Visitations

Follow filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers as she creates an intimate portrait of her community and the impacts of the substance use and overdose epidemic. Witness the change brought by community members with substance-use disorder, first responders and medical professionals as they strive for harm reduction in the Kainai First Nation.

Follows an unnamed protagonist as he returns to his childhood home following the tragic death of his brother. He struggles with loss as fall gives way to winter and he reluctantly assumes responsibility for the dying family farm where his mother and sister still live. This quiet and intimate work draws the viewer into a meditative rural space as the man attempts to reconcile his past and present.

On August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley's rural property with his friends. The jury's subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada's legal system and propelling Colten's family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, "nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up" weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker's own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.

After a dark recent history, the buffalo herds of North America are awaiting their return to the Great Plains, aided by dedicated Indigenous activists, leaders and communities, including award-winning Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard (nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up). Together with Blackfoot Elder Leroy Little Bear, Hubbard weaves an intimate story of humanity’s connections to buffalo and eloquently reveals how their return can usher in a new era of sustainability and balance.

Over several decades, at least 20,000 Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their homes in Canada and adopted out to non-Indigenous families. Now, four siblings come together for the first time to build the family ties they were once denied.

Karin leads a quiet life working at a truck wash and ushering part-time at the hockey arena. Her solitary routine is broken when she meets James, a truck driver seeking work in the city. As autumn approaches winter, Karin opens herself to the possibility of romance.

Worldwide, Arab men are depicted by the mainstream media as terrorists, suicide bombers, or at best, extremists. In Things Arab Men Say, Egyptian-born filmmaker Nisreen Baker paints a very different picture. Join Jay, Ghassan, and their friends as they gather at Jamal’s Eden Barber Shop for a haircut, a shave, and a lively discussion on politics, religion and identity. Although located in St. Albert, an Edmonton suburb, Jamal’s shop could be anywhere, serving as a microcosm of the Arab community. At times serious, but laced with deft humour, the film follows the group as they debate the issues at hand and express often-surprising views that bring us closer to changing the narrative surrounding their community.

A portrait of auctioneer Dale Menzak and his work as undertaker of the family farm.