Winnipeg, Manitoba
Roger is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Filmmakers Association and one of the founders of the Indigenous Film Summit. His films have screened at numerous film festivals around the world, including the American Indian Film Festival, imagineNATIVE Film Festival, the Accra Indie Film Festival, the Native Spirit Film Festival, and the Gimli Film Festival. Roger is a writer, director, and producer.
Ojibwe from Peguis First Nation in Manitoba
Ryan Cooper is a two-spirited, LGBTQ producer and graduate of the National Screen Institute's CBC New Indigenous Voices and Indigidocs programs. His work has screened at festivals around the world, and in 2021, he was named one of Playback’s Ten to Watch. He operates Rain Storm Productions and is focused on producing and writing contemporary, cultural & modern stories in an authentic way through scripted and factual storytelling.
Oglala Lakota from Pine Ridge in South Dakota & Mohawk from Six Nations in Ontario
Charley Flyte is writer, director, actor and artist who studied Film and Media Studies at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She has written and directed two short films, and her latest script, “Charla”, was a finalist in the 2019 Sundance Native Filmmaker Fellowship Lab. She is passionate about creating Indigenous stories for Indigenous audiences.
Métis from Alberta
Daniel started using video as a medium for his storytelling with music videos he helped create for his band in the mid-90's. Today he is an award-winning filmmaker whose experience spans across writing, directing, and producing. His films have screened at numerous film festivals including the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco and the Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles. His first feature film, "Abducted", inspired by the tragedy of the murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls, will be released in 2021.
Algonquin from Barriere Lake in Quebec
Monique is the founder of Indigenous Culture and Media Innovations, which is dedicated to the skills development of Indigenous women and youth through the production media and arts. Over the past 20 years Monique has produced several documentaries about Indigenous issues. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Canadian Studies at Carleton University with a focus on the use and creation of arts in the Indigenous community.
Onkwehonwe from the Akwesasne Indian Reservation in Ontario
MoniGarr is an XR producer and the founder of a small tech company based in Akwesasne that produces XR experiences (VR, AR, 360, video, animation, spatial audio). MoniGarr’s current projects focus on Kanien'kéha revival & retention through the use of motion capture and animation.
Kwakwaka'wakw from 'Namgis First Nation in Alert Bay, BC
Michele has flourished in film and television, working in documentary-style programming, including three seasons of Police Files. Community connections and traditional teachings are extremely important to Michele and she works to ensure Indigenous voices are heard and upheld in all projects. Michelle is a graduate of Women in Film & Televison’s Tricksters & Writers screenwriting program.
Cree & Saulteaux from Montana First Nation in Alberta
Julia is a graduate of the Motion Picture Arts program at Capilano University, where she focused predominantly in screenwriting and producing. Since then, she has worked on multiple projects including shorts, a web series, and a feature film, all of which have confirmed her passion for producing and creating connections.
Cree from Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta
Kaitlyn is a graduate of the Indigenous Digital Filmmaking & Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts programs at Capilano University. Since graduating in 2019, she has produced several short films and is currently in development on a 5-episode web series while also continuing to work and collaborate with fellow artists to create authentic indigenous content.
Dene from Hay River, Northwest Territories
Kelvin is an award-winning producer whose experience spans across journalism, documentaries, and feature films. Along with projects that have screened internationally, he also co-created the Indigenous youth mental health organization, We Matter, through which he worked with Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, and the Prime Minister's Office. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University.
Wayne Roberts
Haida, Tsimshian, and Squamish Nations in British Columbia
Wayne is a well-respected and award-wining filmmaker. He was a producer, director, and writer for Bell Media/CTV’s “First Story”, one of Canada’s longest running Indigenous-focused television series, which ran for 15 seasons. He has also worked for APTN National News, CBC Radio, and CBC Television. Wayne is well connected to the Indigenous community and he takes pride in telling First Nations, Inuit and Metis stories. He is a graduate of the Indigenous Digital Filmmaking program at Capilano University.
Kelly Roulette
Ojibwe from Long Plans First Nation in Manitoba
Kelly is an award-winning filmmaker, and former lawyer, whose work experience also includes theatre, radio, and broadcast television. In 2019, her first short film, “Sometimes She Smiles” premiered at the Victoria Film Festival and was subsequently shown at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Native Spirit Film Festival in London, UK. In 2020, Kelly’s short documentary, “My Mother My Rock” premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival. It also played at the Spotlight Film Awards in Atlanta, Georgia, and was awarded the Excellence in Filmmaking Award. It has since been chosen by numerous festivals worldwide.
Eva Thomas
Ojibwe, Tohono O’odham, Cherokee and Scottish from Walpole Island First Nation in Ontario
Eva was recently one of five participants selected for the Women in View – Five in Focus: Indigenous. Previously she was selected for the 2018 LA SKINS Native American Feature Film Lab in Los Angeles, the 2019 Telefilm Talent-to-Watch Program, and the 2020 Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Initiative. She and her writing partner Darren Anthony were also selected for the 2020 NSI Totally Television Program for their project, “Dwayne Has Issues” which is currently in development with CBC. Eva is a graduate of the imagineNATIVE/Harold Greenburg Indigenous Story Editing Program and has served as a story editor for Women in Film & Television’s Tricksters & Writers screenwriting program.
Colin Van Loon
Blackfoot from Piikani Nation in Alberta
Colin is the Operations Manager for the Indigenous Matriarchs 4 AR/VR media lab (IM4-Lab), a leading VR/AR project to increase Indigenous representation in emerging XR fields. He sits on Telefilm Indigenous Working Group and is a Frames Film Program board member. Community centred, he aims to elevate the voices and stories of Indigenous peoples whether it is creating spaces for youth works or through his company Blackfoot Nation Films and collaborations with other Indigenous artists including the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Trevor Soloway, and the late Taran Kootenhayoo. Colin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Simon Fraser University.