Photo: Still from Kathleen Shannon Award and Documentary Social / Political nominee, Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen?, directed and written by Eisha Marjara (NSI Features First), produced by Joe Balass (NSI Features First, Access BIPOC Producers).

Yorkton Film Festival runs from May 21 to May 25. With 78 years of history behind it, the festival remains dedicated to the promotion of the best screen-based media content. Today, the film Celebrating 75 Years Together screens at SaskAbilities. Following the opening night feature on Thursday, in-person screenings will run throughout Friday and Saturday with on-demand screenings running from Friday to Sunday.

Among the festival’s board of directors is the National Screen Institute’s senior programs manager, Ursula Lawson. She will be joined at the festival by Danielle Audette, manager of programs and partner support and Grace Bruinooge, operations administrator.

This year’s Golden Sheaf Awards nominees include many alumni and a few current program participants. Please join us in celebrating the following nominees and panelists.

Nominees

• 7TH GEN – “Curtis Howson” – directed and produced by Dinae Robinson (CBC New Indigenous Voices), produced by Lisa Meeches (NSI Storytellers, co-creator of CBC New Indigenous Voices) and Kyle Irving (NSI Global Marketing)
  • Documentary history and biography
• AMI – Our Community – Scope Society – directed and produced by Brent Kawchuk (NSI Drama Prize)
  • Mental health
• Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen? – directed by Eisha Marjara (NSI Features First), produced by Joe Balass (NSI Features First, Access BIPOC Producers)
  • Documentary social / political, Kathleen Shannon Award
• Bodies for Rent – produced by Amar Lohana (Access BIPOC Producers)
  • Documentary social / political, Kathleen Shannon Award
• Boutique – directed by Brishkay Ahmed (Access BIPOC Producers)
  • Short subject – fiction (over 15 minutes)  / WINNER
• Brotherly – directed and produced by Gavin Seal (Access BIPOC Producers), produced by Jen Viens (NSI Business for Producers)
  • Director fiction / WINNER, Multicultural, Short subject – fiction (15 minutes and under)
• Healing Hearts – directed and produced by Amy Belling (NSI Features First)
  • Short subject – non-fiction
• Inkwo for When the Starving Return – directed and produced by Amanda Strong (NSI IndigiDocs)
  • Animation / WINNER, Director fiction, Indigenous / WINNER
• Judith Jacquie Grace – directed by Amy Belling (NSI Features First)
  • Documentary POV (Point of View)
• My Dead Mom –produced by Lauren Corber (NSI Totally Television)
  • Series
• My Son Went Quiet – directed and produced by Ian Bawa (NSI Totally Television, NSI Business for Producers, Telefilm Talent to Watch), produced by Markus Henkel (Telefilm Talent to Watch)
  • Director fiction, Multicultural, Short subject – fiction (15 minutes and under) / WINNER
• OBSCURA – directed and produced by Arnold Lim (NSI Features First)
  • Director fiction, Short subject – fiction (15 minutes and under)
• Rosa’s Flowers – produced by Fonna Seidu (NSI Business for Producers, Access BIPOC Producers, Telefilm Talent to Watch)
  • Experimental
• “SaskTel Business – Eero WiFi” – Allan Roeher (NSI Business for Producers)
  • Best commercial, Best Saskatchewan commercial
• Singing Back the Buffalo – directed and produced by Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs)
  • Indigenous
• Stories of the North – Season 3 – produced by Kyle Burgess and Allia Janzen (both NSI Business for Producers)
  • Children’s / youth production / WINNER
• Why Am I – Season 6 – produced by Dawn Bird (NSI Business for Producers, Access BIPOC Producers, NSI Series Incubator)
  • Children’s / youth production
• You’re My Hero – directed by Greg Jeffs (NSI Features First), produced by Colette Jeffs (NSI Features First)
  • Series

Panelists

• Danielle Audette, manager of programs and partner support; Grace Bruinooge, operations administrator
  • Industry 1-on-1s
• Melanie Nepinak Hadley (NSI Aboriginal Youth Pilot Project)
  • View from the Top
• Leslea Mair (NSI Global Marketing)
  • The Art of the Re-enactment