Thunderstone Pictures is looking for motivated and resilient youth who have stories to tell the world. We are seeking applications from First Nations youth who are living in Thunder Bay, Ontario, between the ages of 17 and 24.

The Telling our Stories Project is a part-time, 14-week program designed to train and mentor four young aspiring First Nations filmmakers through the entire process of making their first short documentary. From the pen to the big-screen, this program is designed to train urban youth who wouldn’t necessarily be able to attain access to other filmmaking training programs.

It’s hands-on, real world training in writing, directing, filming and editing documentary taught by professional filmmakers. It’s also completely free to the successful applicant.

The program will run from mid-September to December 2008 from our office in downtown Port Arthur.

Participants will be selected based on:
- An interest in storytelling
- An interest in the filmmaking process, both technical and human
- A desire to have their voices heard
- Creativity, energy, trustworthiness, courage
- A willingness to learn
- Must be able to articulate ideas
- Must be dedicated and committed to completing the program

We recognize that for many First Nations youth there exist barriers to academic success. While we value academic achievement, this is not a factor in selecting participants. Applicants can be, but do not have to be, going to school. Unfortunately, transportation cannot be provided, so you must be able to make it to downtown Port Arthur at least twice per week.

This program is not for the weak of heart. It will be a lot of work, but it will be satisfying work. There will be no evaluation, no marks, just film making. At the end of the program, we’ll screen all four films to the community on the big screen.


TO APPLY:

Deadline for applications is September 5th, 2008.

Download the Application (MS Word Format) here.

or (Adobe .pdf format)here.


Fill it out and email it back to info@thunderstonepictures.com or print it off, fill it out and mail it (or drop off ) to the address on the form.

We will call you for an interview if you make it to the shortlist.

Meegwetch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

THUNDER BAY, ON - Thunderstone Pictures, a film company based in Thunder Bay, ON, is pleased to announce its first major broadcast. "Woodland Spirits", a half-hour documentary filmed across Northwestern Ontario, premieres on TVO's "The View From Here" on Wednesday May 21st at 10:30pm. It rebroadcasts on Sunday May 25th.

Made by an all-Northwestern Ontario crew, it was shot around Thunder Bay, Longlac, Wawa, Agawa Bay, Armstrong and deep in the bush north of Lake Nipigon. Shot, directed and edited by Dave Clement, "Woodland Spirits" is a co-production of Thunderstone Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada and was made in association with TVO through the NFB/TVO Calling Card Program.

Featuring stunning scenery, ancient rock paintings and powerful artwork, Woodland Spirits highlights the mentoring connections linking three men – Gelineau Fisher, Moses Beaver and Andrew Machendagoos – representing three generations of Woodland (Anishinawbe) artists living in Northwestern Ontario. All three have been profoundly affected by the life and work of the late Roy Thomas – a close friend, artistic influence and father figure whose wisdom is a key presence in the film.

For these men, mentoring is more than sharing artistic technique. It is a cultural tradition that calls on those who came before, and on the images themselves. In part, this film is a tribute to Roy Thomas' ongoing legacy. This legacy lives on through younger artists and through the work of his widow, Louise Thomas, who supports artists young and old through the gallery she runs out of her husband's old studio in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

"It was a great learning experience", said the film's auteur Dave Clement, "I am deeply honoured to have the people in the film tell their story through my craft". Throughout production Clement found the values and sophistication of the ancient teachings of the Anishinawbe to be deeply profound.

"Woodland Art is only one expression of a an ancient philosophy that shows us how all things, and all peoples, are interconnected. It's inherently environmental". The style of painting, sometimes called the "Woodland School" or "Anishinawbe Art" often features bold black "spirit" lines, vibrant colours, and interior visions of animal spirits and legendary figures - popularized by Northwestern Ontario artists such as Norval Morrisseau and Roy Thomas. "It must be noted that it is not everyday an art movement, respected and admired all over the world, just walks out of the bush in your own backyard. As northerners of all cultural backgrounds, we should all strive to learn about this beautiful culture that is surrounding us and art being the universal teacher, is a good place to start".

The film also features hip-hop by War Party and Wax Philosophic, traditional drumming and signing by The Little Bear Singers and traditional Anishinawbe flute played by Moses Beaver.
For more information on Woodland Spirits call Dave Clement at 807.251.4030 or email Dave. You can reach youth artist Andrew Machendagoos at 807.622.4957 or Louise Thomas at 807.577.2656.

You can also visit:
NFB Website – Woodland Spirits
or
TVO Website – Woodland Spirits

-30-

Sudbury Star, May 12th, 2008

The Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards were handed out during a special ceremony Saturday evening.

This year’s ceremony featured host Jowi Taylor of CBC Radio and Six String Nations, performances from this year’s music finalists including Sault Ste Marie’s Wild Turkeys and Thunder Bay’s Flamenco Caravan, film clips from “The Asphodel Meadows” by Sudbury’s Grant Jeffery ending the evening with a gala reception at the Radisson’s Palladium Room in downtown Sudbury.

The winners are:

Best album: Ox- American Lo Fi

Best songwriter: Angie Nussey - Unwritten Pages

Best film: Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best director: Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best film editor: Derek Burnett – The Human Error

Best cinematography: Dave Clement – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best screenplay: Susan Adams – The Devil’s Kitchen

Best vocal performance on a recording: Angie Nussey – Don’t Give Up

Best engineer: Jason Poulin

2008 Trailblazer Award: Confederation College’s Film Production Program

We've been nominated for Best Film, Best Director, Best Editor and Best Cinematography!

Music, film awards nominees unveiled
Sudbury Star

Sudbury, March 26, 2008 – On the evening of May 10th Music and Film in Motion (MFM) will celebrate the fifth annual Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards by presenting nine (9) Northern artists with awards for excellence in music and film. In addition to the Awards Ceremony on May 10th this year, for the first time, MFM has added a conference component to the Program running May 9th and 10th.

Submissions came in from communities across the North this year including; Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins, Wawa, Parry Sound and Thorold. MFM is pleased to see participation in the awards program continues to grow and is proud to announce that submissions for 2008 are up by 21% over last year.

“Entries were up significantly this year, with more entries coming from communities outside of Sudbury, like Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay than in years past,” said MFM Executive Director Dennis Landry. “That growth coupled with the addition of our inaugural industry conference means that we get to celebrate the 5th anniversary of this program in grand style. This year the spotlight is truly going to shine on the North’s music and film artists and industry.”

For each category, the finalists were selected by a panel of prominent music and film industry professionals. The winner for each category will be announced at the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards ceremony to be held on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 at the Radisson Hotel.

MFM is proud to announce Vale Inco as this year’s presenting sponsor of the 2008 Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards and Conference. Returning this year is The Amazing Persona and Persona 10 News as the Awards Ceremony Sponsors, and Big Daddy 103.9 as our Conference Sponsor. For a full list of this year’s sponsors please see press kit.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on April 17th. Stay tuned to www.thinknorth.ca for more information.

For further questions regarding the Awards Program or to schedule interviews with the finalists, please contact MFM at 674-9954, toll free at 1-866-674-9954 or email here.

Music and Film in Motion is a non-profit organization whose mandate is to foster and promote the development of the music and film industries in Northern Ontario.


2008 NORTHERN ONTARIO MUSIC AND FILM AWARD FINALISTS

Best Album

Mark Browning - Ox - American Lo Fi

The Wild Turkeys – Unplucked

Cindy Doire – La Vie en Blue

Best Songwriter

Christian Berthiaume & Robert Dickson – La mère de toutes les dystopies

Paul Dunn – I Don’t Wanna Write a Song

Angie Nussey – Unwritten Pages

Sheldon Jaaskelainen – Hayfield Crooning

Best Film

Grant Jeffery - The Asphodel Meadows

Paul Stark - Role Play

Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best Director

Ryan LaVia – Unsaid

Paul Stark – Role Play

Kelly Saxberg & Dave Clement - Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best Film Editor

Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Derek Burnett – The Human Error

Andrew Simpson – Ils l’ont pendu

Best Cinematography

Dave Clement – Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Corey Leckie – Ils L’ont Pendu

Donald Delorme – La Cathédrale

Best Screenplay

Jim Calarco –That Was Easy

Jennifer Opas – Heart Strings

Susan Adams – The Devil’s Kitchen

Best Vocal Performance on a Recording

Paul DiSalle – The Search

Angie Nussey – Don’t Give Up

Susanna DiGiuseppe – Mi Amor

Best Engineer

Brian Lahaie – Angie Nussey-Little Tragedies

Jason Poulin – Apparatus-Risen

David Jeffrey – Paul DiSalle-Broken Holiday

"Seeking Bimaadiziiwin" has recently been recognized by the Ontario government as an innovative health care tool.

We have been selected as exhibitors at Celebrating Innovations in Health Care Expo 2008 happening in Toronto on April 22nd, 2008.

Dr. Paul Mulzer, Executive Producer of the film, will be representing the team and preparations are underway to create a dynamite exhibit.

North Bay Nugget, Februrary 30th, 2008
By Rick Garrick

Seeking Bimaadiziiwin filmmakers Michelle Derosier and Dave Clement were not the only ones surprised with the massive turnout at the benefit screening of their award-winning film.

"It was profound," says Rosie Mosquito, one of about 300 people who packed Thunder Bay's Finlandia Club in January to support the creators of the 30-minute drama that looks into the challenges of teen suicide and depression among Aboriginal youth. "I'm really proud of the turnout - it was educational for the whole community at large. Not too many people realize how daunting that experience has been."

After the screening of the film, which was a co-production between Derosier and Clement's Thunderstone Pictures and Kelly Saxberg's Shebandowan Films, the cast and crew gathered on stage and shared their experiences and feelings.

"I always get teary-eyed and I've seen it 100 times," says Derosier, the Eagle Lake band member and Lakehead University Aboriginal student counsellor who wrote the script and also performed the role of Aboriginal therapist in the film. "The cast of young people are so amazing."

Derosier explains afterwards that she has lost a brother to suicide, and that the meaning of the film is about seeking life.

"Seeking the good life is very important," she says.

Brent Achneepineskum, who played James, says the film is about helping young people achieve their goals and dreams.

"It was so painful and hard hitting," he says. "I knew I had to be part of this project."

Saxberg, who directed the film along with Clement, organized the benefit screening for Derosier and Clement after most of their film and computer equipment and years of intellectual property were stolen this past November during a break-in at the Thunderstone Pictures office in Thunder Bay.

"It happened while we were in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival," Derosier says. "They took our whole creative editing suite, monitors, cameras and seven hard drives. The hard drives had seven years of work on them."

Seeking Bimaadiziiwin was nominated for Best Short Film at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Festival and took the Best Live Action Short Film award at the Nov. 2007 American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco and the 1st People's Choice Award at the Sept. 2007 Bay Street Film Festival in Thunder Bay.

"The message is hope," Derosier says, describing Seeking Bimaadiziiwin. "It's about young people supporting each other. But it is also about some of the issues young people face."

Derosier explains that she wrote the film to encourage young Aboriginal people to think about some of their issues.

"And hopefully some healing will come from it," she says. "It has already had an impact with the non-aboriginal community as an education tool. It was not really the intent of the film, but it is really beautiful to see that happening."

A wide variety of organizations in Thunder Bay have viewed the film to date, including Lakehead University, a number of high schools and public schools, Dilico Ojibway Child and Family Services - District Mental Health Team, New Experiences Program, Confederation College, Thunder Bay Regional Sciences Centre and an Ontario Health Association Conference.

"St. Joseph's Care Group is interested in screening it for their staff," Derosier says, noting that Dr. Paul Mulzer, a St. Joseph's Care Group psychiatrist, was the executive producer and helped develop the film in collaboration with Derosier and an aboriginal steering committee. "Part of the reason is that it speaks of some truths - like residential school, alcoholism, and historical relationships of the community. All of the kids in the film have been personally touched by suicide."

Derosier, Clement and Saxberg are currently completing a companion documentary to Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, Finding Manajiiwin (Finding Respectful Knowledge), which is scheduled to be ready by February.

"Finding Manajiiwin deals with cultural competency when working with First Nations people," Derosier says, explaining that there is currently a lack of culturally competent resources for use in the health field. "It's honest and hard-hitting."

The Union of Ontario Indians FASD Program is seeking the submission of photographs of aboriginal children (ranging from newborn to age 10 for publication in an aboriginal children's environmental health manual.

Preference will be given to photos of children: in regalia, taking part in traditional activities, engaging in healthy activities, or infants in a moss bag or cradleboard.

Each child will be paid a $40 honorarium for the use of their photo. Parents must be willing to sign a release granting permission for the use of their child's photo, both in the manual and in publications promoting the new resource. We also wish to include the child's name and member community in the resource.

Submissions must be received by March 14, 2008.

Tb News Source
2/18/2008 7:46:27 PM

A local film continues to attract attention and highlight a national issue thats making a mark on First Nations Youth. 'Seeking Bimaadiziiwin' a documentary on that deals with the tough topics of depression, suicide and racism continues to be shown around the city, most recently at Lakehead University. The screening provided students and film makers the chance to talk about solutions, and even share their own experiences. Filmmaker Michelle Derosier says the film has received a lot of local reaction.

Actress Candice Twance who is in 'Seeking Bimaadiziiwin' says it's important for students to see first hand the situations many First Nation Youth deal with on a daily basis. Twance says the film shows real life circumstances that she can relate to.

Along with 'Seeking Bimaadiziwin' another film called 'Three Nations, One Story' was screened at L.U. Filmmakers say both of the documentaries will continue to be shown in the city as well as across the country, in an attempt to shine a light on the tragedy of native suicides.

This is news coverage from Thunder Bay Television on Seeking Bimaadiziiwin being used in the community. [watch here]

By Tom Peotto, Lakehead University Argus
Feb 4th, 2008

The local short film Seeking Bimaadiziiwin (“Seeking the Good Life”), which won accolades last year at the 32nd American Indian Film Festival, is now distributed online.
Michelle Derosier, writer/co-producer of the film (and LU’s Aboriginal Counsellor), explained the scenario. “The ‘First Nation Initiative’ is group of individuals who (myself included) who are involved in trying to produce culturally-relevant resources [made locally] to be used by First Nations and non-First Nations in health care.” She explained further that the money raised from the sale of the film will go towards distributing it to the First Nations communities for free. Money raised will also allow for the cast and crew to go up north and do presentations in the communities. ” Since the Bay Street Film Festival in the late fall of 2007, where Seeking Bimaadiziiwin won a People’s Choice Award, the film has “had 20-25 screenings…several at [Confederation] College and the University.”

The film’s success is especially surprising considering that it’s not a fluffy feel-good comedy, but a serious drama on the topic of aboriginal youth depression and suicide. An upcoming showing will be at the Bora Laskin on February 14, which “several classes are attending. These are issues that you’re going to face [as a teacher, social worker, nurse, etc.], and it’s good to go in with some knowledge of those issues. In [the Thunder Bay area] there’s been a huge influx of aboriginal people, especially aboriginal youth…we need to meet and discuss these issues on a community level.” Derosier and Dr. Mulzer, the film’s executive producer, are also completing a workbook to accompany Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, which “will be online very soon.” The DVDs of Seeking Bimaadiziiwin “began selling the day they went up online.”

Derosier’s production company, Thunderstone Pictures, is also finishing a documentary this week: Sharing Tebwewin (Sharing Truth), a 30-minute documentary “about cultural competency when working with First Nations.” How, exactly, does one define ‘cultural competency’? In her words, it’s “making health services culturally safe for First Nations patients and clients.” “It’s creating an understanding and respect between people. It’s important to know some key issues when dealing with First Nations in health care system”. Regarding why, for instance, an aboriginal person might not automatically trust a non-aboriginal person with a title. “There are issues that relate to historical factors that will have a direct impact on building trust and effective communication.”

Sharing Tebwewin also discusses the differences in aboriginal communities across Canada: the rural/urban division, the issues of divergent language groups, cultural practices, religion and spirituality, and so forth, It also offers insight and advice.

Asked as to whether Thunderstone Pictures, which Derosier operates with her partner Dave Clement, has yet recovered from the unsolved break-in and theft of last autumn, Derosier replied that “the computer is up and running again” after a January 11 fundraiser attended by 300 people. “It was really fantastic to see so much community support—it goes to show that a lot of people are interested in supporting the local arts. It was pretty super.”

Northern Ontario Medical Journal
Date Published | Dec. 20, 2007

BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN

When Dr. Paul Mulzer was doing his psychiatry training on a First Nation reserve near Bradford five years ago, he used to find the mental health pamphlets he gave his patients stuck underneath the couch cushions after their appointments.
“People wouldn’t take them. It wasn’t that there was no First Nations content in the pamphlets. They just weren’t describing the reality in their communities.”


Mulzer decided to order some aboriginal mental health resources for his patients, but he soon realized that no such resources existed.


These days, Mulzer works as a psychiatrist in Thunder Bay, where he once again has a lot of aboriginal patients.


He applied for and received an education and wellness grant from Eli Lilly Canada with the idea of producing an educational video about suicide, depression and addiction issues on reserves.


Mulzer met with an aboriginal advisory group for several months, trying to find out what the film should contain.


He eventually approached two Thunder Bay film production companies, Thunderstone Pictures and Shebandowan Films. The co-owner of Thunderstone Pictures, Michelle Derosier, took on the task of writing the script. The film was co-directed by Dave Clement and Kelly Saxberg.


The result is a 45-minute short dramatic film entitled Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, which means Seeking the Good Life in the Anishanawbe language.


The film won the People’s Choice Award during its premiere at the Bay Street Film Festival in Thunder Bay and the Best Live Action Short Film Award at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco.


It was also nominated for the Best Short Film Award at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival. The film’s real purpose, however, is to help urban and rural aboriginal youth beat their demons.


Derosier, who is aboriginal, grew up on the Eagle Lake First Nation near Dryden and earned a degree in social work at Lakehead University. She now counsels aboriginal youth at the university as part of her day job.


She knows first hand about the devastating effect suicide can have on aboriginal communities and families. Her own brother took his life 12 years ago. Derosier said writing the film has allowed her to heal to some extent.


The film follows Kaitlyn (Brittany Angeconeb), an 18-year-old Anishnawbe woman who attempts suicide and is sent to the city for treatment. She and three other aboriginal youth attend group counselling sessions and become friends despite their differences.
The film was shot entirely in Thunder Bay, so residents of the city are able to see a lot of familiar landmarks.


“Film is just such a great thing,” said Derosier. “You can reach masses of people rather than doing it one person at a time or 12 people at a time in a counselling group.”
Most of the actors have no professional training, but they did a great job despite their inexperience, she said. More than 100 people from communities across the north auditioned.


Derosier herself played the aboriginal therapist who led the group sessions along with a white therapist.


She believes suicide, mental health issues and addictions are rampant in aboriginal communities because of the history of cultural genocide.


“When you have that history, it seeps through in every aspect of our lives, whether it be economic, political or social. It’s had devastating effects. The reserve system itself is colonialism,” she said.


“I think that a lot of the hopelessness has to do with a sense of identity. For anybody, regardless of your race, you do need to have some sense of identity and some sense of yourself.”


In the past, Derosier has done counselling work at a high school in Sioux Lookout, where 10-year-old children have committed suicide.


“There were a lot of stats with kids that were 10 or 12 year old committing suicide. For somebody that hasn’t had a lot of exposure to suicide and aboriginal communities, it’s mind boggling.”


Mulzer has more plans in mind to help aboriginal people. He recently applied for and received a $10,000 bursary from the Canadian Psychiatric Association Foundation to bring Seeking Bimaadiziiwin to three remote aboriginal communities in the north.
“We’re going to show the film and go through a workbook, which we are in the process of preparing. We will follow it up with questionnaires to get a sense of attitudes and the impact the film has had on the young audience.”


A documentary about the same subject is being produced to show to health professionals as a tool for learning to work with aboriginal people, and should be finished in a few weeks.


“I’m delighted about where we can go with this,” said Mulzer. “I think this is the first step in many, many films. I’m also starting to storyboard another production right now (besides the documentary), and I know Michelle (Derosier) has some fantastic ideas for future productions as well.”

By LINDSAY LAFRAUGH
Friday, January 4, 2008

Dave Clement and Michelle Derosier received the news on their way back from a weekend in Winnipeg in mid-November.
Their film company, Thunderstone Pictures Inc., had been robbed while they were out of town attending the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival, where their film, Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, had been nominated.

Clement said there has been a rash of break-ins at their Court Street office building, noting that a photographer lost his equipment the same way recently and that his friends at Shebandowan Films had a close call with an attempted break-in.

He said the landlord has co-operated by changing the locks throughout the building, but said he has heard nothing back from the police.

“I had to beg them to look at the eye-in-the-sky footage that was 50 feet away from the entrance of the building,” said Clement.

“There has been no followup with the police at all.”
The thieves made off with computer hard drives and monitors as well as video cameras, and the hard drive, video card and ram from their editing machine. The equipment is worth about $8,000.

“The worst thing is that they took seven hard drives, which represented about five years of work,
“With seven hard drives, you can only back up so much because you have such a massive quantity of data,
“So except for a couple of things that were backed up and off-site they basically stole all of our intellectual property,” said Clement who estimated that $200,000 worth of work was lost.

The company‘s graphic design and corporate information is gone as well.

Fortunately Thunderstone Pictures had just finished mastering Seeking Bimaadiziiwin and had made a copy.
“They stole that content and all of the work associated with it . . . so that one is in its final form and intact but we are unable to make any changes to it ever again,” Clement said referring to the company‘s premier film. Seeking Bimaadiziiwin is about a young aboriginal woman dealing with depression. It has won the company awards at local and international film festivals.

He said they were also able to salvage a project that was set to wrap up in December by using an older file that had been backed up.

“We had to play catch-up on that,” he said.

As entrepreneurs in their first year of operation, Clement said he and Derosier couldn‘t have it all – leaving them only partially covered by insurance.

He said he is saddened that these types of crimes are happening in Thunder Bay but that on the other side of things he feels lucky to live in a city with a good sense of community where people are willing to help each other.
Clement and Derosier‘s friend Kelly Saxberg, of Shebandowan Films is helping to plan a benefit for the couple to help them get back on their feet.

“We instantly found people who wanted to help,” she said in an interview Friday.

Clement said he couldn‘t say enough about the people who are taking the time to help.

“It has really been moving for Michelle and I,” he said.
The benefit is on Jan. 11 at the Finlandia Club. Doors open at 7 p.m. with a recommended donation of $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

The evening will include a special screening of Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, a meet and greet with the film‘s stars and crew and musical performances by Heather McLeod, Rob Spade, Rodney Brown and Danny Johnson.

The FNI project, the team that put together the award-winning drama "Seeking Bimaadiziiwin" and the soon to be released documentary "Sharing Tebwewin" (Sharing the Truth), has just gone online. FIRST NATION INITIATIVE.ca (no spaces) functions as the official website for the two above projects and for future works produced Thunderstone Pictures in conjunction with the team that includes Shebandowan Films, Robert Spade, and Dr. Paul Mulzer. You can also purchase films online at this location.

We are pleased to announce that "Seeking Bimaadiziiwin" (Seeking the Good Life) has taken the award for Best Live Action Short at the American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show at the 32nd Annual American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco, California.

This really goes to show what a community can do when they dedicate themselves to a project. Congratulations to everyone who played a part and stay tuned for more in the future.

Sincerely,

Dave Clement and Michelle Derosier
Thunderstone Pictures

San Francisco, CA - The American Indian Film Institute (AIFI) and Title Sponsors; the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are proud to announce the nominees for the 32nd annual American Indian Film Festival. The awards will be presented at the annual American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show on Saturday Nov. 10 at 6:00p.m at the historic Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

The American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show, (established in 1978), has recognized excellence in American Indian cinematic achievement, making the annual awards show one of the most prominent Indian Country and Native Cinema showcases.

Over 100 films have been screened and judged by a jury panel designated by the American Indian Film Institute (AIFI). Fourteen prestigious awards will be recognized to those with outstanding cinematic accomplishments, including: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short, Best Public Service, Best Music Video, Best Industrial, and Eagle Spirit Awards.


Best Film
Four Sheets to the Wind, Director: Sterlin Harjo, USA
Imprint, Director: Michael Linn, USA
Luna: Spirit of the Whale, Director: Don McBrearty, USA

Best Director
Sterlin Harjo - Four Sheets to the Wind
Michael Linn - Imprint
Don McBrearty - Luna: Spirit of the Whale

Best Actor
Adam Beach - Luna: Spirit of the Whale
Cody Lightning - Four Sheets to the Wind
Michael Spears - Imprint

Best Actress
Tamara Podemski - Four Sheets to the Wind
Tonantzin Carmelo - Imprint
Natasha Johnson - Turquoise Rose

Best Supporting Actor
Ernie Tsosie - Mile Post 398
Gary Farmer - Disappearances
Deshava Apachee - Turquoise Rose

Best Supporting Actress
Carla-Rae Holland - Imprint
Jeri Arredondo - Four Sheets to the Wind
Tantoo Cardinal - Luna: Spirit of the Whale

Best Documentary Feature
Our Land, Our Life, Director - George and Beth Gage, USA
Water Flowing Together, Director - Gwendolen Cates, USA
Miss Navajo, Director - Billy Luther, USA
Making the River, Director - Sarah Del Seronde, USA

Best Documentary Short
Dream Makers, Director: Susan Cardinal, USA
Smoke From His Fire, Director: Kim Recalma-Clutesi & Aaron Szimanski, Canada
Gene Boy Came Home, Director: Alanis Obomsawin, Canada
Yukon Circles, Director – Karin Williams, USA

Best Live Action Short
The Tenth Day, Director - Dustin Owl Johnson, USA
Seeking Bimaadiziiwin, Director - Dave Clement & Kelly Saxberg, Canada
The Colony, Director - Jeff Barnaby, Canada
I'm Not the Indian You Had In Mind, Director – Thomas King, Canada

Best Animated Short
Raccoon and Crawfish, Director - Dale Rood, USA
Aboriginality, Director - Dominique Keller, Canada
Wapos Bay: A Time to Learn, Director – Dennis Jackson, Canada

Best Music Video
The Enlightned Time, Director - Stephan Galfas & Clint Childers, USA
What Are We Fighting For?, Director – Joanne Shenandoah, USA
Overwhelming, Director - Klee Benally, USA

Best Public Service
Bad Sugar, Director - James Fortier, USA
Hidden Plague, Director - Doug Cuthand, CAN
A Place Between: The Story of An Adoption, Director: Curtis Kaltenbaugh, Canada

Best Industrial
Seminole Tribe of Florida 50th Anniversary, Director, USA
NAPT-3 Decades, Director - Penny Costello, USA
A Defining Moment: Standing for Sovereignty, Director-Dale Kruzic, USA

Advance Tickets available thru AIFI: 415-554-0525 visa & mastercard. On-site tickets available at the following theater venues (on day of show.)

** November is National American Indian Heritage Month. AIFI welcomes all- audiences, all-colors, to participate at festival screenings, seminars and awards show.

For complete schedule and tickets please visit www.aifisf.com

Monday, October 29, 2007 — The Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival (WAFF) officially announced its first set of award nominees today, as determined by its five-person jury. The categories and nominees are:

Best Short Film:
Bad Habits, The Colony, Osama Likes Frybread, Seeking Bimaadiziiwin

Best Short Documentary:
Fighting Cholitas, Kokum on the Move, Tarnz Story, Willaberta Jack

Best Experimental:
Happiness, Turtleheart, Wabak

Best Animation:
Aboriginality, Crazy Ind’n, Maq and the Spirit of the Woods, Tainá-Kan

Best New Talent:
Days Like These, The Devil and the Dancing Trolls, Niigaanibatowaad: FrontRunners, Maq and the Spirit of the Woods

True to the global nature of our program, nominees come from as far away as Australia (Bad Habits; Days Like These; Willaberta Jack) and Brazil (Tainá-Kan). Most hail from Canada, from the raw ferocity of The Colony to the timeless serenity of Kokum on the Move. Manitoban productions in the running include three first-time efforts: Happiness, The Devil and the Dancing Trolls and Niigaanibatowaad: FrontRunners.

“Truth is, we’re impressed by all the films screening at the Festival this year,” said WAFF’s Assistant Artistic Director Tim Fontaine, “In fact, I’d say it’s the most creative and diverse collection overall in our event’s six-year history.” The second group of nominees -– including Best Feature Film and Best Feature Documentary –- will be announced later this week. All nominees and award winners will be honoured at the WAFF Closing Night Gala on Sunday, November 18, 2007 at the Pyramid Cabaret, 176 Fort St.

From November 15 through 18, WAFF will screen nearly 70 indigenous works from across Canada and around the world. For complete schedule and background information, including jury biographies, visit our ‘Press Room’ page at www.aboriginalfilmfest.org.

Media Contact: Julie Lafreniere
jules@aboriginalfilmfest.org
cell: (204) 897-9552

About the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival (WAFF) Every November, WAFF showcases 4 days of the best in local, national and global storytelling about the indigenous experience. Both on and off the screen, we support the artistic and professional development of first-time and young film-makers of First Nations, Métis and Inuit descent

BY JON THOMPSON, THE ENTERPRISE (Lake of the Woods)

The whispered questions are starting to be spoken outloud: is a native film industry really beginning totake root in Northwestern Ontario?

With "Seeking Bimahdzwin", a dramatic film based on native teen suicide, set to launch at Thunder Bay's Bay Street Film Festival this weekend, Eagle Lake born Michelle Desrosier has stepped from the front lines tothe front of the camera.

Desrosier wrote the film and was then cast to play agroup therapist. It's a role she found natural in writing the piece because social work is herprofession, even as life has dropped her right in the middle of Thunder Bay's blossoming film scene. " It was really exciting but it was also a scary process for me because you're sharing a story that isvery close to your heart," she says. "It touched my life in many ways and that's a risk to share that with the public."

Surprised that she could act well enough to take therole, her time now became consumed with shooting the film on top of the daily issues that arose from co-owning Thunderstone Pictures, who was co-producing Seeking [Bimaadiziiwin - sic]. "There's so much more to making a film than people think. There's a lot of work that goes into it. One of the group scenes would take us all day and all night to do then it's a two minute shot in the film. It's alot of hard, grueling work, doing it over again under the hot lights and a group of 16 behind the camera. You don't think about it when you watch a film but there's so much more going on than what you see."

An aboriginal steering committee backed the project with a loose but very straight forward mandate. Their research on mental health concerns in First Nations communities led them to the issue of youth and teen suicide. Desrosier relied on her experience as a social worker with First Nations youth as well as her own life experience to write the screenplay.

"I don't think there's much in the film that hasn't touched my life at some point in time. It looks at the residential school system, my grandfather was part ofthat. It looks at alcoholism, things that I've been touched by in one way or another throughout my life. "We dedicated the film to a brother of mine, Daniel. I lost him to suicide 12 years ago so that part of it touches me very personally. It's also dedicated to First Nations youth whose lives have ended too soon. It's not just a film. It's so much more than that."

The intent was for the film to serve as a treatment and education tool for First Nations youth in clinics or therapy sessions. With all the actors most of the crew hailing from between Winnipeg and Pays Plat, the focus would have regional appeal. Dr. Paul Mulzer, a psychiatrist with the Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital has even put in a proposal to do a manual for it to provide depth for the piece as a healing tool. However, due to the positive reaction at the press screening to its production quality, Thunderstone Pictures and Shebandowan Films may push beyond that potential.

"We're looking into putting the film into festivals worldwide as well as broadcast potential. Applications are being made to fund eight more films and make it into a television series," says her partner Dave Clement, the other co-owner of Thunderstone pictures who also co-produced and co-directed the film.

Local photographer Nadya Kwandibens from NorthwestA ngle was on the set conspiring to create much of the appearance of the film with the production team. The company website thunderstonepictures.com displays many of her photographs including those shown here.

From the Lake of the Woods Enterprise
Saturday, September 15, 2007

Wawatay News

September 6, 2007: Volume 34 #18

The uneasiness came from the oh-so-realistic portrayal of First Nation youth dealing with depression and suicide.

But for the film Seeking Bimaadiziiwin to succeed, that’s the way it had to be.

The story follows Kaitlyn, played by Bearskin Lake’s Brittany Angeconeb, as she struggles through depression caused by grief. Ultimately, she decides to try and take her life.

It’s an uncomfortable subject. I sat watching the scene with a cold shiver running down my spine.

The attempt was unsuccessful and Kaitlyn reluctantly lands in group therapy to help continue her recovery to good physical, mental and emotional health after a lengthy hospital stay.

The film’s best scenes involve the dynamic between a handful of youth in group therapy.

Brent Achneepineskum played James, an urban Aboriginal struggling to find his identity. Much like many Aboriginal youth you see at the mall, James wore loose, baggy street clothes and was heavily influenced by African-American culture and mannerisms.

Also occupying a seat in group therapy was Shyla, played by Candace Twance. Shyla was a lighter-skinned Aboriginal. As such, she faced discrimination among her peers for being too light.

That set up one of the most memorable lines in the film. When group therapy began, James was running his mouth about how it was supposed to be just for Aboriginals.

He questioned why Shyla, with her pale complexion, was in the “Nish” therapy, calling her Snowflake.

Her response was she knew more about her culture – including traditional dancing – than he did despite their respective skin colours.

I asked both the film’s writer Michelle Derosier and executive producer Dr. Paul Mulzer about the scene.

Mulzer said comments and exchanges similar to that in the film are typical in group therapy at Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital.

Derosier said the scene was one of the few which was, in-part, adlibbed.

“Most of the script had to stay exactly the way it was written to make sure we covered all the key points,” she said. “We knew what we had in mind for every character during casting and there was always going to be a scene like that one. But that was Brent doing a little extra. We left it in because we thought it worked in this case.”

Achneepineskum stole many of the scenes he appeared in. His presence – larger than life – offered a brief escape from some of the darker elements of the film – the funeral, suicide attempts and family problems which were filmed over nine days in late-May and early May in Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation.

The film had many poignant moments. In one scene, James presents Kaitlyn with a painting he started before he met her. He told her it was her, with her children years later.

In another, Kaitlyn phones home to talk to her mother but slams the payphone down after realizing her mother was drunk.

Kelly Saxberg, the film’s co-director and co-producer, said the film’s story came about from a mandate from local First Nations people and a steering committee after they conducted a survey about what is lacking where educational tools are concerned.

The film – a co-production of Shebandowin Films and Thunderstone Pictures – will be used as an education tool, she said.

It will be sent to First Nations and she hopes to organize screenings on the First Nations as well.

The film will have its world premiere Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Thunder Bay’s Bay Street Film Festival.

The festival is online at
baystreetfilmfestival.ca

TB News Source
Web Posted: 9/10/2007 9:37:46 PM

A local film is attempting to help Native youth deal with their problems through a powerful story.

Seeking Bimaadiziiwin chronicles the lives of several local First Nation young people as they deal with alcoholism, depression and suicide and follows the story of a young girl trying to overcome these issues in her life. Writer Michelle Deroiser says the film is based on the real-life stories among aboriginal youth and explains the main message in the film is to 'not stereo-type'.

The 30-minute drama was shot and edited in Thunder Bay with the goal of it becoming a treatment tool among Native youth. Several of the film's actors were on hand for the pre-screening. Dr. Paul Mulzer is the executive producer and a psychiatrist with St. Joseph's Care Group and he foresees this film becoming a useful tool in treating many issues saying he's confident it will change the lives of aboriginal youth.
''I think it's going to actually change people's lives. I think from an educational point of view it really deviates from what's normal in terms of our treatment of the subject matter. And I think to do it in a drama, I think it really opens up for young people to discuss some of the key issues in the film.''

Michelle Derosier, who also works as a social worker for St. Joseph's Health group [sic - well Lakehead University in fact] said ''I think Paul actually counted them once and I think that there were 10 key topics, that we can expand upon in a treatment setting.''

A proposal to do ten more films taking on various Native issues has already been proposed. Seeking Bimaadiziiwin can be seen at the Bay Street Film Festival on Thursday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Finlandia Club.

To view news video click here.

Local film talent comes together to create emotionally impacting film

By Jodi Lundmark-- TB Source
June 15th, 2007

The Thunder Bay film industry has taken a major step forward with a collaboration between some of the city’s best filmmakers. Seeking Bimadziwin, a co-production of Thunderstone Pictures Inc. and Shebandowan Films, is the story of an Anishnawbe girl, Kaitlyn, and her struggle with depression after attempting suicide. “In the beginning of the film, she is dealing with some things in life that are difficult: she lost her friend to suicide, her mother is active in her alcoholism and she lives in poverty,” said screenwriter Michelle Desrosiers. After her suicide attempt, Kaitlyn is flown from her remote community to Thunder Bay for treatment. Her psychiatrist recommends group therapy with other First Nations youth and Desrosiers said that is where her story begins.

“She meets these other characters, these three First Nations youth who are also really different, with diverse backgrounds and they basically help each other to heal. They empower each other and they heal from each other and their stories,” she said.

Producer and director of photography Dave Clement said each one of the characters is representing a stereotype in one way and in another way smashing those stereotypes.

The film touches on many issues facing First Nations people, including alcoholism, the impact of residential schools and mental health. And while the film includes these topics, it isn’t bogged down with information.

“We also wanted to tell the story and make it realistic and entertaining and emotionally impacting,” Clement said. “It’s designed to move people to want to get all the facts.” The project was initially supposed to be a documentary on aboriginal mental health, which Lakehead Psychiatric Hospital’s Dr. Paul Mulzer received funding for. Clement said along with Desrosiers and Shebandowan Films’ Kelly Saxberg, they convinced him to treat the sensitive topic with a drama instead.

The film is a 100 per cent Thunder Bay production and Clement said it couldn’t be made anywhere else. “It was supposed to be made here. We need to keep building new industry here,” he said, adding the city has trained people pouring out of Confederation College each year.

Desrosiers said there are so many talented people in Thunder Bay and they saw 115 people audition for the film. “For most of them, they’d never done anything like that before. People were going outside of their comfort zone,” she said.

The cast and crew were also connecting with each other and the script over the 10-day shoot that wrapped on June 4. “Everyone learned from each other and came together. It was really amazing to see that unfold throughout the whole process. This is our history. It affects us all,” she said.

Clement said they’re hoping to have Seeking Bimadziwin ready for the Bay Street Film Festival this fall.

There is a 40-minute documentary that will go with the film for medical professionals and the film will be distributed to health care facilities.
Clement said they hope to also distribute it to First Nations communities and they’re approaching broadcasters in hopes of it airing nationally.

CBC - Real Audio
Film production in Thunder Bay has been steadily growing.

The latest event is a co-production between Thunderstone Pictures and Shebandowan Films.
The companies have teamed up for a two part documentary and drama series to be filmed in Thunder Bay.

Now they're just missing one thing...actors.
Joining Lisa in the studio to tell us about their project and about their recruitment strategy for actors are Dave Clement and Michelle Derosier of Thunderstone Pictures.

Link to RealAudio Stream

Read the story on Wawatay's website

Shooting for a film about First Nation youth dealing with depression and suicide is underway in Thunder Bay.


May 31, 2007: Volume 34 #11

In the lead role of the film Bimadiziwin, which means ‘the good life,’ is Bearskin Lake band member Brittany Angeconeb.

“My character has to cry a couple of times,” said the soft-spoken 15-year-old on the set on the first day of the shoot.

“After reading the script I can kind of relate to her character,” the Thunder Bay resident said.

There is a reason for that, said scriptwriter/screenwriter Michelle Derosier.

“It deals with common issues that take place in First Nation communities everywhere,” said the Eagle Lake First Nation member who is also a qualified social worker with accrediation from Lakehead University. “Real issues are presented through fictional characters and fictional situations, which are actually often dealt with by First Nation peoples.”

Dave Clement, one of the film’s directors, said four different main characters were cast in the film.

One comes from the Far North, another is an urban character who grew up in foster homes, a third comes from a drive-in reserve and the fourth is an urban Indian who grew up in the city.

“The urban Indian is of First Nations descent, but doesn’t look it and is actually the traditional one who brings the group together,” he said. An additional 21 characters were cast in supporting and background roles out of 115 people who auditioned.

Added Derosier: “The characters are deep and diverse. We were trying to be reflective of what’s going on in our society when we wrote the script because we wanted our audiences to be able to relate to the story being told.”

Filming is taking place in and around Thunder Bay over 10 days.

Angeconeb said she’s looking forward to doing the shoots because her real life mother Sharon is going to play her mother and her younger sister is going to play her younger sister in the film.

“So it won’t be too much of a stretch to act that part,” she said.

“What’s funny is my mom is clean and sober and she has to play a drunk in the movie.

“I’ve been having a lot of fun with the other cast members and get really excited about it.”

The story told in the film deals with issues given to its makers as part of a mandate from local First Nations people and a steering committee after they conducted a survey about what is lacking where educational tools are concerned, Clement said.

“When you are dealing with a subject of this magnitude, it’s easier to make a dramatic picture out of it instead of a documentary and still be truthful to the topic,” he said.

Derosier took the mandate she was given and used her experience as a social worker, First Nation member and wrote the script for the film around the content.

“We know the stories about First Nations youth and dealing with depression and suicide,” she said, adding the film, once completed, will be geared more toward the youth.

“Our intent is to use the film as a learning tool and to help these young people.”

Bimadiziwin is a co-production of Shebandowin Films and Thunderstone Pictures - both Thunder Bay-based film production companies.

A second film, a documentary that deals with the same type of content, is also in the works, Derosier said.

“This one will be used as an educational tool for working professionals and to teach cultural competency,” she said.

Shebandowin Films and Thunderstone Pictures expect to release the film later this summer.



Joyce Hunter — joyceh@wawatay.on.ca

After two months of auditions, pre-production planning and rehearsals , we'll be rolling film this Saturday!

We have 6400ft of film, a crew of 16 and a cast of 26.

Chi Meegwitch to everyone who came out for auditions.

Be sure to check our website daily for the production photo of the day!

After auditioning 114 people for the 20 or so roles in "Seeking Bimadziwin" we're spending the next couple of days making our shortlist. We hope to do call-backs as early as tonight for the final selection process. Some roles have already been selected and we'll be letting people know ASAP.

Chi-Meegwetch to all those who came out to audition. While we obviously can't cast everyone, we've all made major progress towards the next big production.

On Sunday April 29th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm, we'll be hosting a FREE workshop for Anishinawbe Youth (age 15-25) at the Finlandia Hall, 314 Bay St. (above the Hoito).

The workshop is intended to help youth develop their acting talent while at the same time forming a talent pool for casting in upcoming local film productions. These productions will bring in paid work for youth with an interest in the arts.

One film, the dramatic portion of the First Nation Initiative, will be shot from May 28th to June 7th, 2007. The film follows a young woman named Kaitlyn as she recovers from depression. This is a half-hour Thunderstone Pictures/Sheba films co-production that will be shot ON FILM!

Please Register

Interested? Please register by email at

acting (at) thunderstone
pictures.com

This helps give us an idea of how many people to expect.

See you there!

We've just completed the first phase of a video series on First Nation patients, professionals and mental health. We spent two days with Dr. Cornelia Weiman, the first aboriginal woman psychiatrist in Canada.

The series includes a half hour drama (shot in 16mm) followed by a documentary. The documentary is designed to assist the "cultural competence" of medical professionals when working with the unique needs of First Nations youth. The series is the first full co-production of Thunderstone Pictures and Shebandowan Films.

Our new website is in its final stages of development. Thanks to the mad web skills of Jeff Clement, we will soon be able to bring you news, videos and photos of our works. We'll also post links to all the best stuff on the web.

We will officially launch the site sometime in February.