Pictured: top row, from left: Lisa Rueckert, Cole Clark, Everett Sokol, Roni McGillivary, Tyrell Rowan; bottom row from left: Chey Wright, Cyrus Maytwayashing, Kim Coltman, Canaan Kejick, Lindsay Larocque. 

The National Screen Institute is pleased to announce the 10 participants selected for CBC New Indigenous Voices, a 14-week program supporting Indigenous creators as they build skills for careers in film, television and digital media.

The program brings together Indigenous participants aged 18+ for a full-time, paid training experience grounded in both industry knowledge and traditional and spiritual elements. This is the 10th year CBC has been the title, presenting and tuition sponsor.

The selected participants are:

• Cole Clark (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)
• Kim Coltman (Kamloops, British Columbia)
• Canaan Kejick (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Lindsay Larocque (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Cyrus Maytwayashing (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Roni McGillivary (Barrows, Manitoba)
• Tyrell Rowan (Onion Lake, Saskatchewan)
• Lisa Rueckert (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
• Everett Sokol (Edmonton, Alberta)
• Chey Wright (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Read more about the participants.

During the program, participants move from foundational training into hands-on production and real-world industry experience. They develop original creative work, collaborate with peers and mentors, and gain practical insight into how projects are developed, financed and brought to screen.

Training includes story development, directing, producing, documentary filmmaking, audio storytelling and pitching, along with technical skills in camera, lighting, sound and editing. Participants apply their learning by producing a short film and completing a full-time internship with an industry organization. Previous internship hosts include APTN, Eagle Vision, Universal Studios, Walt Disney Studios and Wookey Films.

Led by program manager Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill, Elder Louise McKay and coordinator and alum Dion Telesky, CBC New Indigenous Voices is designed to support participants as they strengthen their creative voices and step into the screen industry with practical experience and professional networks.

“It’s an honour to support the next wave of Indigenous storytellers through CBC New Indigenous Voices,” said Sarah. “Every year, I’m reminded how powerful it is when we invest in each other by sharing knowledge, opening doors and creating space for new voices to rise.”

For more than two decades, the program has helped strengthen the Indigenous screen sector by supporting creators at a critical early stage in their careers. Alumni have gone on to develop original projects, work across the industry and contribute to a growing body of Indigenous storytelling in Canada.

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CBC New Indigenous Voices 2026 is funded by Title, Presenting and Tuition Sponsor CBC; Program Partners Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Neeginan Education, Training and Employment Services, Inc. (NETES), Telefilm Canada; Strategic Sponsors BC Film Foundation, Creative BC, The Winnipeg Foundation; Director / Production Sponsor Directors Guild of Canada (DGC); Provincial/Territorial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music, Creative Saskatchewan, ScreenSask Apprenticeship Stream Training Program; Industry Partners Final Draft, Eagle Vision, Talon Production Services; Industry Supporters IATSE 856, On Screen Manitoba, Wookey Films, Big Sky Studios; Service Sponsor Line 21 Media Services. National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council, Rogers. More sponsors will be added as confirmed.

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About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages: Dëne Sųłıné, Dene Kǝdǝ́, Dene Zhatıé, Eastern Cree, Dinjii Zhuʼ Ginjik, Inuktitut, Inuvialuktun and Tłı̨chǫ. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

About the National Screen Institute

The National Screen Institute partners with a visionary network of donors, businesses, and private and public organizations to provide industry-informed training in screen-based media, equipping creators across Canada with the skills to tell unforgettable stories.

By prioritizing storytellers from Indigenous and equity-deserving communities – including Black creators, People of Colour, women, 2SLGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and those in regional and remote areas – the institute helps build a more sustainable industry and a workforce ready to meet evolving market demands.

Students and alumni find their voices and places on the global stage, strengthening the creative economy and shaping a better world.

Media enquiries

• Ashna Sharma – as**********@********da.ca