Photo: Still from the documentary Living Weaving, developed by Dustin McGladrey through NSI IndigiDocs 2023.
June is National Indigenous History Month! To celebrate, the National Screen Institute is proud to highlight films made by Indigenous storytellers. This year, we are excited to share the moving, masterful short films created by participants from the 2023 edition of NSI IndigiDocs.
Films from IndigiDocs 2023 and Kokum, with love. – from IndigiDocs 2022 – will air on documentary Channel at the times listed below. You can also stream them on CBC Gem beginning on June 1. Join us in honouring Indigenous voices and stories throughout the month and beyond.
Be sure to check your local listings so you don’t miss a minute of these beautiful films.
Saturday, June 1
Airing at 10 a.m. / 3 p.m. / 8 p.m. ET
Athegus (2023) by Glen Reid
- A Cree man tries to make sense of his recurring nightmares by confronting the ghosts of his past and by paying attention to the messages coming through spiritual visitors in his present. In this one-off documentary short, co-director Glen Reid shares his story of resilience and healing in the face of intergenerational trauma and the ongoing effects of colonization.
Living Weaving (2023) by Dustin McGladrey
- Deborah Sparrow’s journey to breathe a new life into the Musqueam nation’s living culture of weaving.
pî-kiwîk (Come Home) (2023) by Keisha Erwin
- Keisha shares their transformative journey of reconnecting with their family and culture in northern Saskatchewan, demonstrating the power of healing through reconnection.
Kokum, with love. (2022) by Kim Stadfeld
- Flora Bear’s youngest granddaughter searches for truth and answers about her Indigenous grandmother’s life. This short documentary is the filmmaker’s personal journey of discovery to honour her late grandmother’s life and understand her family history.
Thursday, June 27
Airing at 8 a.m. / 1 p.m. ET
- Athegus (2023) by Glen Reid
- Living Weaving (2023) by directed by Dustin McGladrey
- pî-kiwîk (Come Home) (2023) by Keisha Erwin
Through NSI IndigiDocs, participants received customized training and mentorship to develop a short documentary idea into a 10-minute broadcast-ready film. Phase 1 consisted of online training sessions and assignments designed to prepare for production. Phase 2 focused on film production where participants worked with a mentor and executive producer to bring their vision to the screen.
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NSI IndigiDocs 2021-23 was funded by Program Partners APTN, Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and RBC Emerging Artists Project; Indigenous Training Programs Partner Directors Guild of Canada (DGC); Strategic Sponsors documentary Channel, CBC Gem; Supporting Sponsors Telefilm Canada, A&E Networks; Provincial / Territorial Sponsors Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund, Creative Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA); Industry Partners National Film Board of Canada, Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada, IATSE Local 856; Industry Supporters Entertainment Partners, Final Draft, Documentary Organization of Canada, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and Service Sponsors Line 21 Media and iSplice Films. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.