The 14th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival returns October 16-20 in downtown Toronto with the most compelling and distinctive Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival will present 101 films including documentaries, features, and shorts by Indigenous filmmakers.
As with other festivals, I have taken a peek at the lineup and have a created a list of films I have on my radar. Hopefully, you will too.
Wednesday, October 16, 7pm – Opening Night
imagineNATIVE opens with Mystery Road, directed by Ivan Sen. Mystery Road tells the story of Indigenous cowboy-detective Jay Swan as he returns to his outback hometown to solve the murder of a teenage girl.
Thursday, October 17, 5:15pm
The documentary Inuit Cree Reconciliation, directed by Zacharias Kunuk and Neil Diamond, takes a look at the conflict between these two communities which took place 200 years ago. Kunuk and Diamond aim to show the complexities of these two communities that live in the Far North and have maintained peace for over a century.
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| Inuit Cree Reconciliation Photo Courtesy of imagineNATIVE |
Friday, October 18, 2pm – Maori Spotlight
The Neglected Miracle, directed by Maori filmmaker Barry Barclay is another documentary. The film presents us the complexities of the current state of geo-politics, the genetic manipulation of plants, and the effects these have on the poor Indigenous farmers that produce them.
Friday, October 18, 9pm
The anticipated Rhymes For Young Ghouls, directed by Jeff Barnaby. This is the story of 15 year old Alia whose life has been exposed to violence, drug use, and murder from a young age. She must now find a way to deal with these, while at the same time, fighting for her own survival.
*This film premiered at TIFF last month and it made my Top 5 List.
Saturday, October 19, 11am
Told in an experimental manner, Kiruna – Space Road, directed by Liselotte Wasjstedt, this documentary deals with the notion of home, and how the place we’re born can have deep meaning even when we no longer live there.
Sunday, October 20, 6:30pm – Closing Night
The closing night film, Uvanga, directed by Madeline Piujuq Ivalu and Marie-Hélène Cousineau, showcases the story of a young man discovering the land and culture of a father he never knew in Igloolik, Nunavut.
The Beat, an imagineNATIVE’s popular showcase of Indigenous music, will feature 2013 Polaris Prize short-listers A Tribe Called Red (ATCR) at the BLK BOX Theatre.
Festival-goers can also explore New Media Works, collections of online experiences including videos games such as Skahiòn:hati: Rise of the Kanien’kehá:ka Legends based on several traditional Mohawk legends, and online art galleries such as Offerings, a collaborative web-based exhibition that reflects on the complex and diverse practices linked to the gesture of offering and gifting.
The 2013 Festival will also see the launch of the indigiTALKS Video Essay Project. Taking place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, indigiTALKS challenges three Ontario-based Indigenous artists, Wanda Nanibush, Rachelle Dickenson and Ariel Smith, to each produce a 10-minute video essay and give a public presentation on a new thesis of artistic discourse in Indigenous-created film and video work.
imagineNATIVE kicks off at 2pm on Wednesday, October 16 with a Welcome Gathering at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 16 Spadina Road. FREE and open to the public, this reception features traditional Indigenous performances, craft vendors, food, and a welcome address from imagineNATIVE and its international delegates in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere.
These are but highlights for what is to be five days filled with Indigenous arts and culture from communities from around the globe. For full festival line-up, times, and location, visit imagineNATIVE.org.
