NSI IndigiDocs film Tails on Ice premieres at Yellowknife International Film Festival

Tails_On_Ice
Rachel-Young

Rachel Young

Outreach and Engagement Lead

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) celebrates the Canadian premiere of Tails on Ice, a short documentary developed through NSI IndigiDocs by filmmaker Miranda Currie, at Yellowknife International Film Festival.

The film will stream through the festival website from November 3 to 7.

Tails on Ice follows 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.

Miranda is an artist, musician and storyteller based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Tails on Ice encompasses Miranda’s personal and authentic voice – living in Yellowknife and working with her sled dogs. The Yellowknife International Film Festival is the perfect stage for the Canadian debut of this unique and heartwarming story.

With the film and festival based in her hometown, Miranda is eager to share her work within her community.

“It’s exciting to share Tails on Ice with Yellowknife and beyond. The Yellowknife International Film Festival and its members have been so supportive of me as an emerging filmmaker, so it’s nice to come full circle with the film as part of the festival,” says Miranda. “The support and mentorship from the NSI IndigiDocs program was invaluable in helping me create a film worthy of being shared.”

Miranda developed her film through NSI IndigiDocs in 2020 – a program offering customized training for Indigenous filmmakers who have an idea for a 10-minute documentary film.

The documentary made its international premiere at the 2021 Cannes Short Film Festival earlier this year.

All four NSI IndigiDocs 2020 graduates have premiered their films at renowned festivals over the past few months. Peter Brass’ film Indigenous Dads and Steven Davies’ film, ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ (Tla-o-qui-aht) Dugout Canoe, both had world premieres at Vancouver International Film Festival 2021. Steven’s film was selected alongside Erica Daniels’ film, Gift to Give, for the 2021 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

• • •

NSI IndigiDocs 2019-21 was funded by Program Partners APTNManitoba Sport, Culture and HeritageRBC 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 CanadaSuper ChannelCBC GemCorus EntertainmentA&E Television Networks; Provincial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music, Creative SaskatchewanSaskatchewan Media Production Industry Association (SMPIA)Northwest Territories Film CommissionCreative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund; Industry Partner the National Film Board of Canada; Industry Supporters imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts FestivalHot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, Service Sponsors Line 21 MediaiSplice Films. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

Share this

face book twitter

About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

We partner 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 equity-deserving communities – including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), women, LGBTQ2S+, people with disabilities, and those in regional and remote areas – we help build a more sustainable industry and a workforce ready to meet evolving market demands.

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

Media enquiries

abiola.agbayewa@nsi-canada.ca


The National Screen Institute is supported by: Core Funders: Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council; Benefactors: TELUS, Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund (CMF), Department for Women and Gender Equality (WAGE); Patrons: CBC, Paramount+, Creative Saskatchewan; Builders: APTN, TikTok Canada, Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), The Winnipeg Foundation; Strategic Sponsors: Manitoba Film & Music, Bell Media, RBC Emerging Artists, documentary Channel, CBC Gem, Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development (CAHRD), Alberta Film Commission, Creative BC, Manitoba Arts Council; Industry Partner: National Film Board of Canada; Friends: Ontario Creates, Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC), Bell FundWilliam F. White International, Company 3.