What better way to celebrate Indigenous voices, stories and community than with an Indigenous film festival?
Spallumcheen's Caravan Farm Theatre concurs.
Thus, to help celebrate National Indigenous People's Month, Caravan has shifted the dates of its Indigenous film festival from August to June with hopes of clear skies and the chance to offer a thrilling lineup of films during the month.
“These are beautiful, entertaining films by some of Canada’s most exciting Indigenous filmmakers, and they both have such standout casts,” says Estelle Shook, Caravan artistic director. “To have these showing on the big screen out here is going to be an awesome way for our community to plug in and participate in truth and reconciliation activities — and also enjoy a lovely June evening at the farm.”
The film festival weekend opens Friday, June 13, with Les Fille Du Roi (The King’s Daughters), the powerful story of a young girl, Kateri, and her brother, Jean-Baptiste, as they forge an unlikely relationship with the young fille Marie-Jeanne Lespérance — whose dream of a new life is more complicated than she could have imagined.
Over the course of a year, Mohawk, French and English journeys collide, setting the stage for the Canada we know today.
Les Fille Du Roi, directed by Corey Payette, recently won best feature, best director and best original score at the Flathead Lake International Cinemafest. Payette wrote the music for Caravan’s production of Our Town and he also wrote and directed Sedna. With Payette’s roots in theatre and music, Shook says the film is “visually stunning, theatrically muscular and very emotional.”
There’s a local connection to the feature film playing on Saturday, June 14, as well: The Great Salish Heist, billed as a scrappy, indie Ocean’s 11, is written, directed and stars film actor Secwépemc powerhouse Darrel Dennis.
“He is this very funny, very established artist and stand-up comic,” says Shook. “The film has this good old blockbuster feel to it, but it’s also dealing with themes of cultural appropriation and preservation and nature…in a way that’s really entertaining.”
Both evenings will open with the winners of the Short Film Showcase.
On Friday, audiences will also get to enjoy NIGIQTUQ ᓂᒋᖅᑐᖅ (The South Wind) by Lindsay Macintyre and Conviction by Bruce Miller. On Saturday, audiences will also see sn̓kłca̓ʔsqáx̌aʔ tkłmílxʷ (Horse Woman) by Mariel Belanger and Sienna Belanger-Lee, and Irninnu Unikaara by Ipeelie Ootoova. Total run time for both nights will be just over an hour and a half.
“For cinema-goers looking for a more social, elevated experience, we really lay out the red carpet and let you make a night of it,” says Shook.
The Tsilhqot’in BBQ food truck will be on site, along with local cocktails, hot popcorn and more.
Tickets for the Indigenous Film Festival and Short Film Showcase, taking place June 13 and 14 at 7 p.m., are available at Caravan Farm Theatre. Price is pay what you can.
For more information, visit caravanfarmtheatre.com.
