11th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, October 20-24, 2010

The 2010 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival begins today with a free welcome reception at the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 16 Spadina Road. It starts at 1pm and goes until 4pm. After an opening prayer by honoured elder Rose Logan, community leaders will share greetings and there will be performances by Gabe Gaudet, Eddy Robinson, Richard Scott-Moore and the Tribal Vision Dancers.  

Over the next five days, you'll have an opportunity to view some acclaimed films by aboriginal filmmakers such as the opening night film Boy, world premieres such as Jeremy Torrie's A Flesh Offering and Zacharias Kunuk's (Atanarjuat – The Fast Runner) latest feature Qapirangajuq: Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change. The festival also screens the first ever feature from Greenland Nummioq, which has been submitted to the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film category.

In addition to films, imagineNATIVE programs work by indigenous artists in video, radio, music and new media.

---

The 11th imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

The film festival that put the "original" in Aboriginal is back!  The 11th edition of Toronto’s celebrated imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, runs from Wednesday, October 20th until Sunday, October 24th, 2010.

The annual Festival - which showcases global Indigenous filmmakers and media artists - this year features more than 100 works of innovation in film, video, radio and new media from around the world including Greenland, Nepal, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Finland, Norway and a spotlight program of new Indigenous films from Taiwan.

“Last year we celebrated our 10th Anniversary of the festival,” says Programmer Michelle Latimer, “but the celebration doesn't end there! This year we've seen an unprecedented amount of submissions, and the work programmed is an example of the very best our filmmaking community has to offer. The work continues to mature and strengthen while our Indigenous artists interpret universal themes from a distinct perspective. If vision could be measured in volume, I think our voices resonate loudly amongst the best in global cinema."

The festival’s opening night, presented by APTN on October 20th at 7pm at the Bloor Cinema features  Taika Waititi’s Boy, now the highest grossing New Zealand film of all time.  Mr. Waititi will be in Toronto and in attendance for the Canadian Premiere. Written, directed and starring Taika Waititi, Boy is an hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age story that begins in 1984 on the rural East Coast of New Zealand, a time when “Thriller” is changing kids’ lives. An elaboration of themes in Waititi’s Oscar-nominated Two Cars, One Night, Boy is about heroes, magic, and Michael Jackson. Boy will be preceded by the New Zealand short film Taku Rakau E (The Walking Stick) directed by Kararaina Rangihau and produced by the late renowned Maori filmmaker, mentor and former festival patron Merata Mita,

The Sundance Film Festival favourite Nummioq produced by Mikisoq Lynge, is the first Greenland/Inuit–produced feature and first international feature to ever come out of Greenland. Set against the striking Arctic landscape, the monotony of a carpenter’s everyday life in a small town collapses when he is forced to face his own mortality in this stunning portrayal of friendship, redemption and humanity. 

For the late night crowd, the world premiere of A Flesh Offering directed by Jeremy Torrie is a chilling tale of four urban teens at a remote cabin who are hunted by the Windigo, a supernatural creature who feeds off their deepest secrets. 

One of Canada’s most distinguished documentarians, Alanis Obomsawin delves into the fantastical world of dreams in her latest film When All the Leaves Are Gone, about a young First Nations girl facing the hardships of growing up away from home. Based on her own personal experiences, Obomsawin captures a child’s boundless capacity to find hope in the face of adversity. Obomsawin, an officer of the Order of Canada, has made more than 35 films and earned countless honours such as the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts and was recently inducted into the Canadian Film and Television Hall of Fame.

Renowned filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk is back with the world premiere of Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change. This unprecedented live virtual event will be streamed simultaneously on Isuma.tv for viewers around the world. This historic documentary reveals the impact of climate change from the perspectives of those whose insights spring from centuries of shared knowledge on the land and environment.  Directors Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat – The Fast Runner, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen) and Ian Mauro will participate in a live, virtual Q&A online via Skype and in person with our theatre audience.

Six programs of shorts will feature the very best of Indigenous film from around the world – including drama, youth and the return of the ever-popular last-night Witching Hour program. This year marks the first-ever Dancing Queenz! program, an edgy, fun dance-themed program featuring the world premiere of Kent Monkman’s latest film Dance to Miss Chief. All glamour and sparkle-dust, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle returns in spectacular fashion for a stiletto-dance celebration!

This year’s International spotlight is on Taiwan – focusing on the emergence of works that are creating an exciting new wave of Indigenous cinema screening on Saturday, October 23 at 3pm. In consideration of this focus, National Gallery of Canada curator-in-residence Daina Warren, will present works of social and political concerns faced by Taiwanese Indigenous communities. This special program is co-presented by the National Gallery of Canada and Vtape on Thursday October 21 at 1pm.

Exhibitions and performances include this year’s popular Media Mash-up featuring Foundlings by Tara Beagan. In this performance piece with Tara Beagan, Michael Greyeyes and Paul Chaput at the Edward Day Gallery, visitors are welcome to The Gallery Agency, innovators of adult adoption who “match you with the perfect family, and facilitate full social integration…for a comparatively reasonable fee.” As well, curator Cheryl L’Hirondelle returns to the festival with a new media exhibition. Her project RE:counting coup examines the relational history of Indigenous object-making with a contemporary visual and new media arts eye. This group exhibition is at the A Space Gallery and profiles innovative works by KC Adams, Jordan Bennett, James Luna, Lisa Reihana and Archer Pechawis.

Musically, THE BEAT presented by Astral Radio is back with a stellar line-up, including headliner Martha Redbone, a singer/songwriter whose unique gumbo of soul, rock, funk, blues and Native American music has been met with acclaim. Time Out New York says, “In our opinion Martha Redbone deserves Alicia Keys’ level of success. She has the deep funk to back up her soul-queen image and, live, she brings a groove-heavy powerhouse of a band.” THE BEAT also includes the CAMA award-winning artist Inez and the local Red Slam Collective. THE BEAT takes place at the Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor Street West, Saturday, Oct 23 at 9:00 pm. Admission: $10, FREE to Festival Pass Holders.

The festival closing night, presented by Global Toronto, will feature A Windigo Tale, the directorial debut of Ojibway poet Armand Garnet Ruffo. The film, which plays at the Bloor Cinema on October 24th at 7pm, features Gary Farmer, Jani Lauzon, Andrea Menard and the screen debut of acclaimed writer Lee Maracle. Filmed on the Six Nations community in Ontario and in the Ottawa Valley, the film ignites the screen with determination and heart and tells a powerful story of intergenerational trauma and healing.

Opening Night and general screening tickets offer easy purchase and access for everyone:

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE, BY PHONE AND IN PERSON

ONLINE TICKETS
www.imagineNATIVE.org

PHONE

416-599-TIFF (8433) and 1-888-599-8433

Open daily from 10am – 10pm

IN PERSON
Festival Box Office
TIFF Bell LIghtbox - Reitman Square, 350 King Street West

Tickets on sale October 4 – 24
Open daily from 10am – 10pm

Bloor Cinema - 506 Bloor Street West
October 20 & 24 only
Opening and closing night tickets on sale at theatre 1 hour before screening (cash only)

Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre - 750 Spadina Avenue
October 21 – 24
Box office opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day

Edward Day Gallery – 592 Queen Street West, Suite 200
For Media Mash-up tickets on October 21
Box office opens at 9pm (cash only)

Lee’s Palace – 529 Bloor Street West
For The Beat tickets on October 23
Box office opens at 9pm (cash only)

All-Access Festival Pass $100 (Students/Seniors/Underemployed $60)

All-Access Weekend Pass $70 (Students/Seniors/Underemployed $42)

Opening Night Screening (includes after-party) $12 (Students/Seniors/Underemployed $10)

Closing Night Screening (includes awards party) $12 (Students/Seniors/Underemployed $10)

Regular Screenings $7

Students/Seniors/Underemployed before 6pm FREE

Workshops and Panels FREE

http://www.imaginenative.org/