Young, Indigenous filmmakers bring their stories to Charlottetown

Canadians are being given a unique opportunity to see what life is like in other parts of the country through the eyes of young Indigenous filmmakers.

TheWapikoniCinema on Wheels tour has rolled into Charlottetown featuring short films with compelling stories and visuals shot and produced in Indigenous communities across the country.

"We've been going coast-to-coast presenting films made with Wapikoni, a program of short films made by Indigenous youth and we're presenting some of the films that are interesting," said Geronimo Inutiq, one of two projectionists and facilitators with Cinema on Wheels.

'Sense of what's going on'

Cinema on Wheels is showing films from all kinds of backgrounds such asmusic videos, documentaries, horroras well as films that tackle socioeconomic issues.

"It's a really great way to get a sense of what's going on in some of our Indigenous communities," he added.

The Wapikoni, Cinema on Wheels tour is part of Wakiponi From Coast to Coast: Reconciliation Through the Media Arts, a project supported by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and the federal government.

Jocelyn Piirainen, who is travelling across the country with the crewasaprojectionists and facilitator on the tour, said audiovisual and musical workshops give young creators an opportunity to express themselves through their work.

We were recently inLennoxIsland and there was definitely some interest there ...GeronimoInutiq

"Most of the youth that we've encountered have been inspired by the different creativity and the variety of the stories that can be told and it kind of broadens their minds,"Piirainen said.

"We invite them to tell whatever story they would love to bring to us to help, to bring that story to life."

Working with youth

Thetravelling Wapikoniaudiovisual and musical creation studio spends a month in Indigenous communities working with youth to produce films.

"It's a real great way to approach the question of our contemporary Indigenous realities and what's going on in our communities and what the youth out there are seeing in their communities," she said.

Since 2004, Wapikoni hasworked to direct close to 1,000 short films translated into several languages.

These films have received 145 awards and honours at national and international festivals.

Inutiq said some of those storytellerscould soon be from P.E.I. since there has already been some interest from local Indigenous youth who hope to get involved in the program.

"We were recently in Lennox Island and there was definitely some interest there and we're trying to get the ball rolling to get the production caravans out here to gather some stories," Inutiqsaid.

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"I do see a lot of potential here and I think it would be a great opportunity to showcase some of our First Nations here in P.E.I. and to share those stories with the rest of Canada."

The tour stops at the Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown on Thursday night and the Abegweit First Nation in Scotchfort on Friday night.

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