Available Light Film Festival 2022 program by Yukon_Film_Society

Feb 11 Feb 28 in Whitehorse, Yukon

Online > 60+ films > guests > exhibitions > ALFF Industry

THE UNOFFICIAL JACKET OF FILM CREWS EVERYWHERE

WELCOME TO ALFF 2022 Welcome to the 20th edition of the Available Light Film Festival! Dákwän’į yū shäw ̀ ghànīddän. We are happy to see all of you. Shàw níthan, Qujannamiik, thank you for coming to the 20th Available Light Film Festival. This year we are celebrating a huge Milestone for Available Light: the 20th edition of the festival. Audiences across the North and Canada can enjoy a robust and diverse program of films and live-streamed events on the ALFF virtual festival platform. Yukon audiences can also come to 35 in-person screenings of select festival films at our new venue, the iconic Yukon Theatre. Our team is extremely grateful for your support, patronage and participation as we continue to re-invent our film festival, despite the not-always-easy circumstances. We live in an extraordinary region of the earth with a curious and engaged community, that shares our passion for independent cinema and arts. We feel lucky to have you as an audience to return to. This edition of the festival will continue to offer the experience of a virtual festival, as well in-person events with limitedcapacity, that include lunchtime short film programming (Feb 21-25) and feature films screenings in the evenings (Feb 11-28). The in-person screenings will take place at The Yukon Theatre, newly re-opened in December by the Yukon Film Society. You are also invited to join us for an evening of special programming in partnership with Council of Yukon First Nations and the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre on Wednesday, February 23rd.

Available Light continues to celebrate and honor the experiences of Indigenous peoples and the work of Indigenous filmmakers by presenting over 40 films by Indigenous directors, including the ALFF 2021 Opening Gala Film; Wildhood, directed by Two-Spirit L’nu filmmaker Bretten Hannam. In their first feature film, Hannam crafts a road movie in which both the journey and destination offer opportunities for self-discovery. Wildhood has won the Best Atlantic Feature Presented by FIN Atlantic International Film Festival. Some of other Canadian features include DƏNE YI’INJETL - The Scattering of Man, Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy, Rob is Analog (world premiere), Portraits from a Fire, as well as TIFF Canada’s Top 10 titles: Night Raiders and Scarborough. The international feature film highlights include Hive from Kosovo, and The Worst Person in The World from Norway—both shortlisted for the International Feature Film Award at this year's Oscars. For ALFF’s 20th Anniversary, we are also honored to bring back Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner directed by Zacharias Kunuk. This 2K restoration marks the 20th anniversary of Kunuk’s landmark work, named in a 2015 TIFF poll as the greatest Canadian film ever made. Join us for a livestreamed talk with this iconic Canadian filmmaker on Saturday, February 12. For a second year, Available Light spotlights Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour and LGBTQ2+ filmmakers with the Made in the North Award, with the generous support of Canada Goose. ALFF is happy to award cash prizes to the three outstanding films by underrepresented filmmakers in ALFF Official Selection. The Made in the North Award is designed to advance the talent 3

WELCOME TO ALFF 2022 of Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and LGBTQ2S+ Canadian filmmakers with a focus on those living in the northern territories and regions of Canada. A jury diverse filmmakers will select the award-winning films. There are three award categories: Best Canadian Feature Film, Best Canadian Short Film and Best Northern Short Film (Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut). We are also thrilled to introduce this year Available Light Award for Best Cinematography by a Canadian womanidentified, IBPOC or LGBTQ2+ or diverse cinematographer generously sponsored by WarnerMedia Access Canada. The Yukon Film Society is honoured to host many talented creators each year at Available Light. Thank you to all the filmmakers, creators, Industry delegates and documentary participants who have taken part in virtual Q&As, ALFF Industry sessions, concerts and ALFF Creator talks. We’re also happy to announce that more than 60% of the films we’re presenting are BIPOC or 2SLGBTQ+-led and directed productions. A commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Principles in film needs to happen in the cinema and not just on set. We thank our audiences and partners for their support in championing emerging and diverse voices.

of numerous Yukon businesses and partner non-profits, some of which are not able to support the festival as they have in previous years because of the pandemic. We know it’s been a challenging year and we acknowledge your on-going support. The Yukon Film Society is also acknowledging the ongoing support of Canada Council for the Arts, Yukon Arts Operating Fund, Yukon Lotteries, The City of Whitehorse and Telefilm Canada. This support that has made it possible for us to plan, produce and present this festival. Thank you to Canada Goose our presenting partner, and supporter of the Made In the North Award and to our new partner, WarnerMedia Access for initiating the Available Light Awards for Best Cinematography. Please join us in thanking the sponsors, community organizations and hardworking volunteers and staff that make Available Light 2022 possible. Shäw níthän, gunalchîsh, mahsi cho, merci, gracias, chi miigwech, Qujannamiik and thank you for coming to Available Light and making this a very special community event every Yukon winter.

Siku Allooloo, Associate Programmer Kinga Binkowska, Co-programmer

As always, we could not present this multi-faceted 18-day festival without the continuous and generous support

Andrew Connors, Festival Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME TO ALFF 2022

FESTIVAL TEAM

FESTIVAL INFORMATION

MADE IN THE NORTH AWARD

Presented by Canada Goose

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

MEDIA ART

AVAILABLE LIGHT LIVE

INDIGENOUS SHORT FILMS AND OPEN AIR CINEMA AT KDCC

FILM LISTINGS

ALFF INDUSTRY SERIES 2021

FESTIVAL TEAM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR: Andrew Connors CO-PROGRAMMER: Kinga Bińkowska ASSOCIATE PROGRAMMER: Siku Allooloo ALFF INDUSTRY PRODUCER: Bran Ramsey 2022 ALFF PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Nathan Copan Marie Hammje Elaine Cairns Genesee Keevil Jin Lee PRODUCER: Evan Stepanian DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR & SPONSORSHIP: Edward Peghin YFS ADMINISTRATION: Karen Baltgailis Edward Peghin TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Takashi Simon-Sakurai TECHNICAL ASSISTANT: Jiah Dzentu GRAPHIC DESIGN: Michelle Zieske YOUTH FILM IMMERSIVE YUKON COORDINATOR: Jiah Dzentu MEDIA & MARKETING COORDINATOR: Kathleen Napier

VIRTUAL PLATFORM & BOX OFFICE MANAGEMENT: Alexandra Knowles ALFF TRAILER: Talia Woodland ALFF PITCH EVENT COORDINATOR: Daniel Janke FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Erik Pinkerton PROJECTION AND VIDEOGRAPHY: Charles Hegsted Daniel Little Shintaro Horiguchi YUKON FILM SOCIETY BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Aileen Horler Naomi Mark Leo Lane Noel Sinclair Carol Geddes Jessica Hall Moriah MacMillan Jon Gelinas Cindy Allen

FESTIVAL INFORMATION Virtual Screenings are through ALFF Online at ALFF2022.EVENTIVE.ORG ALFF.EVENTIVE.ORG All In-Cinema Screenings are at the YUKON THEATRE unless otherwise noted Like most things in the past... how long has it been? who knows! ALFF 2022 is a little bit different. We like to think it’s a bit better now that there are more ways to enjoy films and more viewers can enjoy the festival from across Yukon, NWT and Canada! We are fortunate to present ALFF 2022 as a hybrid festival, taking place virtually and with select in-cinema screenings and events. Masks are mandatory at all in-cinema and in-person events. Thank you and enjoy the festival!

TICKETS FOR IN-CINEMA SCREENINGS In-Cinema screenings are by ticket purchase only. There are no In-Cinema Film Passes this year. If you are sick or exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home. DO NOT attend the event if you are ill. Screenings at the Yukon Theatre Seating will be limited to 60 people with General Admission. With our reduced capacity, there are plenty of seats to space you and your groups out in the theatre.

Screenings at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre (KDCC) Tickets for the screenings at the KDCC are free, but must be reserved in advance. They can be reserved at yukonfilmsociety. com/schedule under the Available Light Film Festival programming section. There may be seats available at the door, but we can not guarantee this.

START TIMES FOR IN-CINEMA SCREENINGS Doors will only open 15 mins before the screening. If you forget or misplace your

tickets, simply provide your name at the door and we will be able to assist you.

ALFF TICKETS & PASSES Individual Tickets (for In-Cinema Screenings): $13 Regular / $11 for YFS Members, Seniors/ $9 Youth under 16 All Access Online Pass: $100 Single Tickets (for Online Screenings): $13* * $1 from every purchase is donated to Blood Ties Four Directions.

To purchase single tickets: 1. Visit the Film Catalog at watch.eventive.org/alff 2. Select the film you are interested in viewing 3. After selecting it, simply click the “unlock now” button to purchase access to that session. Indigenous Short Films and Open Air Cinema event at KDCC on Wed, Feb 23 are FREE but seats must be reserved in advance for the 6 p.m. event.

WHERE TO BUY FESTIVAL TICKETS AND PASSES In-Cinema Screenings: Purchase online at alff.ca

Virtual passes and tickets for online screenings and tickets for KDCC screenings: Purchase online at alff.ca

ALFF TICKETS & PASSES ALFF 2022 Industry is entirely virtual. Please see the online program for detailed schedule, event info, and to register! ALFF Industry Passes: $75 / $50 YFS for Production Members Grants access to all ALFF Industry events, including: panels, workshops, master classes, and one-on-one meetings with industry decision-makers and public funders.

Individual Workshop Tickets: Individually priced. See the ALFF Industry Schedule of events at watch.eventive.org/alff for more details. Please note: One-on-One Meetings with Industry decision-makers and public funders are for pass holders only. Pre-registration is required. ALFF Industry Passes and Individual Workshop Tickets are available for purchase online at alff.eventive.org

VENUES Yukon Theatre: 304 Wood St Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre: 1171 Front Street

Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery: 500 University Drive Online: watch.eventive.org/alff2022

GENERAL FESTIVAL INFO All-Access Online Passes do not guarantee a virtual seat — you must redeem for individual tickets to online events. Space in some online screenings will be limited.

Please turn off cell phones. No recording devices allowed. Masks are mandatory for all in-person events.

No food or drink allowed in the Yukon Theatre.

Minister’s Message – 2022 Available Light Film Festival As the Yukon’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 20th Available Light Film Festival. Although the Festival is predominately online this year, it is offering an extra week of amazing content for all to enjoy. As the Yukon’s Minister of Tourism and Culture, it is Film my enthusiasts have 18 days to watch the wide and diverse pleasure to welcome you to the 20th Available Light Film selection of movies and programming, including three YukonFestival. made films. The festival showcases over 80 feature-length Although the Festival is predominately online this year, it is offering an extra week of amazing content for all to and short films, artist talks, events, Q&As and online activities, enjoy. Film enthusiasts have 18 days to watch the wide and diverse selection of movies and programming, offering something for everyone. Minister’s Message – 2022 Available Light Film Festival

including three Yukon-made films. The festival showcases overThe 80 feature-length and short artist talks, events, Q&As and online Government offilms, Yukon is proud to continue activities, offering something for everyone.

our support for the Yukon Film Society and the Available Light Film Festival through the Arts Operating Fund.

s My sincere thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for their dedication in putting together s, Q&As and online this much-anticipated and revered annual event, and to all the artists and presenters for Government of Yukon is proud to continue our support for the Yukon Film Society and the Available Light Film Festival through the Arts Operating Fund. My sincere thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for their dedication in putting together this much-anticipated and revered annual event, and to all their talent and experiences withwith us.us. the sharing artists and presenters for sharing their talent and experiences Enjoy the festival! Enjoy the

festival!

or theRanj Yukon Film Pillai Minister of Tourism and Culture Arts Operating Fund. Ranj Pillai Minister of Tourism and Culture

r their dedication in ual event, and to all periences with us.

It’s my pleasure to congratulate the Available Light Film Festival on its 20th anniversary this year. It’s great to see this highly-anticipated and popular event adapt to our new reality by offering easily accessible digital options, and managing to keep the festival fresh and relevant despite challenging circumstances. This festival provides us with the opportunity to celebrate both local and national talent, as well as the Yukon’s Indigenous culture and history. The City of Whitehorse is proud to once again support this important event. On behalf of myself and City Council, I would like to congratulate the Yukon Film Society on its milestone, and thank everyone who helps make this annual festival happen. Be safe out there and take care of each other,

Mayor Laura Cabott City of Whitehorse

Message from the Executive Director, Telefilm Canada A celebration of artistry in film, festivals provide an important venue to showcase Canadian creativity across the country and beyond. That is why we are proud to support the Available Light Film Festival! This past year more than ever, Canada has shown the many innovative and resourceful ways in which we make our audiovisual sector thrive. We have given the world many reasons to take notice of Canada and why we continue to be a Partner of Choice! Message from the Executive Director, Telefilm Canada

Our mission foster to and elevateour authentic storytelling from Film Canadians Telefilm Canada to is proud continue support of Available Light Festival especially now as we navigate these extraordinary circumstances. In these new frontiers of digital participation, of all backgrounds, especially those of underrepresented communities, is more we must all work together to continue to discover, watch, and celebrate Canadian content creators and the distinct pressing than ever before. At Telefilm, our priority to create a more representative voices that they bring to our screens. screen-based industry continues as our efforts across all our initiatives, including Canadian filmmakers share a remarkable range of stories and characters that surprise, touch and our funding increase. entertain us all,programs, as well as make us laugh and think. Their stories resonate worldwide. Telefilm Canada remains committed to creating opportunities for Canadian talent to connect and collaborate with their peers, both at home and abroad. As a partner of choice, Telefilm Canada isLight increasing Stronger together, I want to thank and congratulate the Available Film our commitment to diversity and inclusion, so that the stories being told on screen reflect who we are as a nation. Festival for continuing its work of uplifting a diversity of voices through films and On behalf of Telefilm Canada, I want to congratulate The Available Light Film Festival for your resilience celebrating the brilliance of Canadian content at home and around the world. and creativity in finding new and exciting ways to showcase and celebrate Canadian talent. And to all Canadians who continue to demonstrate your appetite and support for our filmmakers and their work, Ashave always, continue to watch Canadian films wherever they are available and tell you our heartfelt thanks! others watching to do theCanadian same! films wherever they are available and tell others to do the same! Continue

Christa Dickenson Christa Dickenson

Executive Director, Telefilm CanadaTelefilm Canada CEO and Executive Director,

MADE IN THE NORTH AWARD MADE IN THE NORTH AWARD Made possible with the support of Canada Goose Available Light Film Festival is thrilled announce that this year, made possible with the support of Canada Goose, Available Light Film Festival is awarding cash prizes to three jury-selected films directed by underrepresented filmmakers in our lineup. Canada Goose embraces diversity in all its forms and definitions, including technique and passion that transports storytelling to screen. Eligibility is open to all feature films and short films in Official Selection by Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and LGBTQ2S+ filmmakers in Canada. Each winner will receive a cash award in celebration of their excellent contribution to Canadian cinema. Here are the eligible films in each category.

MADE IN THE NORTH - BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FILM SCOPE: Canada-wide | PRIZE: $5,000 ELIGIBLE FILMS: DƏNE YI’INJETL - The Scattering of Man by Luke Gleeson

Night Raiders by Danis Goulet

Scarborough by Shasha Nakhai, Rich Williamson

Islands by Martin Edralin

Portraits From a Fire by Trevor Mack

Someone Like Me by Sean Horler, Steve J. Adams

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers

Returning Home by Sean Stiller

Wildhood by Bretten Hannam

Run Woman Run by Zoe Hopkins

MADE IN THE NORTH - BEST CANADIAN SHORT FILM SCOPE: Canada-wide | PRIZE: $2,500 ELIGIBLE FILMS: ƛaʔuukʷiatḥ Dugout Canoe by Steven Davies

Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair by Alanis Obomsawin

Premonition: on the eve of signing Treaty 6 by Barry Bilinksy

Caribou in the Archive by Jennifer Dysart (Cree)

Ice Breakers by Sandamini Rankaduwa

Sòl by Valérie Bah, Tatiana Zinga Botao

Dear Friend by Trevor Solway

Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again by Courtney Montour

Tantoo Cardinal by Darlene Naponse

DEFUND by Araya Mengesha, Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah

Meneath: The Hidden Island of Ethics by Terril Calder

The Train Station by Lyana Patrick

Gawiin Gego by Nathan Adler

Nuisance Bear by Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman

Vaivén by Nisha Platzer

Happytime Social Club by Dave Shortt

Ode to Seafaring People by Joella Cabalu

Will Flowers? by Kay Chan

Have You Forgotten Me? by Baljit Sangra

Odehimin (Heart Berry) by Kijâtai-Alexandra Veillette-Cheezo

Zab Maboungou by Carmine Pierre Dufour

MADE IN THE NORTH - BEST NORTHERN SHORT FILM SCOPE: Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut | PRIZE: $2,500 ELIGIBLE FILMS: Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice by Zacharius Kunuk

Arctic Song by Germaine Arnattauyok, Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty

Inuit Languages in the 21st Century by Ulivia Uviluk

The Seagull Island by Agnieszka Pajor, Lance Burton

Nalujuk Night by Jennie Williams

Wood Kingz by Douglas Joe

Beauty Through Decay by Jennfer A. Jay

Healing Inner Voices by Martin Morberg

Being Prepared by Carol Kunuk

The Adventures of Tess and Maggie by Emily Tredger

Evan’s Drum by Ossie Michelin

SELECTION JURY Melaw Nakehk’o

Ravi Srinivasan

Tiffany Tsiung

Award winners will be announced on February 25 , 2022 th

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS CAST YOUR BALLOT TO INDICATE YOUR RATING FROM 1 (REALLY NOT TO MY TASTE) TO 10 (EXCELLENT). IN-CINEMA SCREENINGS: After attending an in-cinema screening, you will receive an email with a link to a website where you can submit your rating for the film.

The results of this balloting will determine the awards for: + Best Canadian Documentary + Best Canadian Feature Fiction + Best Feature Film Overall

VIRTUAL SCREENINGS: Once you finish watching a virtual film that is eligible for audience awards, you will be able to cast a vote on the film page.

Sponsored by Northwestel Community Television

We want to know what you think about the films — rate every eligible film you see!

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS: IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BEST CANADIAN DOCUMENTARY: Albedo: In Search of a Frozen Ocean Dropstones DƏNE YI’INJETL - The Scattering of Man Fanny: The Right to Rock Food for the Rest of Us Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy Last of the Right Whales Not About Me Returning Home Rob is Analog Skymaster Down Someone Like Me Wochiigii lo:End of the Peace Zo Reken BEST CANADIAN FEATURE FICTION: A Small Fortune Islands Night Raiders Portraits from a Fire Run Woman Run Scarborough The Noise of Engines (Les Bruit des Moteurs) Wildhood

BEST FEATURE FILM OVERALL: A Small Fortune Albedo: Searching for Frozen Ocean Boneyard Alaska Brighton 4th Daughter of a Lost Bird Dropstones DƏNE YI’INJETL - The Scattering of Man Fanny: The Right to Rock Firebird Firestarter Food for the Rest of Us Golden Voices Hive Islands Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy Last of the Right Whales Map of Latin American Dreams My Name is Gulpilil

AVAILABLE LIGHT CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD

Night Raiders Not About Me Portraits from a Fire Returning Home Rob is Analog Run Woman Run Scarborough Skymaster Down Someone Like Me The In-Laws The Noise of Engines (Les Bruit des Moteurs) The Worst Person in the World We Are the Thousand Wildhood (OPENING FILM) Wochiigii lo:End of the Peace Zo Reken

Sponsored by WarnerMedia Access

New this year! Available Light Cinematography Award for Canadian cinematographers who selfidentify as a woman, IBPOC, LGBTQ2+ and/or as a person with a disability. This is a juried award. • $1500 for cinematography in a Short film • $1500 for cinematography in a Feature film

CORNER OF 2ND & STEELE

206 Steele Street. (Across from City Hall) Our merchandise is also available at North End Gallery in Horwood’s Mall and Fuel Yukon on the Alaska Highway

24 FPS

REC

02:02:10:19

Thank you to the Available Light Film Festival for its enduring tradition of presenting the best of northern, Canadian and international film. We're proud to be a long-standing sponsor of this festival.

Together we are the power of Yukon. yukonenergy.ca

CANADIAN FILMS

telefilm.ca/en/seeitall 16

EVERY STORY STARTS WITH A SPARK. We’re here to foster Canadian voices. Our narratives. Our ideas. We’re here to spark courage.

cmf-fmc.ca

MEDIA ART

YAC Community Gallery February 2022 | Yukon Arts Centre

Shall Inherit: David Curtis VIDEO AND MULTI-MEDIA 3D SCULPTURES VIDEO: 14 MINUTES

What time for this? What adjunct knowledge applied? To what end? How long the day? What will be dismissed? What loved? What forgotten? What kept for future reverence? What effigy burned to bring change? Will change? Will? This installation is part of an ongoing work titled “Search Though We Might, We May Never See Beyond the Horizons of Our Imagination”. “Shall Inherit” is the eighth film/ chapter in an interconnected series of projects started in 2020 in response to periods of isolation during the outbreak and spread of the pandemic. The works are ontological reflections on our evolving psychological and phenomenological relationships with our immediate environment, and the nonhuman beings we share it with, during times of duress and uncertainty. Formal and associative, aesthetic and material dialogues are the framework for this series’ explorations of the limits of consciousness to capture the emotional intimacies and philosophical paradoxes of the lands, flora and fauna we dwell amongst. “Shall Inherit” was conceived and created during 2021 at the Macaulay House and Jenni House Residencies, and would not be

possible without the generous support of the Yukon Film Society, Yukon Arts Centre Gallery, Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, Available Light Film Festival and the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival. Thank you to all of these organizations’ funders, sponsors, volunteers and audiences. Many thanks to Miriam Havemann, Andrew Connors, Janet Patterson, Takashi Sakurai, Karen Baltgailis, Dan Sokolowski, Sol Martinez, Mary Bradshaw, Trevor, Itszay and Eldo. Bio:

David Curtis is an off-grid dwelling filmmaker, commercial fisher, carpenter and artist who has had the honour of living in Dawson City, within the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Traditional Territories, Yukon for the past 24 years. In all aspects of his life he nurtures a close relationship to nature and laughter. David’s media work interweaves poetic and associative possibilities through form, subject and meaning in relation to our day-to-day experiences of happenstance, kairos and chaos. His art explores openended interpretative outcomes predicated on the idea that exercising our imaginations and creativity is not only important to being human, but essential to our survival.

Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre Gallery February 18 to March 31, 2022 | KDCC

Unceded Territories: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun • Paisley Smith Unceded Territories is a provocative interactive VR experience that deals with climate change and indigenous civil rights by bringing audiences into a world formed of Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun’s iconic art. “Are we that different than the pipeline executives sacrificing mother earth for their own wealth? We want you to think about these things, to feel our anger, and to fight for change.” – YUXWELUPTUN Presented with support from the Government of Yukon, Yukon Arts Operating Fund

Bios:

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun is a Cowichan/ Syilx First Nations contemporary artist from Canada. His paintings employ elements of Northwest Coast formline design and Surrealism to explore issues as environmentalism, land ownership, and Canada’s treatment of First Nations peoples. Paisley Smith is Queer Indo-Canadian filmmaker and virtual reality creator who grew up on the unceded land of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

ALFF LIVE

Tuesday February 15 8pm – 9pm MT Livestream

Friday February 18 7pm – 8pm MT Livestream

Saturday February 19 8pm – 9pm MT Livestream

Rob Dickson

John From Dawson

Victoria Parker

Rob Dickson is a songwriter and singer. His songs emerge from a place of discovery, of seeking solidity and forming identity. At the center of Dickson's world is his family, and his writing is profoundly linked to the emotional expanse of these relationships. Through an autobiographical lens, Dickson reveals himself with a sound that is both raw and modest, inviting reflection, inviting us to consider the people we become as we grow up.

Live from Halifax, NS! Tune-in for a special Art Shed Show.

Victoria Parker is a singer-songwriter who lives in Whitehorse Yukon Territory. Parker’s musical style is described as indie folk, indie pop and electronic ambient. Victoria received her Master’s in Music Education from Western University and a Bachelor of Music Performance from Acadia University. Parker has performed with many musicians across Canada and most notably with the band Wet Denim (Halifax, NS), with whom she released the debut album WWWDD. Victoria is writing music for a forthcoming album and working on a new experimental project named Prism.

Dickson is known for his gentle humour, quiet intensity, and often intimate performances—his strong lyricism often paired with modern folk rock and experimentation with fingerstyle guitar. He will be joined by Nic Hyatt (keys), Sarah Hamilton (bass & violin), and Adam White (drums). 20

The Yukon’s own John from Dawson is combining his love of cooking and hip-hop into a performance never seen before! Join him and cook along, or just sit back and listen while JFD performs his Yukon inspired hip-hop with beats created by NiTPIK. The perfect combination of two arts in one performance! Including songs from his recently released album “John Leaves Dawson Pt.1”, and some unreleased tracks from the anticipated “John Leaves Dawson Pt.2”!

These events will be livestreamed on the ALFF Eventive platform. Participants are encouraged to ask questions through the chat feature. The recorded versions will be available on our ONLINE festival until February 28. Access is included with ALFF Industry Pass. Non-pass holders can access by “pay-what-you-can.”

ALFF Creator Talk: Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat) Saturday February 12 at 11am MST Born in 1957 in a sod house on Baffin Island, Zacharias Kunuk was a carver in 1981 when he sold three sculptures in Montreal to buy a home-video camera and 27" TV to bring back to Igloolik, Nunavut, a community which had voted twice to refuse access to outside television due to lack of Inuktitut programming. Kunuk co-founded Igloolik Isuma Productions Inc. in 1990 with Paul Apak Angilirq, Pauloosie Qulitalik and Norman Cohn. In addition to the 2001 feature Atanarjuat The Fast Runner, Kunuk has directed more than 30 documentaries and feature films including The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change, Maliglutit (Searchers), and the 7-part documentary series Hunting With My Ancestors. He was also executive producer on SGaawaay K'uuna (Edge of

The Knife), the world's first Haida-language feature film which premiered at TIFF last year. In 2019, Kunuk, Cohn, and the Isuma collective were chosen to represent Canada at the 58th Biennale di Venezia with One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk as its main video installation along with a new live documentary series called Silakut: Live from the Floe Edge which can be viewed and streamed at www.isuma.tv/live. Attendees of the inaugural Available Light Film festival 2003 were fortunate enough to hear Zacharias speak after two soldout screenings of Atanrjuat. Zacharias also traveled to Old Crow and Dawson City for screenings and Q&As in those communities. Atanarjuat is available to watch online at ALFF 2022 as part of our ALFF Redux series. Zacharias also has a new award-winning short, Angakusajaujuq: The Shamans’s Apprentice, screening at this year's festival. This talk will be hosted by Festival Director, Andrew Connors.

ALFF Creator Talk: Jeremy Podeswa on directing Station Eleven Thursday February 17 at 5pm MST Twenty years after a flu pandemic resulted in the collapse of civilization, a group of survivors who make their living as traveling performers encounter a violent cult led by a man whose past is unknowingly linked to a member of the troupe. Station Eleven is a limited series that debuted on HBO Max and Crave in December 2021 and stars an incredible international cast, including Mackenzie Davis, Himesh Patel, Gael Garcia Bernal, Lori Petty, David Cross and Caitlin FitzGerald. It was largely filmed in Ontario with Canadian crew, actors and with Canadian filmmakers Helen Shaver and Jeremy Podeswa directing 3 episodes each. ALFF is excited to host a Canadian filmmaker and one of the show’s executive producers, Jeremy Podeswa in conversation about this hit postapocalyptic series based on Canadian novelist Emily St John Mandel’s 2014 novel. In conversation with Yukon composer and filmmaker, Daniel Janke.

Jeremy Podeswa is an award winning feature film and television director who has been nominated four times for the Best Director Emmy Award (for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and “Game of Thrones” (twice), and for “The Pacific” (HBO, also nominated for the Directors Guild of America Award). He has most recently directed on Apple’s “The Mosquito Coast” (starring Justin Theroux), on Showtime’s mini-series “The Loudest Voice” (starring Russell Crowe and Naomi Watts), and “On Becoming a God in Central Florida” (starring Kirsten Dunst). He has directed for many of the most ground breaking cable television series and mini-series, including “The Handmaid’s Tale” for HULU; for HBO, “Game of Thrones”. “True Detective”, "The Newsroom”, “Here and Now”, “Boardwalk Empire”, “True Blood”, “Rome”, “Six Feet Under”, “Carnivale” and “The Pacific; for Showtime, “Homeland”, “Ray Donovan”, “The Borgias”, “The Tudors”, “Dexter”, “Weeds”, “Queer as Folk”, “The L Word”; for AMC “The Walking Dead”; for F/X “American Horror Story: Asylum and Coven”; and for TNT the mini-series “Into the West” (produced by Steven Spielberg and nominated for 16 Emmy Awards).

Jeremy Podeswa

ALFF Creator Talk: Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Paisley Smith Unceded Territories: A VR experience Friday, February 18 at TBD Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun is a Cowichan/ Syilx First Nations contemporary artist from Canada. His paintings employ elements of Northwest Coast formline design and Surrealism to explore issues as environmentalism, land ownership, and Canada's treatment of First Nations peoples. Paisley Smith is Queer Indo-Canadian filmmaker and virtual reality creator who grew up on the unceded land of the Coast Salish Peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/ Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

PROUD FESTIVAL SPONSOR Available Light Film Festival 2022

nvdlp.com

CYFN proudly supports ...the work of Filmmakers who are committed to bringing Indigenous and First Nations stories that matter to a wider audience. We are honoured to be a presenting sponsor for the Indigenous Shorts Program for the 2022 Available Light Film Festival.

Left to right: Alex Joe, Marion Edwards, Phillip Joe, Charles Joe - Pelly Crossing, Yukon

Council of Yukon First Nations

Indigenous Short Films and Open Air Cinema at KDCC Wednesday, February 23 | Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre In-Person Events, Free

Presented in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations

5:30 PM

7 PM

INDIGENOUS SHORTS PROGRAM: TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP

OPEN AIR CINEMA

TANTOO CARDINAL DIR. DARLENE NAPONSE (ANISHINAABE), 2021, CANADA, 5MIN

MARY TWO-AXE EARLEY: I AM INDIAN AGAIN DIR. COURTNEY MONTOUR (KANIEN’KEHÁ:KA/MOHAWK), 34 MIN

HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR

A screening of 3 films at the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre Fire Pit. Something more about bannock and tea?

ARCTIC SONG DIR. GERMAINE ARNAKTAUYOK (INUIT), NEIL CHRISTOPHER, LOUISE FLAHERTY, 10 MINUTES

NALUJUK NIGHT DIR. JENNIE WILLIAMS (INUIT), 10 MINUTES

DIR. ALANIS OBOMSAWIN (ABENAKI), 40MIN

Suitable for all ages and important viewing for everyone. Opening remarks provided by a short presentation by Shadelle Chambers, Executive Director of the Council of Yukon First Nations. Admission is free. Proof of vaccination is required for indoor screening.

CARIBOU IN THE ARCHIVE DIR. JENNIFER DYSART (CREE), 10 MINUTES

GAWIIN GEGO DIR. NATHAN ADLER (ANISHINAABE), 8 MINUTES

RESEARCH & ADVOCACY

OUTREACH PREVENTION & HEALING

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Yukon Aboriginal Women’s Council (YAWC) is a non-profit society located in Whitehorse, Yukon, that supports leadership and advancement for and by Indigenous women, girls and gender diverse peoples in the Yukon Territory and northern British Columbia.

Thank you to our continued partners at YAWC

yawc.ca

867-667-6162

Empowering Indigenous Women, Advocating for Change, Celebrating Success

Voices Across the Water

From

TELLING

tales of ancient waters and living legends

Not About Me

NORTHERN teams building brighter futures

First We Eat: Food Sovereignty North of 60

STORIES

that redefine our ties to the land.

Answer the call and pitch your northern story. nwtel.ca

communitytv@nwtel.ca

We appreciate a great tale. We’re proud to help bring some of the best stories from around the world to the Yukon by supporting the Available Light Film Festival. We invite you to sit back, relax, and let the festival carry you to new destinations.

flyairnorth.com 29

A Small Fortune

Albedo: Searching for Frozen Ocean

A SMALL FORTUNE

ALBEDO: SEARCHING FOR FROZEN OCEAN

DIR. ADAM PERRY, 2021, PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, ENGLISH, 91 MINUTES

DIR. STEPHEN A. SMITH, 2021, ALBERTA, ENGLISH, 90 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: TELEFILM CANADA

When a desperate man finds a bag of lost money while collecting Irish Moss on the shore, his decision to keep it secret turns his quaint fishing village, Skinner’s Pond, into a growing crime scene. This noir-ish crime drama stars Stephen Oates, Liane Balaban and Joel Thomas Hynes. Western Canada Premiere.

Content advisory for mature themes, violence and language.

SCREENING SPONSOR: CITY OF WHITEHORSE

In the “Last Ice Area”, 500 nautical miles from the North Pole, a scientific expedition of five people is on a mission to measure the world’s oldest and thickest ice floes. The sea ice this year is smashed and battered: slabs of frozen ocean crushed together by heavy current. Hauling loaded kayaks over crumpled floes, the team struggles to follow a route that was easily navigable only years earlier. But with rubbled ice collapsing around them, their journey becomes a struggle for survival. Across the Arctic, a white, frozen ocean is giving way to dark, ice-free seas, and more of the sun’s energy is getting absorbed instead of being reflected back out to space. Like journalists in a war zone, this expedition is embedded into the front lines of Arctic Ocean change. Their mission: to explore the essential role of sea ice in balancing our planet’s climate.

Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner

Boneyard Alaska

ATANARJUAT: THE FAST RUNNER

BONEYARD ALASKA

DIR. ZACHARIAS KUNUK, 2000, NUNAVUT, INUKTITUT, 181 MINUTES

DIR. PAUL ANDREW LAWRENCE, 2019, ALASKA, ENGLISH, 74 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHERN VISION DEVELOPMENT

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON ENERGY CORPORATION

ALFF REDUX: FILMS FROM PAST YEARS OF ALFF.

Beneath the ever-frozen ground of Alaska lie the bones of Ice Age creatures that roamed this region tens of thousands of years ago: bison, woolly mammoths, and prehistoric bears.

This adaptation of an ancient Inuit legend was filmed in Inuktitut and directed by Inuit filmmakers - making Atanarjuat the first feature film of its kind! It was Canada’s Official Selection for the Academy Awards — ironically, in the Foreign Language Film category. Set in Igloolik, Nunavut, the director, Kunuk, reminds viewers this is “a powerful drama, not a documentary.” “It demystifies the exotic, other-wordly aboriginal stereotype by telling a universal story.” The clothes, spears, kayaks, sunglasses and dwellings were all painstakingly researched. “We show how our ancestors dressed, how they handled their dog teams, how they argued and laughed… confronted evil and fought back.”

The bones are now being unearthed by an Alaskan gold miner named John Reeves, a private landowner with no scientific training whatsoever. But John has a passion for bones and for collecting. He has assembled over a hundred thousand specimens from his mine site, “The Boneyard”. For the first time, John invites a small team of expert paleontologists to visit his site and his collection. As the scientist wade into the mud, and peruse the boxes of the collection, discoveries are made before our very eyes, potentially rewriting the history of North America.

Winner, Best Canadian Film & Best Feature, TIFF 2001 Winner, Caméra d’Or, Cannes Film Festival 2001 Canada’s Official Selection for the Academy Awards, Foreign Language Film category

Brighton 4th

Crazywater

BRIGHTON 4TH

CRAZYWATER

DIR. LEVAN KOGUASHVILI, 2021, GEO/RUS/BGR, ENGLISH/GEORGIAN/RUSSIAN, 91 MINUTES

DIR. DENNIS ALLEN, 2013, YUKON, ENGLISH, 56 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: ARCTIC STAR PRINTING

Former wrestling champion Kakhi always has his family on his conscience, which leads him on a cross-continental journey in Brighton 4th. After making arrangements to cover for his brother’s gambling debts, Kakhi departs his humble home in the Republic of Georgia to pay a visit to his son, Soso, in outer Brooklyn. As Kakhi settles into Soso’s Brighton Beach boarding house—which constitutes a popup community of fellow Georgian immigrants— he learns that Soso has also accrued a $14,000 debt to the local mob boss, a roadblock to Soso’s future in medicine.

Content advisory for mature themes and language.

SCREENING SPONSOR: NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA ALFF REDUX: FILMS FROM PAST YEARS OF ALFF.

This feature-length documentary from Inuvialuit filmmaker Dennis Allen is an emotional and revealing exploration of addiction among Indigenous people in Canada. After years of struggle and shame, five Indigenous Canadians bravely come forward with their stories of substance abuse, presenting the sensitive topic of alcoholism in an honest and forthright manner. Alex, Paula, Desirae, Stephen, and Dennis himself maintain a deep and devoted commitment to their traditional culture to achieve long-term sobriety. Through their voices, this insightful doc offers an inspirational beacon of hope for others.

Daughter of a Lost Bird

Dropstones

DAUGHTER OF A LOST BIRD

DROPSTONES

DIR. BROOKE PEPION SWANEY, 2021, UNITED STATES, ENGLISH, 66 MINUTES

DIR. CAITLIN DURLAK, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 57 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON ABORIGINAL WOMEN’S COUNCIL

The documentary Daughter of a Lost Bird explores ethics surrounding Native American adoption via a singular story as an entry point into a more complicated national issue. In many ways, Kendra Potter is a perfect example of cultural assimilation, a modern representation of the painful phrase, “kill the Indian, save the man.” She is a thriving woman who grew up in a loving, upper middle-class white family, and feels no significant loss with the absence of Native American culture or family in her life. And yet, as a Blackfeet/Salish woman, director Brooke Swaney could not imagine that Kendra could be content or complete without understanding her heritage. So together they embark on a tender, remarkable seven year journey.

SCREENING SPONSOR: WHAT'S UP YUKON

Set on Fogo Island, off the coast of Newfoundland, Dropstones is an intimate family portrait that follows a matriarch, Sonya, shortly after she has returned to the home she once yearned to escape. As Sonya raises her two young sons, Luke and Sean, she finds herself drawing on her island’s traditions to meet the challenges of motherhood. Set against the changing seasons over the course of a year, the film immerses us in the unique rhythms of life on Fogo Island, illuminating both the hardship and fulfillment that come with calling this singular place home.

Screens with:

NUISANCE BEAR DIR. JAKE WEISMAN / GABRIELA OSIO VANDEN, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 15 MINUTES

Churchill, Manitoba, is famous as an international destination for photographing polar bears. We’ve seen the majestic images and classic wildlife TV programs — but what do these bears see of us? Nuisance Bear shifts our perspective revealing an obstacle course of tourist paparazzi and wildlife officers whom bears must navigate during their annual migration. Honourable Mention for Best Canadian Short Film | Toronto International Film Festival 2021

DƏNE YI’INJETL | The Scattering of Man

Fanny: The Right to Rock

DƏNE YI’INJETL | THE SCATTERING OF MAN

FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK

DIR. LUKE GLEESON, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH/SEKANI, 75 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: MOLOTOV AND BRICKS TATTOO

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON CONSERVATION SOCIETY

“Revivify Fanny. And my work is done.” - David Bowie

Unwilling participants in a wave of development that led to the creation of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, the largest hydroelectric project in the history of British Columbia, Canada, the Tsay Keh Dene people found themselves displaced from their land amidst the rising waters. DƏNE YI’INJETL | The Scattering of Man is the first documentary feature directed by Tsay Keh Dene filmmaker Luke Gleeson. Along with its stunning cinematography, effective use of archival imagery and culturally-grounded storytelling, this film presents the perspective of Gleeson’s nation, which continues to mitigate the project’s environmental, cultural, and social repercussions by revitalizing culture and care for the land.

In-person screenings: Sat, Feb 19, 4:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 20, 5:30 pm, Yukon Theatre Director, Luke Gleeson, in attendance.

DIR. BOBBI JO HART, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 96 MINUTES

In the 1960s sunny Sacramento, two Filipina-American sisters got together with other teenage girls to play music. Their group evolved into the legendary rock group Fanny, the first all-women band to release an LP with a major record label. Despite releasing 5 criticallyacclaimed albums over 5 years, Fanny’s groundbreaking impact in music was written out of history... until bandmates reunite 50 years later. With incredible archival footage of the band’s rocking past intercut with its next chapter releasing a new LP today, the film includes interviews with a large cadre of music icons, including Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, and The Go-Go’s Kathy Valentine.

Firebird

Firestarter - The Story of Bangarra

FIREBIRD

FIRESTARTER - THE STORY OF BANGARRA

DIR. PEETER REBANE, 2021, ESTONIA/UNITED KINGDOM, ENGLISH, 107 MINUTES

DIR. NEL MINCHIN, WAYNE BLAIR, 2020, AUSTRALIA, ENGLISH, 96 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON QUEER FILM ALLIANCE

SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHERN VISION DEVELOPMENT

Firebird is a terrifically crafted romance thriller set in the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War. Sergey, a troubled young private, is counting the days till his military service ends. His life is turned upside down when a daring fighter pilot, Roman, arrives at the base. Driven by curiosity, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship as a dangerous love triangle forms between them and Luisa, the secretary to the base Commander. Sergey is forced to face his past as Roman’s career is endangered and Luisa struggles to keep her family together. As the walls close in, they risk their freedom and their lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the fear of the all-seeing Soviet regime.

This powerful documentary about Australia’s first Indigenous dance company is a historically important film that takes the viewer through Bangarra’s birth and spectacular growth to the present. It recognises Bangarra’s early founders and tells the story of how three young Aboriginal brothers – Stephen, David and Russell Page – turned the newly born dance group into one of Australia’s leading performing arts companies. Through the eyes of the Page brothers and company alumni, Firestarter explores the loss and reclaiming of culture, the burden of intergenerational trauma and crucially, the extraordinary power of art as a messenger for social change and healing.

Recommended ages 15+

Screens with:

Content warning: Mature themes and language

In-person screenings: Thu, Feb 24, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sat, Feb 26, 4:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

THE ADVENTURES AND TESS AND MAGGIE DIR. EMILY TREDGER, 2022, YUKON, 10 MINUTES

World premiere This whimsical stop motion animation uses construction paper shapes to tell the story of Tess and Maggie’s quest to return the moon to the sky after it’s stolen by a curious dragon.

Food for the Rest of Us

Golden Voices

FOOD FOR THE REST OF US

GOLDEN VOICES

DIR. CAROLINE COX, 2020, ONTARIO/ NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, ENGLISH, 83 MINUTES

DIR. EVGENY RUMAN, 2019, ISRAEL, RUSSIAN/HEBREW, 88 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: HUB INTERNATIONAL

SCREENING SPONSOR: WHAT’S UP YUKON

Food for the Rest of Us examines how getting back to the land is tied to other movements such as Black Lives Matter, Idle No More and Times Up. Food for the Rest of Us presents four stories of people living life on their own terms, serving as leaders and role models who are lending their voice to the underdog and leading a revolution to a better world, from the ground up!

Victor and Raya Frenkel were the golden voices of Soviet film dubbing for decades. All the western movies that reached Soviet screens were dubbed by them. In 1990, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Frenkels decided to do Aliyah, immigrate to Israel, just like hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews. There’s no need in Israel for Russian speaking dubbing artists, and Victor’s and Raya’s attempts to use their talent will cause bizarre and unexpected events during their first months in Israel, and turn the beginning of the new chapter of their life into an amusing, painful, and absurd experience.

An Indigenous-owned, youth run organic farm in Hawaii, and Black urban grower in Kansas City who runs a land-farm at East High School, a female kosher butcher in Colorado working with the Queer Community and an Inuit community on the Arctic Coast who are adapting to climate change with a community garden in a small geodesic dome.

In-person screenings: Sat, Feb 12, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 13, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Director, Caroline Cox, in attendance.

Recommended ages 15+ Content warning: Mature themes and language

HIV: Healing Inner Voices

Hive

HIV: HEALING INNER VOICES

HIVE

DIR. JADA-GABRIELLE PAPE , 2020, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 27 MINUTES

DIR. BLERTA BASHOLLI, 2021, UNK/CHE/ALB, ALBANIAN, 84 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON QUEER FILM ALLIANCE

SCREENING SPONSOR: KAREN WALKER AND WAYNE TUCK

This thoughtful portrait shows Indigenous people living with HIV who are fighting the stigma of inter-sectional, inter-generational trauma by connecting to traditional spirituality. Produced under Hello Cool World’s Drawing Wisdom initiative and directed by Jada-Gabrielle Pape (Saanich and Snueymuxw Nations). Created and produced by Martin Morberg, a Northern Tutchone/Tlingit man from the Yukon.

Sundance triple award winner Hive is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije, who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village, has lived with fading hope and burgeoning grief since her husband went missing during the war in Kosovo. In order to provide for her struggling family, she pulls the other widows in her community together to launch a business selling a local food product. Together, they find healing and solace in considering a future without their husbands — but their will to begin living independently is met with hostility. Winner of the Audience Award, Directing Award, and World Cinema Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Hive is a pithy, devastating portrait of loss and our uphill journeys to freedom.

In-person screenings: Fri, Feb 18, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Tue, Feb 22, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Islands

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy

ISLANDS

KÍMMAPIIYIPITSSINI: THE MEANING OF EMPATHY

DIR. MARTIN EDRALIN, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH/TAGALOG, 94 MINUTES SCREENING SPONSOR: DIRECTOR GUILD OF CANADA, BC DISTRICT COUNCIL

Joshua, a timid, middle-aged Filipino immigrant in Canada has lived in the comfort of his parents’ care his entire life. His days are routine. He wakes up to his mother’s breakfast of eggs and rice; he tends to his janitorial job; and sometimes, when he comes home, he prays for a wife to ease the unending loneliness. Things drastically change for Joshua when his mother suddenly passes and his father’s health declines. The Almighty seemingly answers his petition when his beatific cousin Marisol arrives on his doorstep and slowly transforms Joshua’s house back into a home. “As Joshua is incrementally lured from his shell, Martin Edralin fashions a disarmingly tender, deeply nuanced character study that achieves an exquisite balance of gentle humour and humane drama.” - VIFF

DIR. ELLE-MÁIJÁ TAILFEATHERS, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA/ ALBERTA, ENGLISH/BLACKFOOT, 125 MINUTES SCREENING SPONSOR: FRONT ROW INSURANCE

The urgent, astounding new film by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers (also the lead actor in Night Raiders) creates a vital and intimate portrait of her community’s response to the opioid crisis. Framed within the ongoing and historical impacts of settler colonialism, this film illuminates the beauty, strength, and core spirit of Kainai First Nation as they implement harm reduction and healing based on their traditional values. “Kímmapiiyipitssini means compassion...” says Tailfeathers. “In our way of believing, if you help people out then you are blessed to continue to do that, and so our People are supposed to give what they have or what they can to help.” This is a must-see film for all Canadians, as it counters dominant perceptions of Indigenous communities and the crisis itself. Winner, Rogers Audience Choice Award, Hot Docs 2021 Winner, Emerging Talent Award, Hot Docs 2021 Winner, Best Canadian Documentary, DOXA 2021

In-person screenings: Mon, Feb 21, 5:30 pm, Yukon Theatre Thu, Feb 24, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Last Right of Whales

Map of Latin American Dreams

LAST OF THE RIGHT WHALES

MAP OF LATIN AMERICAN DREAMS

DIR. NADINE PEQUENEZA, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH/FRENCH, 92 MINUTES

DIR. MARTÍN WEBER, 2021, ARG/MEX/NOR, SPANISH/ PORTUGUESE/QUECHUA, 91 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: CANADA MEDIA FUND

Canadian premiere

North Atlantic right whales are dying faster than they can reproduce. With just over 330 remaining, these great whales rarely die of natural causes. Instead they are run over by ships or suffer lethal injuries from fishing gear. From the only known calving grounds to the shifting feeding grounds, Last of the Right Whales follows the North Atlantic right whale migration and the people committed to saving a species still struggling to recover from centuries of hunting. With unprecedented access to film the whale migration, Last of the Right Whales brings a message of hope about the most at risk great whale on the planet.

In Map of Latin American Dreams, an intimate exploration of Latin America’s contradictions in history, politics, and identity, we are invited to think about the possibility of mapping dreams. Between 1992 and 2013, Martín Weber, born in Chile and raised in Argentina, traveled through 53 towns and cities in Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Brazil and Colombia. During his journey, he asked people to write their dreams and hopes on a simple chalkboard. Today he reviews those pictures and looks for the subjects, from Patagonia to Tijuana. An exquisite, tragic and beautiful film. An immense undertaking imbued with indelible images and engagement with the subjects.

My My Name is Gulpilil

Night Raiders

MY NAME IS GULPILIL

NIGHT RAIDERS

DIR. MOLLY REYNOLDS, 2021, AUSTRALIA, ENGLISH/YOLNGU MATHA, 101 MINUTES

DIR. DANIS GOULET, 2021, CANADA/NEW ZEALAND, ENGLISH/CREE, 101 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: JACKLEG FILMS

SCREENING SPONSOR: SHAUNAGH STIKEMAN BARRISTER & SOLICITOR

Canadian premiere

The year is 2043. A military occupation controls disenfranchised cities in post-war North America. Children are property of the state. A desperate Cree woman (Elle-Maija Tailfeathers) joins an underground band of vigilantes to infiltrate a children’s academy run by the state and get her daughter back. Night Raiders is a female-driven dystopian drama about resilience, courage and love.

Molly Reynolds’ new documentary My Name is Gulpilil is a candid, gentle portrait of one of Australia’s most celebrated actors, David Dalaithngu. He starred in dozens of films including: Rabbit Proof Fence, Tracker, and The Proposition. In 2017, Dalaithngu was diagnosed with lung cancer. His doctors said he had six months to live, but David, being David, was always likely to defy the odds. The film lets spend time with the man in quiet moments of reflection as he nears the end of his life. Reynolds’ unobtrusive direction provides a platform from which Dalaithngu reflects on his work, and shares his philosophy in his own words.

Selected one of TIFF’s Top Ten Canadian films for 2021 Winner, Emerging Talent Award, TIFF 2021

Content advisories: racialized violence, residential institution abuse

Not About Me

Portraits From a Fire

NOT ABOUT ME

PORTRAITS FROM A FIRE

DIR. KELLY MILNER, 2021, YUKON, ENGLISH/CREOLE/FRENCH, 93 MINUTES

DIR. TREVOR MACK, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH/TSILHQOT’IN, 92 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHWESTEL COMMUNITY TELEVISION

SCREENING SPONSOR: DIRECTOR GUILD OF CANADA, BC DISTRICT COUNCIL

Not About Me is a documentary about good intentions and unintended consequences.

A beautifully layered debut “fillum” by Tsilhqot’in writer/director Trevor Mack. Portraits From a Fire is equal parts rez kid coming-of-age story and love letter to the healing power of story-telling. Tyler, an eccentric, lonely teenager spends his days making low budget films. His father, Gord (Nathaniel Arcand), has remained emotionally absent throughout Tyler’s life. Visions of his late mother come to Tyler after he finds an old home video tape. When a mysterious, new friend (Asivak Koostachin) encourages Tyler to dig deeper than ever and showcase his most personal film yet, a reckoning unfolds, bridging past and future, life and death, and father and son.

When Morgan Wienberg, a well-meaning Yukon teenager, volunteered at a Haitian orphanage in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, her plans took a turn. She was part of an army of NGOs and volunteers with billions in promised aid, all rushing to respond to the disaster. Once on the ground, she began to see that earnest actions can have their own devastating impacts. Determined to make a more lasting difference, Wienberg stayed in Haiti to establish an alternative, communitybased nonprofit for vulnerable children and their families.

Winner, BC Emerging Talent Award, VIFF 2021 Winner, Best Canadian Feature, Edmonton International Film Festival 2021

In-person screenings: Wed, Feb 16, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sat, Feb 26, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Red Rocket

Returning Home

RED ROCKET

RETURNING HOME

DIR. SEAN BAKER, 2021, USA, ENGLISH, 130 MINUTES

DIR. SEAN STILLER, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH/SECWÉPEMC, 72 MINUTES

Arriving in his Texas hometown barely dressed, badly bruised and all but penniless, washed-up porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) talks his way into his estranged wife’s bed, starts peddling weed, and schemes to turn Svengali to teenaged Strawberry (Suzanna Son) so that he can liberate her from a donut shop and rocket her to stardom. “As we ride shotgun on Mikey’s breathless, amoral odyssey, Sean Baker (The Florida Project) crafts another luminous, seriocomic fable concerning America’s underclass.” - Vancouver International Film Festival This film will be screened in-person only.

Not available online. In-person screenings: Fri, Feb 18, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sat, Feb 19, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 20, 7:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Returning Home, Canadian Geographic’s first feature film, follows Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Jack-Webstad on a cathartic cross-Canada educational tour as her own family struggles to heal from multigenerational trauma and the lowest salmon runs in history. The film is an interwoven story of healing for both people and homeland. The interconnection between the Secwépemc and the salmon is skillfully brought to screen with beautiful cinematography, as the devastating outcomes of colonialism both historic and ongoing are eloquently voiced. In the care of Secwépemc director Sean Stiller, the urgent importance of Indigenous leadership as restorative to both people and planet is undeniable.

Screens with:

ƛAʔUUKʷIATḤ (TLA-O-QUI-AHT) DUGOUT CANOE DIR. STEVEN DAVIES, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 10 MINUTES

After working as a clearcut logger in what is now known as the Clayoquot Sound, master carver and land defender Joe Martin reconciles his past by revitalizing the ancestral knowledge and artistic practice of the traditional Tla-o-qui-aht dugout canoe.

Rob is Analog

Run Woman Run

ROB IS ANALOG

RUN WOMAN RUN

DIR. JESSICA HALL, 2022, YUKON, ENGLISH, 50 MINUTES

DIR. ZOE HOPKINS, 2020, ONTARIO, ENGLISH/KANYEN’KÉHA, 100 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: MOLOTOV AND BRICKS TATTOO

World premiere This film tells the unusual, fantastic and entertaining story of Yukon’s own ‘Radio Rob’ (Rob Hopkins) a self-made and selftaught broadcasting engineer who built his own telephone system and pioneered the spread of community radio in the North. The film follows Rob as he repurposes ancient communication technology, on top of mountains and underneath buildings, working to expand the local radio station and set up an analog television channel in Whitehorse, Yukon.

Screens with:

BEAUTY THROUGH DECAY DIR. JENNFER JAY, 2022, YUKON, ENGLISH, 8 MINUTES

World premiere A short film following the life of trans, disabled artist Jenffer A.Jay and how her art and artistic practice have helped her overcome barriers that she has faced throughout her life.

SCREENING SPONSOR: THE RAILWORK LOUNGE

A magical dramedy by Heiltsuk/ Mohawk director Zoe Hopkins, about an unambitious, dry-humoured single mom who finds a new beginning thanks to an unlikely coach. After experiencing a health scare, Beck (Dakota Ray Hebert) is visited by the ghost of legendary Onondaga long distance runner Tom Longboat (Asivak Koostachin), who works to inspire her to get healthy. As Beck sinks further into complacency and depression, her bonds with those she loves start to fray. Driven by the will to regain their faith, and her faith in herself, Beck embarks on a journey to reclaim her health, connection to family, and language, through preparation for a very special marathon. Winner, Audience Choice Award, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 2021 Winner, Best Film, American Indian Film Festival 2021

In-person screenings: Thu, Feb 17, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Tue, Feb 22, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

In-person screenings: Tue, Feb 15, 7:15 pm, Yukon Theatre Mon, Feb 21, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Director and guests in attendance.

Scarborough

Skymaster Down

SCARBOROUGH

SKYMASTER DOWN

DIR. SHASHA NAKHAI, RICH WILLIAMSON, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 136 MINUTES

DIR. ANDREW GREGG, 2022, YUKON/ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 88 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: AIR NORTH, YUKON'S AIRLINE

SCREENING SPONSOR: WINTERLONG BREWING COMPANY

Adapted from the critically acclaimed novel by Catherine Hernandez, Scarborough is an unflinching portrait of three low-income families struggling to endure within a system that’s set them up for failure. The film centres on the coming of age of Bing (Liam Diaz), Sylvie (Essence Fox) and Laura (Anna Claire Beitel), three young children in a low-income neighbourhood in the Scarborough district of Toronto, as they learn the value of community, passion and resilience over the course of a school year and struggle to rise above a system that consistently fails them.

On January 26, 1950, a US Airforce troop plane left Anchorage for Montana with 44 people on board. The crew of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster #2469 was supposed to check in every half hour along the route. As the aircraft crossed into Yukon, they radioed the tiny outpost of Snag to say that there was ice forming on the wings, but otherwise all was well. After that, the Skymaster disappeared. And to this day no sign of the aircraft or its passengers has ever been found. This fascinating Yukon-shot documentary tells the stories of the victim’s families and an intrepid group of Yukoners striving to give those families closure by searching every summer in hopes that the Skymaster will finally turn up.

In-person screenings: Sat, Feb 12, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 20, 3:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Someone Like Me

The In-Laws (Tesciowie)

SOMEONE LIKE ME

THE IN-LAWS (TESCIOWIE)

DIR. SEAN HORLOR, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 80 MINUTES

DIR. JAKUB MICHALCZUK, 2021, POLAND, POLISH, 82 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON QUEER FILM ALLIANCE

Someone Like Me follows the parallel journeys of Drake, a gay asylum seeker from Uganda, and a group of strangers from Vancouver’s queer community who are tasked with supporting his resettlement in Canada. Together, they embark on a year-long quest for personal freedom, revealing how in a world where one must constantly fight for the right to exist, survival itself becomes a victory.

SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHERN VISION DEVELOPMENT

Is the wedding party a sure-fire disaster if the wedding is cancelled? Certainly. And what a disaster it is! Everything sets the two families apart – their background, status, wealth and taste. Initially, the parents of the groom and the bride are simply shocked. What happened? Who is responsible for this? What about the wedding party? Should we welcome the guests? Let the music play? Pour drinks? Who will cut the cake? From one word to the next, pleasant smiles turn into a nasty public quarrel. That’s when the real shocker comes… In the meantime, the wedding party grows really wild. And no one seems to be missing the bride and groom.

The Noise of Engines (Le bruit des moteurs)

The Worst Person in the World (Verdens verste menneske)

THE NOISE OF ENGINES (LE BRUIT DES MOTEURS)

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD (VERDENS VERSTE MENNESKE)

DIR. PHILIPPE GRÉGOIRE, 2021, QUEBEC, FRENCH, 79 MINUTES

DIR. JOACHIM TRIER, 2021, NOR/FRA/SWE, NORWEGIAN, 127 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: ASSOCIATION FRANCO YUKONNAISE

Alexandre, an instructor at the Canadian customs college, returns home to his small town after his employer places him on compulsory leave. As he forms a new friendship with a female Icelandic drag racer, he finds himself under surveillance by police investigators trying to get to the bottom of the sexually explicit drawings that have been troubling the town.

In-person screenings: Fri, Feb 18, 4:30 pm, Yukon Theatre Fri, Feb 25, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

SCREENING SPONSOR: KLONDIKE KETTLE KORN

This is a perfect romantic drama for people who hate romantic dramas. Julie is a spritely young woman in her twenties played with exquisite lack of self-consciousness by newcomer Renate Reinsve (her performance earned her 2021 Cannes Film Festival - Best Actress award). Julie battles indecisiveness as she traverses the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path.

In-person screenings: Mon, Feb 14, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 27, 5:30 pm, Yukon Theatre

We Are the Thousand

Wildhood

WE ARE THE THOUSAND

WILDHOOD

DIR. ANITA RIVAROLI, 2020, ITALY, ENGLISH/ITALIAN, 80 MINUTES

Opening film

SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON, NORTH OF ORDINARY

Together impossible goals can be reached. Like playing a song as a tribute to your favorite rock band, putting together 1,000 musicians playing perfectly in sync. It’s what Rockin’1000 achieved, a group of Italian friends who became a global community bringing musicians from all around the world. We Are The Thousand is the inspirational story of how the largest band on the planet came to be: over nineteen thousand musicians, amateurs and pros from every age group and social background, united by one passion: rock’n’roll. This is the story of how the idea of virtuous community can positively influence every single member, encouraging them to pursue their dreams while giving the best they have to offer. Oh the glory of the Before Times!

In-person screenings: Sun, Feb 20, 1:30 pm, Yukon Theatre

DIR. BRETTEN HANNAM, 2021, NOVA SCOTIA, ENGLISH/MI’KMAQ, 99 MINUTES SCREENING SPONSOR: CANADA MEDIA FUND AND TELEFILM CANADA

Stuck in a Nova Scotia trailer park and going nowhere fast, Link (Phillip Lewitski) is always on the run, fleeing local cops, dodging his abusive dad, and denying his Two-Spirit nature. When he discovers that, contrary to his dad’s claims, his Mi’kmaw mother may still be alive, he and his half-brother Travis (Avery Winters-Anthony) finally have purpose. On the road to Mi’kma’ki, they pick up Pasmay (Joshua Odjick), a gregarious drifter and pow wow dancer who represents Link’s best chance at locating his mom and finally experiencing a sense of acceptance. In their first feature film, Bretten Hannam crafts a road movie in which both the journey and destination offer opportunities for self-discovery. Best Atlantic Feature Presented by FIN Atlantic International Film Festival

Wed, Feb 23, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

In-person screenings: Fri, Feb 11, 8:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sat, Feb 19, 6:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace

Zo Reken

WOCHIIGII LO: END OF THE PEACE

ZO REKEN

DIR. HEATHER HATCH, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 85 MINUTES

DIR. EMANUEL LICHA, 2021, QUÉBEC, HAITIAN/CREOLE/FRENCH, 86 MINUTES

SCREENING SPONSOR: MIDNIGHT SUN COFFEE ROASTERS

SCREENING SPONSOR: ASSOCIATION FRANCO YUKONNAISE

A masterfully crafted film that delves into the monumental calamities presented by BC Hydro’s looming megaproject, Site C dam. Haida director Heather Hatch artfully weaves archival footage of BC’s strident, colonial nation-building project with testimony of Indigenous peoples who were displaced by Site C’s predecessor (W.A.C. Bennett Dam), and who remain in imminent danger of further impacts. Shocking betrayals and outright infringements by the BC government (both historic and ongoing) are repeatedly steamrolled through Treaty 8 territory, as Diane Abel and Chief Roland Willson of West Moberly First Nation remain steadfast in garnering support amongst their own and beyond to stand up against the giant.

Zo reken (“shark bone”) is the nickname given in Haiti to the Toyota Land Cruiser, a powerful 4x4 vehicle popular among the humanitarian aid organizations in the country since the 2010 earthquake. Ten years later, as the country is once more in turmoil and under a strict lockdown, a zo reken has been hacked and transformed into a mobile space for encounters and discussion among Haitians. Foreign aid workers are no longer allowed on board.

In-person screenings: Sat, Feb 26, 2:00 pm, Yukon Theatre Sun, Feb 27, 4:00 pm, Yukon Theatre

The driver leads the conversation with his passengers, all citizens of Port-au-Prince, as he tries to make his way between the barricades and the demonstrations. Zo Reken is a road movie and a machine that makes them speak.

PIIKSI/HUIA (Bird)

SHORTS PROGRAM 1: SENSORY/EMBODIED POWER SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON ABORIGINAL WOMEN’S COUNCIL

A cinematic journey wherein physicality, movement, and relation to the earth invoke power and esoteric connection.

Vaivén

INTO LIGHT DIR. SHEONA MCDONALD, 2020, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 19 MINUTES

A mother and transgender child gently navigate the complexities of gender identity, amidst the season of growing light in Yellowknife, NT.

ODEHIMIN (HEART BERRY) PIIKSI/HUIA (BIRD) DIR. CIAN ELYSE WHITE, 2020, AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND, ENGLISH/MĀORI, 8 MINUTES

During the biggest audition of her career, a young dancer finds her true balance when an unexpected visitor shows up.

ZAB MABOUNGOU DIR. CARMINE PIERRE DUFOUR, 2021, CANADA, FRENCH, 4 MINUTES

A portrait of choreographer Zab Maboungou through the brilliant movement and insights behind one of her pivotal works, Mozongi.

VAIVÉN DIR. NISHA PLATZER, 2020, CUBA/CANADA, SPANISH, 14 MINUTES

A sensory communion with arrival and departure, as a Cuban teen walks each day to listen, watch, and feel the vibrations of passing trains.

DEAR FRIEND

DIR. KIJÂTAI-ALEXANDRA VEILLETTE-CHEEZO, 2020, QUEBEC, FRENCH/ANISHINAABE/ENGLISH, 3 MINUTES

A poetic invocation of self-love and acceptance through the teaching of the heart berry.

HÁLDI DIR. ANN HOLMGREN, 2021, NORWAY, WITHOUT DIALOGUE, 5 MINUTES

A lovely, mysterious glimpse between Sápmi and the underworld, where female power and unity are replenished by the animistic spirit, Háldi.

ANGAKUSAJAUJUQ: THE SHAMANS’S APPRENTICE DIR. ZACHARIUS KUNUK, 2021, NUNAVUT, INUKTITUT, 20 MINUTES

A young shaman’s journey to the Inuit underworld where she must face dark spirits and physical challenges in order to heal a sick community member.

RUNTIME: 80 minutes

DIR. TREVOR SOLWAY, 2021, ALBERTA, ENGLISH, 6 MINUTES

A visual letter by Indigenous youth and to a “cruel friend,” expressing the torment, confusion and empathy they feel towards their mental health. 49

Svonni Vs Skatteverket

Hiami

SHORTS PROGRAM 2: HOLDING GROUND

WASHDAY

Affirming the self-determined action, activism, acts of love, and innovation that generate healing, retribution, coherence, and continuity - by many means necessary. SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON LOTTERIES

SVONNI VS SKATTEVERKET

DIR. KATH AKUHATA-BROWN, 2021, AOTEAROA/NEW ZEALAND, ENGLISH/MĀORI, 14 MINUTES

A grieving father turns his car into a water pump while his daughter draws on an ancient story and devices to wash his sadness away forever.

HIAMA

DIR. MARIA FREDRIKSSON, 2020, SWEDEN, SÁMI/SWEDISH, 5 MINUTES

DIR. MATASILA FRESHWATER, 2021, NEW ZEALAND, ENGLISH, 13 MINUTES

A humorous look at the Sámi struggle in today’s Sweden, as a reindeer herder fights for her right to claim a particular tax deduction.

A Solomon Islands girl encounters bullying and microaggressions at school and is visited by a guardian spirit who teaches her how to unearth her power.

DEFUND

SÒL

DIR. ARAYA MENGESHA, KHADIJAH ROBERTS-ABDULLAH, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 14 MINUTES

DIR. VALÉRIE BAH, TATIANA ZINGA BOTAO, 2020, QUEBEC, FRENCH, 8 MINUTES

Millennial twins navigate their complex responses to both the lockdown and the fight for racial justice during the long hot summer of 2020.

A meditative essay on Black, racialized and immigrant healthcare providers whose crucial yet underpaid and arduous labour has become exacerbated by COVID-19.

MENEATH: THE HIDDEN ISLAND OF ETHICS

ODE TO A SEAFARING PEOPLE

DIR. TERRIL CALDER, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 20 MINUTES

DIR. JOELLA CABALU, 2020, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 3 MINUTES

A Métis baby girl finds her way to healing instead of Hell, as the Seven Sacred Teachings strengthen her and defy the Seven Deadly Sins.

An honouring of Filipino resiliency as spoken word artist Sol Diana poetically reveals the important, hidden world of Filipino seafarers.

HAKA HAHA

INUIT LANGUAGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY

DIR. CORINNA HUNZIKER, 2021, NEW ZEALAND, ENGLISH, 7 MINUTES

DIR. ULIVIA UVILUK, 2020, NUNAVIK, ENGLISH/FRENCH/ INUKTITUT, 9 MINUTES

A funny exposé of cultural appropriation, as a Māori investigator goes deep into Aotearoa to figure out, “when is it ok to haka?”

A sweet, insightful exploration of language concerns by Inuit youth from different regions, as they harness available resources for preservation and continuation.

RUNTIME: 92 minutes

The Train Station

Happytime Social Club

SHORTS PROGRAM 3: HIDDEN HISTORIES

HAPPYTIME SOCIAL CLUB

SCREENING SPONSOR: DIRECTORS GUILD OF CANADA, BC DISTRICT COUNCIL

DIR. DAVE SHORTT, 2019, CANADA, ENGLISH, 4 MINUTES

A kaleidoscope of truths brought to light that reveal profound love, courage, and resilience amidst historic injustice.

A rare and beautiful glimpse into life as a gay man in 1950s Vancouver, and an homage to the historic nightclub wherein queerness could be openly expressed.

ICE BREAKERS THE TRAIN STATION DIR. LYANA PATRICK, 2021, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 3 MINUTES

In this beautifully animated short documentary, filmmaker Lyana Patrick narrates her family’s powerful story of love and survival at Lejac Indian Residential School.

BEREKA DIR. NESANET TESHAGER ABEGAZE, 2019, USA, ENGLISH/ETHIOPIAN, 7 MINUTES

A family history archive as told by an Ethiopian matriarch and her granddaughter, exploring migration, survival, love of family, and reconnection to homeland.

HAWAIIAN SOUL DIR. ʻĀINA PAIKAI, 2020, HAWAI’I, ENGLISH/HAWAIIAN, 20 MINUTES

In 1970’s Hawai’i, young activist/musician George Helm appeals to elders for support in the fight to protect their nearby island from military bombing.

DIR. SANDAMINI RANKADUWA, 2019, CANADA, ENGLISH, 15 MINUTES

A promising teen hockey star finds community and strength as he encounters the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada.

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ME? DIR. BALJIT SANGRA, 2020, CANADA, ENGLISH/PUNJABI, 4 MINUTES

The history and importance of North America’s oldest-running Sikh Temple is illuminated through a poignant and extraordinary family story.

JADAI: THE BROOME BRAWLER DIR. CURTIS TAYLOR, NATHAN MEWETT, 2020, AUSTRALIA, ENGLISH, 12 MINUTES

A fresh look at police brutality, Indigenous incarceration and resilience, through the true story of Co-Director Curtis Taylor’s grandfather, Paddy Jadai.

RUNTIME: 65 minutes

Tantoo Cardinal

Honour to Senator Murray Sinclair

SHORTS PROGRAM 4: TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP

MARY TWO-AXE EARLEY: I AM INDIAN AGAIN

SCREENING SPONSOR: COUNCIL OF YUKON FIRST NATIONS

Honouring powerhouse lifelong advocates for Indigenous rights, representation and justice, whose monumental impacts have revolutionized the country known as Canada. Nestled with a seed of transformational love.

TANTOO CARDINAL DIR. DARLENE NAPONSE, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 5 MINUTES

A portrait of actress Tantoo Cardinal, bearing witness to the many roles she’s played and her impact in shattering the glass ceiling for Indigenous artists.

WILL FLOWERS?

DIR. COURTNEY MONTOUR, 2021, QUEBEC, ENGLISH, 34 MINUTES

The story of Indigenous women’s rights leader Mary Two-Axe Early, in her decadeslong battle to end Canada’s racist and sexist Indian Act policies, which restored status to thousands of First Nations women and children.

HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR DIR. ALANIS OBOMSAWIN, 2021, CANADA, ENGLISH, 40 MINUTES

A powerful speech by TRC Commissioner and Senator Murray Sinclair, accepting the 2016 WFM-Canada World Peace Award, interspersed with testimonies of residential schools survivors as a profound and urgent reminder of the work that remains for a better future.

DIR. KAY CHAN, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 1 MINUTE

A late night message from their kokum causes Kay to envision the generative impact they can have in the world as a trans person.

RUNTIME: 84 minutes

Whalefall

Evan’s Drum

SHORTS PROGRAM 5: NORTHERN SHORT FILMS: LAND, SEA AND ANIMALS

EVAN’S DRUM

SCREENING SPONSOR: NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA

An adventurous young boy and his determined mother share a passion for Inuit drum dancing in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

A kaleidoscope of truths brought to light that reveal profound love, courage, and resilience amidst historic injustice.

DIR. OSSIE MICHELIN, 2021, LABRADOR, 14 MINUTES

BEING PREPARED DIR. CAROL KUNUK, 2021, NUNAVUT, 10 MINUTES

ARCTIC SONG DIR. GERMAINE ARNAKTAUYOK, NEIL CHRISTOPHER, LOUISE FLAHERTY, 2021, NUNAVUT, 7 MINUTES

Arctic Song, by Inuit artist, storyteller and co-director Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok), is an animated short about Inuit creation stories from the Iglulik region in Nunavut.

WHALEFALL DIR. LILY GONTARD, 2021, YUKON, 9 MINUTES

World premiere This documentary follows Joyce Majiski as she carves an exact replica of a juvenile humpback drowned when her tail was caught in a herring fishing net. Carving bone by bone, Joyce uses garbage collected from the sea and collected plastics to recreate the whale rising to the surface.

As the global pandemic reaches into the Arctic Archipelago, an Inuk filmmaker documents how unfamiliar new protocols affect her family and community. A richly detailed and tender account of disruption and adjustment.

THE SEAGULL ISLAND DIR. LANCE BURTON, AGNIESKA PAJOR, 2020, YUKON, 6 MINUTES

As we step onto a small boat at a dock in Carcross, Elder Stanley James takes us on a journey back to the old times when harvesting seagull eggs was an important and necessary activity providing food diversity and survival.

THE HIGH ROAD DIR. KEITH MALCOLM, 2021, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, 15 MINUTES

In the summer of 2020 Dwayne Wohlgemuth solo-hiked 800 km across the Barren Lands of the Northwest Territories, following the world’s longest esker, The Thelon Esker.

RUNTIME: 61 minutes

Excrementalism

Spam 2

SHORTS PROGRAM 6: STRANGE THINGS DONE

EXCREMENTALISM

SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHWESTEL COMMUNITY TELEVISION

DIR. DAVID CURTIS, MIRIAM HAVEMANN, 2021, YUKON, 4 MINUTES

Content advisory for mature themes.

A philosophical treatise for our times of climate crisis.

NALUJUK NIGHT

LA ZONE GRISE

DIR. JENNIE WILLIAMS, 2021, LABRADOR, 13 MINUTES

DIR. MACK SMITH, 2021, YUKON, 4 MINUTES

This documentary up-close look at an exhilarating, and sometimes terrifying, Labrador Inuit tradition shows that it can be fun to be scared. Every January 6th from the dark of the Nunatsiavut night, the Nalujuit appear on the sea ice. They walk on two legs, yet their faces are animalistic, skeletal, and otherworldly.

They're out there.

WOOD KINGZ

WEIGHT

DIR. DOUGLAS JOE, 2021, YUKON, 4 MINUTES

DIR. THOMAS BULLEN, 2022, YUKON, 16 MINUTES

One cord of wood, fresh off the lot. 500 big ones. 100 percent pine primo, baby. Music by Soda Pony and Local Boy. Starring Jeremy Parkin and Dustin Titus.

After a serious accident reminds a grieving father of his own mortality, he is forced to reckon with his grief, and a relationship being torn apart by it. Starring Roy Neilson and Moira Sauer.

SPAM 1 DIR. DANIEL LITTLE, 2021, YUKON, 6 MINUTES

Isolation, psychosis, and canned meat. Stories of when the world's most famous non-perishable food goes bad... really bad. Starring Charles Hegsted and Daniel Ashley.

STOP LOOKING AND LISTEN DIR. CUD EASTBOUND, 2021, YUKON, 4 MINUTES

A man gives up his cryptozoological obsession with sasquatch, bushman, nàhgą... creatures between our world and another.

SPAM 2 DIR. DANIEL LITTLE, 2021, YUKON, 12 MINUTES

Isolation, psychosis, and canned meat. Stories of when the world's most famous non-perishable food goes bad... really bad. Starring Bart Bounds.

Gawiin Gego (Got No Nothing)

SHORTS PROGRAM 7: EXPERIMENTAL CARIBOU IN THE ARCHIVE DIR. JENNIFER DYSART, 2021, ONTARIO, ENGLISH, 8 MINUTES

In Caribou in the Archive, rustic VHS home video of a Cree woman hunting caribou in the 1990s is combined with NFB archival film footage of northern Manitoba from the 1950s.

GAWIIN GEGO (GOT NO NOTHING) DIR. NATHAN ADLER, 2021, ONTARIO, ANISHINAABEMOWIN/ ENGLISH, 4 MINUTES

Gaawiin Gego (Got No Nothing) is based on a rhyme in Ojibwe taught to the filmmaker by his great aunt, the lyrics reference the blues and a Nina Simone song.

SPIRIT EMULSION DIR. SIKU ALLOOLOO, 2021, YUKON, ENGLISH/TAÍNO, 8 MINUTES

World premiere A woman’s connection to her mother in the spirit world reactivates Taíno culture and presence, revealing a realm unseen.

BIRDBOX DIR. JAKUB WIATRAK, 2021, YUKON, ENGLISH, 3 MINUTES

A lone man takes the great, mysterious migration into his own hands.

HARSHAMA

June Night

I, NEW GOD DIR. ROBERT BROUILETTE, 2021, YUKON, TAIWANESE, 1 MINUTE

The spirit of mother earth reaches the shores of men to share peace, this journey is filled with mystical encounters, but things are not always what they seem...

JUNE NIGHT DIR. MIKE MARYNIUK, 2020, MANITOBA, LANGUAGE, 4 MINUTES

Working in sublime self-isolation during the strange pandemic spring of 2020, avantgarde filmmaker Mike Maryniuk composes a surreal ode to rebirth and reinvention.

NIGHT FAIR DIR. CYNTHIA NAGGAR & GUEZE, 2020, QUEBEC, LANGUAGE, 5 MINUTES

Unique alliance of art and science, the experimental film Night Fair focuses on brain activity through the different cycles of a night's sleep.

ANCIENT SKY DIR. JESSE ZUBOT, 2022, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ENGLISH, 10 MINUTES WORLD PREMIERE

World premiere Ancient Sky, created during the major COVID lockdowns of 2020/21 on Vancouver Island, BC, strives to capture emotion in stillness.

DIR. TOVA KRENTZMAN, 2021, YUKON, ENGLISH, 3 MINUTES

A banquet set in an open field, a hedonistic feast contrasting with the central character’s emotional scream and existential angst. “Harshama” (Submission), is a monologue adapted from absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco. The film reflects on resisting societal norms, its futility and resulting isolation.

RUNTIME: 51 minutes

ALFF INDUSTRY SERIES 2022

Over four days of virtual industry sessions including master classes, panel discussions, decision-maker and funder presentations and the ALFF Pitch Event, the ALFF Industry Series kicks off on February 11 and runs until February 14.

For a full, detailed schedule please visit: yukonfilmsociety.com/alff/workshops

Featured events include:

>W arnerMedia Access Canada Networking Event

>D emystifying Archives for the Indigenous Artist facilitated by Jennifer Dysart

>C ommunity Filmmaking Masterclass facilitated by Danis Goulet

>A LFF Creator Talks with Zacharias

Kunuk, Jeremy Podesewa, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Paisley Smith

>R emote Film Production Panel with

filmmakers from NWT and Yukon, and

>P odcasting 101 with a focus on video production

>D istribution, and Sustainable Careers

in Documentary presented by Hot Docs' Doc Ignite Series

>N orthwestel Community Television Session

>O ne-on-one Networking Event with

broadcast, distribution and streaming, and decision-makers and Canadian public funding organizations

>P odcasting Panel with The ‘Horse hosts Dan Bushnell and Jenny Hamilton

Industry Presentations by decision-makers and public funders Includes: CBC Drama, CBC Comedy, Indigenous Screen Office, Crave/Bell Media, Telefilm Canada, National Film Board, Canada Media Fund, Knowledge Network, and Yukon Media Fund One-to-one Networking with industry representatives and decision-makers

Pre-registration required opens February 1, 2022 Includes: CBC Drama, CBC Comedy, Indigenous Screen Office, Crave/Bell Media, Telefilm Canada, National Film Board, Canada Media Fund, Knowledge Network, WarnerMedia Access Canada, Hot Docs, and Northwestel Community Television PASSES AND REGISTRATION: Thanks to our wonderful sponsors Canada Media Fund and WarnerMedia Access for providing Industry access to under-represented creatives. ALFF Industry: $75 / $50 YFS Production Members: https://alff2022.eventive.org/ passes/buy *FREE for Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour and Queer Creatives in the Yukon, NWT & BC please email: alffi@yukonfilmsociety.com

ALFF 2022 Presenting Partner: Canada Goose. ALFF Industry is presented in partnership with the support of Canada Media Fund, Documentary Organization of Canada, WarnerMedia Access Canada, Hot Docs, Telefilm, and Northwestel Community Television.

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ALFF 2022 PRESENTERS

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SCREENING SPONSORS

Available Light Film Festival 2022 program

Articles inside

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

AVAILABLE LIGHT LIVE

WELCOME TO ALFF 2022