NSI IndigiDocs films air on documentary Channel, CBC Gem throughout June

NSI IndigiDocs 2020 films. Top L-R: ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ Dugout Canoe, Indigenous Dads. Bottom L-R: Gift to Give, Tails on Ice.

Four NSI IndigiDocs documentaries, produced through the program in 2020, will air on documentary Channel and CBC Gem starting June 1.

Through the NSI IndigiDocs training program, Indigenous filmmakers develop a short documentary idea into a 10-minute finished film. The program has helped develop the skills of over 60 Indigenous storytellers throughout its nine editions.

The films completed in 2020 premiered at many acclaimed festivals in fall of last year, including imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, Yellowknife International Film Festival and Vancouver International Film Festival.

The films will air on documentary Channel on June 1 at 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. ET. They will also be available to stream on CBC Gem beginning June 1:

Gift to Give – directed by Erica Daniels

• The story of the relationship between a Two-Spirit daughter and her father, and the nuances in their relationship of acceptance and deep love. The story is told through the lens of the daughter, Vanessa, who has decided to give her kidney to her ailing father, Kenneth, in the hopes of saving his life.

ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ Dugout Canoe – directed by Steven Davies

• After working as a clearcut logger in the Clayoquot Sound, master carver and land defender Joe Martin reconciles his past by revitalizing the ancestral knowledge and artistic practice of the traditional Tla-o-qui-aht dugout canoe.

Indigenous Dads – directed by Peter Brass

• Four Indigenous dads candidly discuss their fears and hopes in raising their kids in today’s world.

Tails on Ice – directed by Miranda Currie

• The personal story of Miranda’s sled dog, Ellesmere, as she sets off on her first training expedition and rite of passage. Ellesmere must learn survival skills from the matriarchs that came before her in order to not only earn, but to also defend her position in the dog pack.

Check your local listings and find out when you can watch these films throughout June.

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NSI IndigiDocs 2019-21 was 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.