Photo: Wilfred Buck director Lisa Jackson and the National Screen Institute’s director of partner support Chris Vajcner.

Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF) celebrated its 2024 edition from July 24 – 28. As the largest rural film festival from coast to coast to coast, GIFF celebrates film as a means of expression and advancing cultural literacy.

Over five days, GIFF 2024 hosted screenings of local, national and international feature films, documentaries, short films and experimental media.

Wilfred Buck, the debut documentary feature from Anishinaabe filmmaker and National Screen Institute alum Lisa Jackson (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program), screened on opening night. Lisa also headlined a masterclass as part of the GIFF Global Industry Summit.

This year’s GIFF award winners include several National Screen Institute alumni. Please join us in applauding our alumni whose films were featured in the festival as well as this year’s award winners.

2024 DOC Manitoba Barry Lank Award

• Nosisim — Director: Sonya Ballantyne (CBC New Indigenous Voices, NSI IndigiDocs); Producer: Sage (CBC New Indigenous Voices, NSI IndigiDocs)

2024 Indigenous Spirit Award presented by APTN

• Plaansh A Roo — Producers: Cole Vandale (Access BIPOC Producers), Ryan Cooper (CBC New Indigenous Voices, NSI IndigiDocs)

RBC $10,000 Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Competition

• Coby Friesen will receive a story-editing and directing mentorship from Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill, manager of programs and development at the National Screen Institute.

Actor Harkaran Jhinger won one of the two 2024 ACTRA Awards for Best Performance presented by ACTRA Manitoba. He won for his role in My Son Went Quiet, which was directed by Ian Bawa (Telefilm Talent to Watch) and produced by Ian Bawa and Markus Henkel (Telefilm Talent to Watch).