Aboriginal

  • Tashina

    A young Aboriginal girl's hopes and dreams are re-negotiated within the walls and tunnels of the institution of education.

    Biography

    Caroline Monnet (Algonquin/French), born in Ottawa, Canada, is a self-taught award winning filmmaker and artist. She completed a B.A in Communication and Sociology at the University of Ottawa and Granada, Spain. She uses video, photography, and installation to explore the dualities of her social, political, and spiritual identity, developing a critical framework influenced by history, community, and unconventional memory. Monnet’s work has been exhibited across Europe, Canada and the US. She is currently based in Winnipeg where she is an active member of ITWÉ, a trans-disciplinary collective dedicated to research, creation, production and education in the field of Aboriginal digital culture. 
  • Métis, Métis Not

    Métis, Métis Not is a video documentation of the artist’s lack of relationship with her cultural background. It explores her own myths, stereotypes, and clichés from reenacting the discovery of her native heritage to embracing her Métis-ness late in life, transforming into a Gift Shop Native Doll. The piece deals with feelings of guilt, lack of entitlement, and own naiveté at her personal cultural crossroads and what it means to be Métis.

    Biography

    Arlea Ashcroft is a self-taught multi-disciplinary artist involved in the media, performing, and visual arts. She has received local, national and international exposure through publication, broadcast and public presentation. Whether as guitarist for the punk band SHRIMP, challenging the usual dynamic of western art through portraiture, or carefully exposing an image, Ashcroft’s work is deliberately off-putting and antagonistic.
  • Sorrow's Companion

    A drama about a young Aboriginal man who just gets released from jail.  He wants to make changes in his life but the bad choices he makes get in the way.  We discover how these bad choices affect his life.
  • Warchild

    Warchild is part of a trilogy of experimental documentaries done on students from South East Collegiate, a boarding school in Winnipeg for Aboriginal youth coming from Northern Manitoba.

    Recalling the esthetic of traditional Japanese cinema this short film portrays a young solitary figure seeking his place in society. His journey from the North to the city encapsulates his struggle to become a responsible adult and seek serenity.

    Biography

    Caroline Monnet (Algonquin/French), born in Ottawa, Canada, is a self-taught award winning filmmaker and artist. She completed a B.A in Communication and Sociology at the University of Ottawa and Granada, Spain. She uses video, photography, and installation to explore the dualities of her social, political, and spiritual identity, developing a critical framework influenced by history, community, and unconventional memory. Monnet’s work has been exhibited across Europe, Canada and the US. She is currently based in Winnipeg where she is an active member of ITWÉ, a trans-disciplinary collective dedicated to research, creation, production and education in the field of Aboriginal digital culture. 
  • IKWÉ

    The re-imagination of the generational passage of traditional knowledge between a woman and her grandmother moon.

    IKWÉ is an experimental film that weaves the narrative of one woman’s (IKWÉ) intimate thoughts with the teachings of her grandmother, the Moon, creating a surreal narrative experience that communicates the power of thoughts and personal reflection.

    Biography

    Caroline Monnet (Algonquin/French), born in Ottawa, Canada, is a self-taught award winning filmmaker and artist. She completed a B.A in Communication and Sociology at the University of Ottawa and Granada, Spain. She uses video, photography, and installation to explore the dualities of her social, political, and spiritual identity, developing a critical framework influenced by history, community, and unconventional memory. Monnet’s work has been exhibited across Europe, Canada and the US. She is currently based in Winnipeg where she is an active member of ITWÉ, a trans-disciplinary collective dedicated to research, creation, production and education in the field of Aboriginal digital culture. 
  • Keeping Quiet

    Bob tries out the world of classified dating to disastrous results.

    Biography

    Shane Belcourt is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and musician based in Toronto. His feature film, Tkaronto, has played many international film festivals, most recently winning the Best Director prize at the 2008 Dreamspeakers Film Festival and 2008 Talking Stick Film Festival. Shane was the recipient of the 2007 IFC Mentorship Award and one of 22 filmmakers chosen for the 2007 TIFF Talent Lab. Most recently Shane co-wrote and directed Boxed In, a short film produced by the NFB that was included in the Canadian Pavilion at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Currently, Shane is working as the writer-director for two animation projects, a half-hour animation on problem gambling in Aboriginal communities and a personal short animated documentary about growing up the son of a Metis rights leader, Red Car, Blue Hood. Shane has also been selected to Telefilm's Feature Aboriginal Storytellers Program to further develop his next dramatic feature film, Better Place and was selected to be the Filmmaker in Residence by the Winnipeg Film Group in January 2010.
  • Life From 95

    Created through the WITH ART program at the Winnipeg Ars Council Life From 95 is a poignant look at how music can provide hope to high risk refugee youth in the inner city.

    About the Film

    The WITH ART program matches artists with community groups to collaborate on art projects that explore ideas and issues and give voice to community. The resulting voices were literal, loud, clear and strong. The filmmakers worked with the youth of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba to create a hip hop video and a documentary of the process.

    IRCOM, located at 95 Ellen Street in downtown Winnipeg, is a transitional housing complex and delivers social and recreation programs to newly arrived refugees and immigrants to Canada. Over 250 new immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Korea, Liberia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan live at IRCOM and access their  programs – over half of whom are under the age of 18. Navigating their new environment is challenging and some youth become vulnerable to gang-related activities. The goal was to offer opportunities for more productive activities and creative growth.

    Watch the Live From 95 Music Video

  • Life From 95

    Created through the WITH ART program at the Winnipeg Ars Council Life From 95 is a poignant look at how music can provide hope to high risk refugee youth in the inner city.

    About the Film

    The WITH ART program matches artists with community groups to collaborate on art projects that explore ideas and issues and give voice to community. The resulting voices were literal, loud, clear and strong. The filmmakers worked with the youth of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba to create a hip hop video and a documentary of the process.

    IRCOM, located at 95 Ellen Street in downtown Winnipeg, is a transitional housing complex and delivers social and recreation programs to newly arrived refugees and immigrants to Canada. Over 250 new immigrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Burundi, Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iraq, Iran, Korea, Liberia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia and Sudan live at IRCOM and access their  programs – over half of whom are under the age of 18. Navigating their new environment is challenging and some youth become vulnerable to gang-related activities. The goal was to offer opportunities for more productive activities and creative growth.

    Watch the Live From 95 Music Video

  • Live Studio Sound
    Live Studio Sound is a portrayal of a group of people taping the soundtrack to an animated film. The film is Ed Ackerman's riotous companion piece to Sarah's Dream. We discover how the unusual sound effects are created and see how applying the sound track is the last step in completing a film.