Native Spirit Festival : SISTERS IN FILM & WORLD INDIGENOUS CINEMA DAY

KLUSKAP MEETS SUMMER

Dir. Natasha Ramsay | 2024 | Mi'kmaw (L'sitkuk). Canada | 3’

Kluskap Meets Summer is a charming animated tale narrated in Mi’kmaw. Kluskap, the legendary Wabanaki hero, battles icy and powerful Apuknajit, attempting to protect his starving people from never ending cold and darkness. Unable to conquer Apuknajit alone, Kluskap is overcome by the magician’s winter sleep spell. As Kluskap dreams, Loon speaks through the spell and implores him to travel South in search of a beautiful and resilient maiden known as Summer. With the help Summer’s warmth and restorative power, Kluskap will be able to defeat Winter, restore balance to the land and bring abundance back to the people.

Kluskap Meets Summer is an important legend chronicling of one of Kluskap’s many deeds as a hero guardian of his people and as a balancing agent in Wabanaki cosmology. Through a modern lens we may say it’s a story of survival through shared power and reciprocity, and about conquering adversity and cultivating resourcefulness through difficult circumstances. The legend teaches us the importance of understanding the necessity of balance in all things, and fundamentally about the restorative power inherent in nature.

POW!

Dir. Joey Clift | 2025 | Cowlitz Indian Tribe. United States | 8’

A Native American kid scrambles to charge his dying video game console at a bustling intertribal powwow.

Note: Check out the “Pow! Visual Cultural and Production Inspirations” document under Files & Attachments for more information about the work that went into making Pow! authentic and very Native.

POOS

Dir. Celestine Twigg | 2024 | Kainai First Nation (Blackfoot). Canada | 5’

Poos is an animated adventure of Thumper the cat exploring her home and elements of Blackfoot culture. Directed by Blackfoot Language teacher Celestine Twigg, co-written by Celestine Twigg, Troy Emery Twig and Xstine Cook, with support from Harrison Red Crow and Adrian Stimson. Music by Lance Tailfeathers. Animated by Tank Standing Buffalo.

SAQ NIKTÉ AND THE SPIRIT OF THE MASK / SAQ NIKTÉ Y EL ESPÍRITU DE LA MÁSCARA (UK premiere)

Dir. Ester Weiner | 2025 | Spanish | Guatemala | 5’

In a forgotten community, an artisan girl puts an old K’iche’ invocation to the test and summons a curious spirit into our world.

THE WILD SHERIFF

Dir. Sarah Houle | 2025 | Canada | 12’

A violent storm is brewing as two powerful forces are about to collide. The orphaned Wild Sheriff seeks to bring order as he wrestles with his inner chaos. On his trusty steed, Moustaches, Wild Sheriff is hot on the trail of his nemesis, Mad Dog and his gang of outlaws, the Mangy Mutts. Mad Dog has his own agenda and he is hell bent and won’t rest until he finds what he is searching for.

ANISHINAABEMOWIN

Dir. Shaelyn Johnston | 2024 | English, Other | Canada | 14’

Thea is an 8-year-old Ojibwe girl who is in the process of learning how to speak her traditional language from her mother, Rose. Once a fluent speaker of Anishinaabemowin, the Ojibwe language, Rose’s language skills have become rusty now that she and her daughter live in Vancouver, far away from their family. But through flashcards, websites, and what Rose remembers, Thea is well on her way. When Thea’s grandmother falls ill, the two make plans to travel to be with her and Thea makes it her goal to surprise “Gram” with her newfound knowledge, believing it will be the key to helping her feel better. However, she soon learns that Gram won’t be getting any better and instead of surprising her, Thea must instead learn to say goodbye.

NIIMISSAK: SISTERS IN FILM

Dir. Jules A Koostachin | 2024 | Cree. Canada | 70’

IsKweWak (Indigenous women) storytellers gather to share truths of their storywork in the film/television industry

HEALING DOLLS / ILNIKUEU

Comité de femmes Puakuteu | 2024 | First Nations. Canada | 7’

Testimonials from the women’s group at Mashteuiatsh Puakuteu fill this intimate short film about grief and healing. In doll-making workshops, the women share their doubts and hopes and, in doing so, build a space of strength and solidarity.

BENEATH THE SURFACE

Dir. Jannike Summers | 2025 | Canada | 39’

Beneath The Surface tells the story of residential school in Canada but more specifically at the Beauval Indian Residential School. It’s after efx and a bit about the current First Nations situation; that laws and life are different for the First Nations of Canada than the rest of Canada, it’s beneath the surface.

IS THAT MY MAMA

Dir. Danielle Vandale | 2024 | Canada | 11’

“Is that my Mama?” is a poignant documentary narrated by Danielle Vandale, a Métis woman from Saskatchewan. Through poetic imagery, archives and soulful narration, Danielle shares her harrowing journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing after enduring years of pain and trauma. From battling antidepressant withdrawal syndrome to confronting the physical toll of endometriosis and PCOS, Danielle’s resilience shines through as she delves into the mind-body connection and the importance of land-connection in her healing process. Despite facing systemic injustices and the heart-wrenching loss of her daughter, Danielle finds solace in embracing her identity as a sensitive and creative soul, akin to the selkie of folklore. Her story explores themes of trauma, motherhood, societal expectations, and the power of self-acceptance.

W7ÉYLE (MOON’S WIFE)

Dir. Amanda Wandler | 2025 | Canada | 15’

In a near future where a pill for immortality exists, a Secwépemc woman must choose between living forever or having a child. But to choose immortality means to never return to her ancestors in the afterlife.

OJICHAAG - SPIRIT WITHIN

Dir. Rachel Beaulieu | 2024 | Canada | 11’

An emotionally devastated woman seeks comfort in her choice to end her life. As she faces death in the form of a spirit, she must decide to let herself go to fight to stay alive. This short thriller is inspired by a true story. It depicts First Nations lore and Ojibway language in the form of a spirit. Marie, played by Joyce Delaronde (CTV Comedy Acting Good), a woman whose world has crumbled around her attempts to take her own life, only to find herself confronted by a Jiibay (a wandering spirit or ghost played by Curtis Howson of Winner and Deaner 89). The apparition transports Marie to the spirit world and offers to help her live “the good life”. The Jiibay attempts to persuade her to let go and come with them, by sharing their understanding of their unjust life journey to this point. Marie must look at herself and ask why she’s been given this chance.

EDAXÀDETS’EETÈ / WE SAVE OURSELVES

Dir. Sadetło Scott | 2023 | Canada | 5’

Edaxàdets’eetè is a 5 minute short documentary that explores the connection between Indigenous language revitalization and climate action. Produced during a climate crisis in her own community, Sadetło Scott made this film as an ode to the land and the trees.

KANENON:WE - ORIGINAL SEEDS

Dir. Katsitsionni D Fox | 2024 | | United States | 27’

Synopsis: Kanenon:we - Original Seeds carries viewers into the grassroots Indigenous seed sovereignty movement led by Haudenosaunee women. Prior to European contact there was a rich and vibrant diversity of foods, with women primarily responsible for caretaking of the seeds. Genocidal practices including, boarding schools, land theft, forced relocation, imposed religion and even food warfare contributed to a disconnection from our traditional foods and seeds. Indigenous seed keepers are vigilantly protecting the biodiversity of seeds under threat of Agro-Chemical Giants that currently control over sixty percent of seeds worldwide. As these Haudenosaunee women step back into their sacred responsibility as seed keepers they offer a powerful view of what is possible in Indigenous communities working towards food sovereignty.

WAY OUT

Dir. Jeremy Taylor | 2024 | | Canada | 5’

A deep dive into the darkest parts of the mind and the necessary recovery process to move forward towards the light. It is a courageous testimony to acknowledge the stigma of mental health issues.

THE MONSTER IN ME / MADAH8DO AL8MIWI NIA

Dir. Kim Arsenault | 2024 | | Canada | 5’

“Madah8do al8miwi nia” means “the monster inside me” in Abenaki. In this animated short, Kim graphically explores her healing journey as she confronts her anxiety, a monster in her daily life. She expresses her desire to tame this beast by depicting the journey of a broken woman on the road to recovery.

WHAT I WANT TO BELIEVE / NINANATUAPATEN NITAPUEIELITAMUN

Dir. Audrey-Lise Rock-Hervieux | 2024 | | Canada | 5’

An intimate emotional journey, Ninanatuapaten nitapueielitamun explores Audrey-Lise’s personal quest within the complex context of religion and spirituality. It revolves around self-questioning, seeking oneself and personal reconciliation with deep-rooted beliefs.

JANELLE NILES: INCONVENIENT

Dir. Cass Gardiner, Kelly Aija Zemnickis | 2023 | Canada | 9’

Janelle Niles is a Black, Mi’kmaw, two-spirited woman from Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia and a stand-up comedian. Despite a tumultuous upbringing, Janelle embraces her biracial experience and queer identity, using stand-up to usher in a new era of inclusive comedy.

AHKAMEYIMOK “TO PERSEVERE”

Dir. Vernon Boldick, Jenna Drover | 2024 | Canada | 39’

Ahkameyimok: To Persevere explores the lasting impacts of colonization and highlights the transformative work of Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, an urban Indigenous non-profit in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Through the stories of Ashley, Mike, and Joanne, the film shows how Bent Arrow connects people to culture and community. A leader in the city, Bent Arrow’s programs inspire hope, foster belonging, and demonstrate the power of culturally grounded support in building brighter futures.

GREEN HILL

Dir. Roger Boyer | 2024 | | Canada | 83’

After reconnecting with his high school crush Mercedes, Matthew is inspired to break free from his lonely, stagnant life. But when a chance encounter with his ex-girlfriend sends him spiraling back into old habits, he must confront his past in order to find a new path forward.

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