski (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First)
Set in a future where humans are almost extinct, and every facet of one’s life is pre-assigned, Wild Geese is a new-age love story about two fugitives, teen androids, on the run from the system and people controlling the status quo.

Playwright pilot stream

White Girl Magic – Carys Lewis and Trey Anthony
Parenting is never easy … but it’s even harder when #BlackGirlMagic meets #WhiteGirlDrunk. White Girl Magic will explore an unlikely female friendship that navigates race, class and plenty of emotional baggage.

CBC short docs stream

Me, Mom & COVID-19 – Mary Sexton (NSI Features First)
My 97-year-old mother died and everyone got sick: what happens when one person with COVID-19 visits a funeral home in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

Read the rest of our July alumni news in brief

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Alumni news in brief, July 2020: Part 1 – awards

Posted: 06 Jul 2020 11:10 AM PDT

A quick roundup of awards recently won by NSI alumni.

Golden Sheaf Awards

Golden Sheaf Awards were handed out as part of the 2020 Yorkton Film Festival. See the full list of winners and nominees.

Humboldt: The New Season (pictured) by producer Chris McIvor (NSI Business for Producers) won the Ruth Shaw Award (Best of Saskatchewan).

Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up by director/producer Tasha Hubbard (NSI IndigiDocs) won the multicultural award (over 30 minutes) and documentary social/political category.

Red Chef Revival, developed through TELUS STORYHIVE by producer Ryan Mah, won the best serial category.

Sadika’s Garden, developed through TELUS STORYHIVE by director/producer Julia Iriarte, won in the documentary – POV (Point of View) category, the multicultural award (under 30 minutes) and the Kathleen Shannon Award.

Rockie Awards

Producer Jeff Peeler (NSI Global Marketing) won the Arts & Entertainment – Comedy & Variety Rockie Award at the 2020 Banff World Media Festival for Baroness von Sketch Show.

Platinum Remi Awards

Producer Chris McIvor won two Platinum Remi Awards at Houston Worldfest Annual International Independent Film Festival for Humboldt: The New Season and Fostering Hope (which he also directed) both in the long shorts – documentary category.

Read the rest of our July alumni news in brief

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Emergency response fund for First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals working in the arts

Posted: 06 Jul 2020 10:41 AM PDT

First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals working in the arts can now apply to the Community Cares: Emergency Response Fund – a new time-limited emergency response fund recently announced by Canada Council for the Arts, Aboriginal Curatorial Collective, Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance, Indigenous Screen Office and Inuit Art Foundation.

Indigenous communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. This is a special fund designed to provide immediate support to Indigenous artists and cultural workers adversely affected by the pandemic.

Note: this fund is not available to groups, collectives or organizations.

Deadline: anytime until 15 September 2020 or until the funding envelope has been allocated.
Amount: $1,000

Details on the fund’s announcement can be found on the Indigenous Screen Office website.

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NSI IndigiDocs film As the Smoke Rises hits the festival circuit

Posted: 06 Jul 2020 08:40 AM PDT

NSI IndigiDocs film As The Smoke Rises by director Sharon Heigl and producer Jennifer Ille hit the festival circuit this year.

The film has played at the following festivals, with a couple of upcoming screenings:

In the film a Native Elder explains the energy and tremendous healing power of smudging sage handed down by the ancients thousands of years ago.

• • •

NSI IndigiDocs is funded by Program Partners APTN, Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage, RBC Emerging Artists Project; Indigenous Training Programs Partner Directors Guild of Canada (DGC); Boot Camp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Strategic Sponsor documentary Channel; Supporting Sponsors Telefilm Canada, Super Channel, CBC Gem, Corus Entertainment, A&E Television Networks; Provincial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music, Creative Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA), Northwest Territories Film Commission, Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund; Industry Partner the National Film Board of Canada; Industry Supporters imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Service Sponsors Line 21 Media, iSplice Films. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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