VANCOUVER – ENTERTAINMENT – On April 23, Vancouver will be the starting point for the pan-Canadian tour of Indigenous short films: Wapikoni, Cinema on Wheels. To celebrate this new adventure, Wapikoni Mobile and the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) are thrilled to present a special selection of 13 films made by young Indigenous filmmakers who have participated in Wapikoni’s filmmaking workshops. The choice of these works, with their unique stories, is aimed at discovering dynamic Indigenous voices and incredible talents coming straight from the communities.
The launch will take place on Sunday, April 23, at 4:30 p.m. at Vancouver’s Vancity Theatre. Members of our teams will be on site to answer your questions and our projection caravan will also be there.
The Wapikoni, Cinema on Wheels tour is part of “Wapikoni From Coast to Coast: Reconciliation Through the Media Arts”, a project under the patronage of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and supported by the Government of Canada.
“Through the project “Wapikoni from Coast to Coast: Building Bridges and Reconciliation through Media Arts”, young Indigenous Canadians will have the opportunity to be heard and to exchange ideas. The audiovisual and musical creative workshops will give young creators the chance to express themselves, and the resulting works will be presented in several communities across the country. Let’s take advantage of the 150th anniversary of Confederation to have a positive dialogue and to strengthen relations between us all,” said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage.
From April to November, a caravan equipped with exterior projection equipment and staffed by two facilitators will travel west to east, covering 10 Canadian provinces and stopping in 100 Indigenous communities and 50 cities. The screenings will be in English, French and Indigenous languages.
“One of Wapikoni’s most cherished dreams has come true: Making the voices of Indigenous youth who we have worked with for over 13 years echo throughout Canada, establishing a dialogue between communities of all origins through their films. These works are a unique part of Indigenous cultural heritage,” says Manon Barbeau, Executive Director of Wapikoni.
“We believe in the power of film to affect change. That’s why a program like Wapikoni, Cinema on Wheels is so important. It helps amplify the voices of these emerging Indigenous creators,” says Jacqueline Dupuis, Executive Director of VIFF. “We believe in supporting the talent that exists here in Canada and are always on the lookout for good stories and innovative ways of creating them. We are honoured to partner with Wapikoni in sharing the often unheard stories created by Indigenous youth across Canada.”
About Wapikoni
Wapikoni Mobile is a travelling audiovisual and musical creation studio dedicated to Indigenous youth. Since 2004, Wapikoni has visited over 20 communities and accompanied thousands of participants who worked to direct more than 920 short films translated into several languages. These films have received 142 awards and honours at national and international festivals.
