Congratulations to the
2021 MOSAIC Recipient, Fawnda Neckoway
We are excited to announce that Fawnda Neckoway received the 2021 MOSAIC Film Fund.
Fawnda Neckoway is from the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in Manitoba residing in Winnipeg. She has a background in casting, extra’s casting and production management. She’s an honours graduate from the Academy of Acting and is an alumnus of the National Screen Institute’s New Voices Program. Credits include casting for the television animation series ‘Wolf Joe’,’ Taken the Television Series’ for seasons III and IV with Eagle Vision Productions, and was sought out by Casting Director, Stephanie Gorin to assist in a national casting call for ‘Anne with an E’ broadcasted by CBC and Netflix. She’s starred in ‘We Were Children’ as Lyna’s Mother and secured the role of Juliet in the theatre production of Romeo & Juliet.
Neckoway also has an arts administrative background working at Film Training Manitoba as the Aboriginal Liaison Officer and Sarasvati Productions as an Office Administrator. She’s also spent time as a trainee in the Production Office, which is where her curiosity for working in front of the camera began. Neckoway specializes in finding and mentoring Indigenous talent and ensuring their voices are heard authentically and respectfully in the film industry. Currently she is in the beginning phases of establishing her
own Production Company working closely with a business consultant following her completion of an Indigenous Women Exploring Business program. With this, she visualizes employment & professional development opportunity for emerging artists while producing her own productions.
Fawnda Neckoway was awarded $10,000 funding for her short film “Language Keepers.” This award includes:
- $2,000 to support living expenses over a 6 month production period
- $3,500 in cash to be used for production and post-production
- $2,000 in services from the Winnipeg Film Group (workshops/training, equipment, cameras, studio rental, etc.)
- 1 experienced woman filmmaker as project mentor for one-on-one mentorship
- A screening of their finished project at the Cinematheque and online on Cinematheque at Home
- *Up to $1,000 for access support such as child care (if applying as a primary caregiver), ASL interpretation, etc.
The short documentary Language Keepers will follow along two people as they begin to learn the basics of their Indigenous language. This will be an opportunity for language revitalisation, to join with family and elders while gathering resources and reconnecting with our traditional roots back home.
The peer selection committee was comprised of filmmakers: Chanelle Lajoie, Kristin Snowbird and Erin Hembrador, both of whom were previous recipients of the MOSAIC Film Fund. The selection committee was chaired by WFG Production Training Coordinator, Karen Remoto.
A total of 8 submissions were received for this cycle of the award.