imagineNATIVE Announces 96 Features and Shorts by Indigenous Artists

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is pleased to announce the film and video works that will be presented as part of the 17th Annual Festival, October 19-23, 2016 in Toronto.

In addition to the already announced Opening Night Gala film Angry Inuk (d. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril) and the Closing Night screening of Bonfire (d. Dmitrii Davydov), imagineNATIVE will also present the documentary We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice, the 50th film by Alanis Obomsawin, and Maliglutit (Searchers), the newest dramatic feature by Zacharias Kunuk.

Dramatic feature films from Canada include: the World Premiere of thriller The Land of Rock and Gold (d. Janine Windolph, Daniel Redenbach); the Ontario Premiere of The Sun at Midnight (produced by Amos Scott) featuring Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs and Duane Howard; and the Ontario Premiere of The Northlander, the first feature by director Benjamin Ross Hayden, a sci-fi action film featuring Michelle Thrush and Roseanne Supernault.

International dramatic features include: the Canadian Premiere of the indie comedy hit Three Wise Cousins (d. Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa, Aotearoa New Zealand/Samoa); the hip-hop dance smash Born to Dance (d. Tammy Davis, Aotearoa New Zealand); and Spear (d. Stephen Page, Australia), a groundbreaking art film centred on dance.

Short films at imagineNATIVE are presented in twelve diverse programmes including: the popular midnight madness of The Witching Hour; Femme Totale, a programme of nine shorts by emerging female Indigenous filmmakers from Turtle Island; the International Premiere of The Native Slam, an innovative project featuring five shorts each made through a collaboration between three Indigenous filmmakers from across the globe; a series of music videos that will appear throughout the Festival; and more.

Documentary features include: the North American Premiere of Te Kuhane o Te Tupuna (The Spirit of the Ancestors) by Leonardo Pakarati (Chile) which explores the cultural and spiritual significance of the moia of Rapa Nui (Easter Island); the North American Premiere of Sparrooabbán (Me and My Little Sister) (d. Suvi West), a personal glimpse into Sámi views on homosexuality; and the World Premiere of Colonization Road, directed by Michelle St. John and featuring comedian Ryan McMahon.

imagineNATIVE also presents its first International Spotlight on Greenland, featuring four programmes by Inuit (Greenlandic) filmmakers including: the award-winning documentary SUMÉ - Mumisitsinerup Nipaa (SUMÉ - The Sound of a Revolution); the comedy Tikeq, Qiterleq, Mikileraq, Eqeqqoq (Fore Finger, Middle Finger, Ring Finger, Little Finger) Greenland's first ever dramatic feature film (made for $100); Greenland Rising, a special discussion of Greenlandic film presented by guest programmers Pipaluk K. Jørgensen and Emile Hertling Peronard; and a curated programme of short films.

"imagineNATIVE's line-up is an incredible showcase of the brilliance of Indigenous screen storytellers," says Jason Ryle, Artistic Director. "Indigenous film and video continues to flourish and grow in new and exciting ways. This year's Festival presents the broadest range of genres we've had to date and includes a large slate of new voices-a full half of the programmed works have been created by emerging filmmakers. We're incredibly honoured that these artists have shared their work with us and we're proud to present this year's selection to imagineNATIVE's audiences."

The Festival's complete schedule, including screening dates and times, will be released shortly, in addition to details of our audio, digital media, installation, and special programming.

Early Bird Ticket Packages and Delegate Passes are on sale now until September 30 at www.imagineNATIVE.org. Individual tickets go on sale October 1. Call - TIFF Box Office on 416-599-TIFF (8433). Online at tytix.tiff.net/scripts/max/10.17.40.32-44000/maxweb.exe. In Person at TIFF Box Office at 350 King St W, Toronto, ON.

For more information call 416.585.2333 or visit www.imagineNATIVE.org
facebook/imagineNATIVE / @imagineNATIVE.

imagineNATIVE 2016 Film + Video Facts:

• All programmed works are directed, produced, and/or written by an Indigenous person (all but one have Indigenous directors)
• 96 film and video works programmed
• 72 Indigenous nations represented
• 53 Canadian films/videos
• A majority of film + videos created by Indigenous female directors (51%)
• 27 World Premieres, 15 International Premieres, 10 North American Premieres, 12 Canadian Premieres, 12 Ontario Premieres, 3 Toronto Premieres
• 50% of programmed works made by emerging filmmakers

imagineNATIVE 2016 Programmed Film + Video by Country:

Aotearoa New Zealand

• Born to Dance, d. Tammy Davis
• The Kweenz of Kelston, d. Todd Karehana
• Mannahatta, d. Renae Maihi
• The Promise of Piha, d. Hanelle Harris
• Smiths Ave, d. Robert George
• The Spectacular Imagination Of The P?hara Brothers, d. Todd Karehana
• Three Wise Cousins, d. Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa
• The Turning Tide, d. Jason Taylor
• ?kaip? Whenua (Mother's Land), d. Kararaina Rangihau
• Untitled (epilogue), d. Shannon Te Ao
• Wait, d. Yamin Tun
• UFO, d. Gregory King

Aotearoa New Zealand/Australia/Canada/Samoa/Sápmi - Finland/Sápmi - Norway/United States

• The Native Slam (Collaborative shorts program)
  • Ara, d. Kath Akuhata-Brown, Echota Kilsnight, Sara Margrethe Oskal
  • Ra'stat'ste, d. Sonia Boileau, Mike Jonathan, Jeremiah Tauamiti
  • Sech'el, d. Trevor Mack, Cornel Ozies, Chelsea Winstanley
  • Skoha, d. Zoe Leigh Hopkins, Tainui Stephens, Rima Tamou
  • Tawhaowhao, d. Himiona Grace, Blackhorse Lowe, Sunna Nousuniemi

Australia

• Black Chook, d. Dylan River
• Nan And A Whole Lot Of Trouble, d. Dena Curtis
• Spear, d. Stephen Page
• Blackbird, d. Amie Batalibasi

Brazil

• Woman Without Mandolin, d. Fabiano Mixo
• Konãgxeka: o Dilúvio Maxakali (Konãgxeka: the Maxakali Flood), d. Isael Maxakali

Canada

• 7 minutes, d. Tasha Hubbard
• AK-47, d. Doug Bedard
• AKOÓ, d. Amos Scott
• Angry Inuk, d. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
• Awaskinawason (The Children of the Earth), d. Antony Dubé
• Baamsewag mshkikiiwag (They are Walking Around Looking for Medicines), d. Keesic Douglas
• Beyond Hope, d. Jade Baxter
• Cache-cache (Hide and Seek), d. Louisa Papatie
• Crash Site, d. Sonya Ballantyne
• Cree Code Talker, d. Alexandra Lazarowich
• Don't Stress, d. Shane Kelsey
• Dressed to Kill, d. Norman Champagne
• The Dust Bowl, d. LiSa Jackson
• Exposed Nerves, d. Madison Thomas
• Four Faces of the Moon, d. Amanda Strong
• Gods Acre, d. Kelton Stepanowich
• The Grandfather Drum, d. Michelle Derosier
• Hands to the Sky, d. Elizabeth LaPensee
• Heidi Lost, d. J.L. Whitecrow
• Hickey Gone Wrong, d. Jay Cardinal Villeneuve
• Hipster Headdress, d. Amanda Strong
• Home to Me, d. David Hodges
• How to Steal a Canoe, d. Amanda Strong
• I Am, d. Moe Clark
• Indian Giver, d. Trevor Solway
• Journey Towards Reconciliation, d. Paige L'Hirondelle, Sharon Somer
• Kablunât (Legend of the Origin of the White People), d. Glenn Gear
• The Land of Rock and Gold, d. Janine Redenbach
• The Length of Grief: The Daughters of Métis Mothers, d. Amy Malbeuf
• Loup Garou (Werewolf), d. Matthew Vachon
• M'tik Woop (Stick and String), d. Daniel Lewis
• Maligutit (Searchers), d. Zacharias Kunuk
• Message, d. Marie-Pier Ottawa
• Nitanish à ma Fille (Nitanish - To My Daughter), d. Melissa Mollen Dupuis
• Normie, d. Daniel Couchie
• The Northlander, d. Benjamin Ross Hayden
• Nous Nous Souleverons (We Will Rise), d. Natasha Kanape Fontaine
• Ohero:kon - Under the Husk, d. Katsitsionni Fox
• Passing Moments, d. Melissa Girvan
• Remains, Human, d. Cody Halcrow
• She Spins, d. Daniel Couchie
• Skateboarding Pants, d. Colton Willier, Ethan Aspeslet
• SNIP, d. Terril Calder
• Star Wars - Trash Compactor Scene, d. Zoe Leigh Hopkins
• Stolen, d. Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs
• The Sun at Midnight, p. Amos Scott
• Sweet Night, d. Jessie Short
• this river, d. Katharena Vermette
• Tshiuetin, d. Caroline Monnet
• Ute Kanata (ici au Canada), d. Anne Fontaine, Caroline Jerome
• When I Close My Eyes, d. Marnie Parrell

Chile

• Te Kuhane o te tupuna (The Spirit of the Ancestors), d. Leonardo Pakarati

Greenland

• Half & Half, d. Aka Hansen
• Killormut (Upside Down), d. Ulannaq Ingemann
• Qivittoq, d. Kaare Sylvest Pedersen
• Thor Eugenius, d. Ulannaq Ingemann
• Tikeq, Qiterleq, Mikileraq, Eqeqqoq (Fore Finger, Middle Finger, Ring Finger, Little Finger), d. Ujarneq Fleischer
• Sinilluarit (Goodnight), d. Inuk Silis Høegh
• STG, d. Aka Hansen
• - Mumisitsinerup Nipaa (SUMÉ - The Sound of Revolution), d. Inuk Silis Høegh

Russia

• Bonfire, d. Dmitrii Davydov

Samoa

• Three Wise Cousins, d. Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa

Sápmi - Finland

• Dollastallat (To Have a Campfire), d. Marja Helander
• Sparrooabbán (Me and My Little Sitter), d. Suvi West

Sápmi - Norway

• Sparrooabbán (Me and My Little Sister), d. Suvi West

Sápmi - Sweden

• We Are Still Here, d. Sofia Jannok

Solomon Islands

• Blackbird, d. Amie Batalibasi

United States

• Dig It If You Can, d. Kyle Bell
• Feels Good, d. Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
• Hands to the Sky, d. Elizabeth LaPensee
• I Am Thy Weapon, d. Razelle Benally
• Other, d. Rodrick Pocowatchit
• Polar Sun, d. Katie Doane Avery
• Reagan, d. Christopher Nataanii Cegielski
• Smoke that Travels, d. Kayla Briët
• Soup for my Brother, d. Terry Jones
• Susto, d. Pearl Salas
• The Valedictorian of Carlisle Indian School, d. Rachael Nez
• Visions of an Island, d. Sky Hopinka

Founded in 1999, imagineNATIVE is the international centre for Indigenous-made media arts. Its annual Festival celebrates 17 years from 19-23 October 2016 and is the world's largest showcase of film, video, audio, and digital media works created by Indigenous directors, producers, and screenwriters. Year-round imagineNATIVE presents a national tour, screenings across Canada and internationally, and a community screening series based in the Greater Toronto Area. imagineNATIVE is committed to the professional development of Indigenous artists through its numerous workshops, labs, and panels through its Industry Series and through strategic partnerships internationally. imagineNATIVE showcases, promotes, and celebrates Canadian and international Indigenous filmmakers and media artists and is committed to a greater understanding by audiences of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and artistic expressions.

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