The National Screen Institute is pleased to announce that four short documentary films from the inaugural NSI Aboriginal Documentary course will be featured on APTN on October 28 as a one-hour special on Reel Insights at 8 p.m. CT*.
“APTN is a wonderful partner of NSI’s Aboriginal Documentary program. The program gives Aboriginal filmmakers the tools to tell their stories and exposure to a national audience,” said John Gill, NSI CEO. “We really appreciate APTN giving these documentaries the audience they deserve.”
“APTN is excited to partner with NSI and feature these documentaries,” said Jean La Rose, APTN’s Chief Executive Officer. “The NSI Aboriginal Documentary program gives emerging documentarians access to indispensable tools to build their careers, and we are honoured to showcase the productions of the next generation of storytellers from this course.”
The films are:
Traditional Beats
Director: Cameron Courchene | Producer: Crystal Greene
Have you ever been curious as to why First Nations people are always playing drums? Watch Traditional Beats to find out. In this brief history of the drums of the First Nations People we will discover where they came from, what they represent and why they are always around.
An Ecstatic Professional
Director: Rhayne Vermette | Producer: Damien Ferland
Who is Rob Vilar? Only the most criminally unknown character actor who has walked planet earth. We learn about the mystery surrounding the man through interviews with Winnipeg filmmakers and a variety of clips that show the range and the singular presence that is Rob Vilar.
Alice & Kevin
Director: Sam Vint | Producer: Christopher Read
This is the story of Alice Taylor, a life-long resident of the remote fly-in community of St. Theresa Point First Nation. She spends just about every day caring for her adult son Kevin who has cerebral palsy and needs Alice’s round-the-clock assistance.
With Alice’s own health in decline she finds it increasingly difficult to care for her son. She knows Kevin doesn’t receive the same support as other Canadians with cerebral palsy. So in 2010 she filed a Canadian Human Rights complaint against Health Canada and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. As Alice puts it, “He is a Canadian just like you and me.”
Finding Sergeant Partridge
Director: Neil Bignell, Gabriel Constant | Producer: Gabriel Constant
Two Peter Partridges, two worlds apart, two families searching. This film tells the story of a granddaughter in England who embarks on a search for her grandfather’s roots and finds much more. Solving her family’s mystery unites her with a family she didn’t know she had in The Pas, Manitoba ending their search for a brother they weren’t sure existed.
*Check your local listings.
• • •
The 2012-14 year of NSI Aboriginal Documentary was made possible by Presenting Sponsor NBCUniversal; Program Partners Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport & Consumer Protection; NSI Aboriginal Training Programs Partner Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries; MTS Stories From Home; Strategic Sponsor The Winnipeg Foundation; Bootcamp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Tuition Sponsor NBCUniversal; Supporting Sponsors Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival and The City of Winnipeg; Provincial Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music and Service Sponsor Line 21 Media Services.
