Montreal – This June, more films than ever will be streaming for free at nfb.ca. The lineup of works from different regions of the country includes special programming to mark National Indigenous History Month. Among the new offerings: the online launch of Our Maternal Home, directed by Janine Windolph, and the Haida-language version of Now Is the Time (Waaydanaa) by Christopher Auchter. In addition, two rich themed channels curated around Indigenous subjects will feature more than 40 films. Lastly, the seven short films produced by the NFB in tribute to the 2024 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards (GGPAA) laureates will also be launched online.
In total, nfb.ca now features more than 6,500 films and a collection of more than 100 interactive works.
MARKING NATIONAL INDIGENOUS HISTORY MONTH
To date, the NFB has produced or co-produced more than 460 works by First Nations, Inuit and Métis filmmakers, one of the largest online collections of Indigenous-made films, exploring stories beyond those of the historically dominant culture. It includes versions of films in several Indigenous languages, including Cree (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up), Inuktitut (Nalujuk Unnunga), Nakota (To Wake Up the Nakota Language), Kanien’kéha/Mohawk (Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance), Salish (Basket/Lhk’wál’us) and soon, Haida (Waaydanaa).
Starting June 18
Now Is the Time (Waaydanaa) by Christopher Auchter (2019, NFB) – Version re-recorded in the Skidegate (Xaayda Kil) and Old Masset (Xaad Kil) Haida dialects
Short documentary (16 min)
Press kit: mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/now-is-the-time
On the 50th anniversary of the first new totem-pole raising on British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii in almost a century, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter steps through history to revisit the day that would signal the rebirth of the Haida spirit. The film won multiple awards and was selected to screen at some 15 international festivals.
Marking National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21
This selection of 19 documentary and animated films explores different facets of the transmission of Indigenous knowledge, practices and traditions. Watch Eric Janvier’s Heartbeat of a Nation, celebrating Dene cultural reclamation and revitalization, and Thérèse Ottawa’s Red Path, about the richness of Atikamekw heritage.
- Indigenous-made Animation Films Channel
A selection of over 20 animated films made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis filmmakers. Watch Terril Calder’s Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics and Christopher Auchter’s The Mountain of SGaana.
- Read Collection Curator Camilo Martín-Flórez’s article, “Duke Redbird: A Look Back at the Film Career of an Indigenous Living Legend,” about this unique Indigenous artist.