June 2022

About Dustin / Living Weaving

Dustin McGladrey is an emerging director / writer from the Nisga’a Nation.

His filmography includes acting performances, director credits on his first documentary Wal-aks: Coming Out as 2-Spirit, and his first short film Polar Tour, the latter of which won five awards and screened at over 20 festivals around North America.

Dustin is a well-rounded filmmaker and has experience in film editing, sound recording / editing and graphic arts. He aspires to bring Indigenous futurisms and identity on screen.

His latest short film House After deals with his family’s residential school experience and will begin its festival run in fall 2022.

While his focus is directing and writing, he dabbles in acting on screen. His first feature acting experience happened on Jules Koostachin’s first feature Broken Angel where he played a rez cop. He has also acted in TV pilots for TELUS STORYHIVE and has credits in short films.

Dustin is currently at the University of British Columbia finishing a bachelor’s degree in film production before eventually completing a master’s degree.

June 2022

I’ve learned that I worked pretty hard to get my spot in this program through all the hard work I had put into myself both spiritually and physically prior to entering.

I felt out of place at the start (which would be normal) but quickly found my confidence in my story and my ability to express it, and I cannot wait until I start to produce my project. Additionally, networking and learning how to understand broadcasters and funders’ mindsets will definitely help in my future as a film producer.

I was a little worried at the start of the program when it came to budgeting and marketing, but I know I’ll make it through because I have fantastic support. This program has really opened my eyes to all of the procedures and the amount of work involved in my project.

The best advice I could give someone that was ‘on the fence’ about applying is … just apply! Once I threw off self-doubt, the confidence and opportunities started to appear in my life inside and outside this program.

Regaining My Health is a 10-minute documentary based on the life experiences of Glen Reid, a Cree-raised man from Toronto, who found himself depressed, suffering from various obesity-related health issues after a life-altering car accident several years ago. Just when he was about to give up on his wellbeing, Glen stumbled upon a spiritual gift which led him on the path to recovery.

This first-person account tells the story of how Glen needed to learn more about his Indigenous culture to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually. Through heartfelt testimonial, personal archives and meaningful interviews with those who helped him, Glen recounts his life-changing journey to regaining his spiritual and physical health through Indigenous practices and medicines.

About Glen / Restoring My Health

Based in Toronto, Glen Reid performs in film, TV and commercials.

Glen’s athleticism and brooding appearance are great for diverse roles, though he is often cast as the villain.

Glen became interested in acting by accident (work was slow and he was browsing online job ads). He saw an online ad for a student film and thought, “Why not?” He submitted with no experience, landed the role and from that day forward became interested in acting.

After six years of non-union acting, Glen is proudly of union status with ACTRA (and represented by The Bella Agency). His skills include sparring – Taekwondo, police tactics / weaponry, outdoor survival / hunting, boxing and both Indigenous traditional dance and ballroom dancing.

For Glen, the rewards of acting go beyond getting a leading or supporting role in a production. He’s keen to teach and help others in acting – especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, Glen decided to improve himself and get more into filmmaking. Through the digital arts program offered by Center of Indigenous Theatre, Glen has gone on to make more short films while maintaining his acting career.

Read more about Glen on his IMDb page.

“What I am looking forward to in this program is to be able to tell my stories, to help others and to make my ancestors proud.”

June 2022

Although I may have jumped right outta bed and into morning Zoom sessions, or pulled over in my vehicle while on route to set, I have to say phase 1 was exciting, interesting and very insightful.

I gained a lot of knowledge from my fellow filmmakers; teachers were amazing, and I really enjoyed the sessions with the broadcasters – it’s always interesting to hear what they’re looking for and where they are coming from.

Most impactful lessons were soundscape and marketing strategies. In the next phase, I hope to learn more about the producing side of documentary filmmaking and have a safe shoot.

My documentary follows Kanahus “Freedom” Manuel, a political activist, land defender and traditional Secwepemc hand-poke tattoo artist. She started the Tiny House Warriors movement, and as a means of creative resistance, Kanahus has revitalized the ancient art of her peoples’ tattoo culture.

Inking ancient sacred Secwepemc images, designs and patterns on family members and other land defenders on the front lines with her, Kanahus practices this “tattoo medicine” as a form of healing and decolonization – directly in the face of oppression from the [very government] that promises reconciliation.

About Jay / Confluence – The Warrior Manuel

Jay Cardinal Villeneuve, a Nêhiyawi- Bush Cree / Métis, was born and raised in northern Alberta and began acting on stage in community theatre productions when he was just a young buck.

He emerged from hustling VHS rentals at Video Gallery in Slave Lake, Treaty 8 Territory, to nabbing a theatre scholarship for college, where he subsequently dropped out and hopped the Greyhound to Vancouver Coast Salish Territory to work in film and television.

After short stints in TV, independent film, radio, KFC, telemarketing and street theatre, he snuck into Capilano University where he paid his dues by selling film school students short film scripts for their assignments, then graduated from the Indigenous digital filmmaking program with honours.

Jay concurrently worked as a private video statement gatherer with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for several years where he was honoured with the name “Smeent” meaning “mountain man” in the Kwakwaka’wakw language. Ohkoma, his grandmother Florence Cardinal was a residential school survivor who spoke fluent Cree. His grandfather, Lawrence Villeneuve, was a trapper who spoke Cree and Michif.

Jay’s YouTube short films have gone the opposite of viral, but some have actually played in film festivals. As an actor, you can see him in some cool movies like Beans and Brother I Cry (where he was robbed of a supporting actor Leo Award), and even a TV show here and there, like Get Shorty.

As a filmmaker he managed to snag some hardware for his films like the critically acclaimed Holy Angels and Is That One of Your Jokes; which is not a question, or a joke, but the title of the film. He also received an honourable mention from the MPPIA Short Film Award at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival for the live pitch of his Louis Riel short script Gods & Devils, which is his next project to be shot on 35 mm film and in Michif.

Jay is basically what would happen if Tom Jackson and Tantoo Cardinal had an illegitimate love child that was raised in a small town surrounded by dense forest; and people LOL! He also has three rad kids, who are not illegitimate, and often star in his cardinal cinéma c[art]el indie films.

“Live to dream, dare to live; live your dreams if you dare!”

June 2022

About Keisha / pî-kiwîk (Come Home)

Keisha (wapahkesis) is a Two-Spirit nīhithaw (Woods Cree) emerging artist, academic and a band member of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band in north-central Saskatchewan.

They are also Afro-Caribbean (Jamaican) on their mom’s side.

Keisha holds a bachelor of arts honours degree in Indigenous studies from York University and is beginning their master’s of educational foundations this spring at the University of Saskatchewan with a research focus on community-led language revitalization.

They are a second language learner of nihithawiwin and are completing their illustration and translation of a Cree kids book with their Cree mentor Christine McKenzie.

Keisha has been part of several art residencies focusing on Black and Indigenous solidarity and is currently in a mentorship residency with National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition.

With mentorship from Two-Spirit filmmakers Fallon Simard and Thirza Cuthand, Keisha was able to produce their first film in 2019 and is hoping to create more in the future.

In 2019, their film screened at Toronto Queer Film Festival as part of their new Indigiqueer Cinema, Colour Theory: a 2SQTBIPOC Shorts Night, Rainbow Reels Queer and Trans Film Festival in Waterloo, Ontario and internationally in Aotearoa (New Zealand) as part of Maori Film Week in Auckland in June 2019. Outside of film, Keisha’s other mediums are beadwork and illustration.

Keisha’s dreams are to get into filmmaking and / or animation and to tell stories in their Indigenous language (Cree) to inspire and encourage youth to learn Cree because language loss has been devastating to Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island and the globe.

They are excited to have been selected to receive training, mentorship and guidance in the creation of a short film. The film they are envisioning focuses on the beauty of their personal reconnection journey having been generationally disconnected as a child of a Sixties Scoop survivor and grandchild of two residential school survivors.