The voice and vision of indigenous artists in cinema will shine brighter at the Victoria Film Festival, thanks to funding for an indigenous program with a guest curator.
At the festival, which runs Feb. 3 to 12, the program will present a series of feature films and shorts carefully selected by Dana Claxton, the new indigenous-Canadian guest curator.
There will be three features (more than 70 minutes in length) and seven short films. Each has been directed by an indigenous filmmaker and speaks to themes and issues pertinent to aboriginal identity and experiences.
“We have always tried to include indigenous films in the festival,” said Kathy Kay, executive director of the festival.
“Unfortunately, it was always a hit and miss trying to find films with role models and stories that speak to this underserved segment.”
This is the third year of the project, which invites youth and community groups to engage in discussion on indigenous topics. The goal is to inspire and encourage the next generation of indigenous Canadians to pick up a camera to tell their stories creatively.
The program, sponsored this year by the Victoria Foundation, benefits the community by strengthening the arts and cultural landscape while fostering a sense of belonging for indigenous Canadians.
Along with indigenous films, other special categories at the festival include Canadian Wave, French Canadian Wave, World Perspective: Asia.
Claxton is a Canadian artist who has created art in various media. Her work looks at stereotypes, historical context and gender studies of indigenous peoples of North America.
The Victoria Film Festival, celebrating 23 years in 2017, is Vancouver Island’s largest and longest-running film festival. It will screen more than 120 local and international films over 10 days to audiences of about 25,000 people.
For more information, go to victoriafilmfestival.com.
