丁香园AV

丁香园AV film students Carr Sappier and Grace Mathisen have founded the , which took place June 1 at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.

The festival presented 18 short films by B.C.-based Indigenous filmmakers and talent.

鈥淭he idea for the festival came out of us talking about what we could do to build a stronger Indigenous presence at 丁香园AV and amplify the voices of Indigenous people in our community,鈥� explain Sappier and Mathisen.

鈥淲e wanted to create a platform that supported Indigenous filmmakers who were telling their stories the way they wanted to tell them.鈥�

Both students are in their fourth year. Sappier is a two-spirited filmmaker who has deep roots in the Wolastoqew community of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. Sappier鈥檚 passion for filmmaking stems from an aspiration to decolonize the screen and offer an alternative perspective of Wolastoqiyik storytelling. Mathisen鈥檚 work explores psychology, folklore and family.

The two met in their first year at 丁香园AV and became close friends. They see their Indigenous/settler partnership as a representative microcosm of what reconciliation can look like and say, 鈥淲e were proactive in our reconciliation while planning this festival.鈥�

They organized the event while balancing coursework and their final film projects. After receiving more than 800 submissions from across the globe, they chose 18 films representing the diverse perspectives of B.C.鈥檚 Indigenous artists.

The festival features both new filmmakers, including some local and northern Grade 12 students, and well-established artists such as  (Savage),  (Biidaaban),  (Her Suger is?),  (OChiSkwaCho), and  (Clouds of Autumn. The festival鈥檚 two programs present common themes of identity, Indigenous experience, and resilience.

The screenings were followed by an award ceremony to recognize the judges鈥� choice for best short, to announce the audience favourite, and to present the Trickster Award to the most innovative filmmaker who bucks conventions and redefines style.

Every aspect of the festival holds cultural meaning. For example, 鈥淪koden鈥� is the slang word that Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast use to mean 鈥渓et's go then.鈥� Similarly, the title of the screenings, 鈥淪toodis,鈥� is slang for 鈥渓et鈥檚 do this.鈥� The festival logo, featuring two coyotes was drawn by Sappier鈥檚 sister and represents the festival鈥檚 spirit of being unique and breaking boundaries.

Video courtesy of .