Two Carleton alumni are pulling together a second annual indigenous multimedia arts festival in downtown Ottawa from July 24 to 28.
“We want people to have a good time, enjoy and be entertained,” as well as “have a dialogue and a discussion about what they see and what they hear at the festival,” Howard Adler, co-founder of the Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival, and a Carleton alumnus said.
There are over 30 films being screened. They range in themes, from science fiction, to teenage pregnancy, to racial profiling. The National Gallery of Canada (NGC), Club SAW, and Victoria Island will be hosting the screenings.
Gallery crawls are accompanied by live painting and music, spoken word, and experimental video-art at Gallery 101 and Fall Down Gallery.
The works share the same thread of telling stories—specifically indigenous stories.
“We’re warriors for the same cause. We want to bring the aboriginal presence into the Canadian society,” Isaak Weber, co-founder of Native Vision Productions (NVP), said.
Weber does graffiti art infused with woodland style, as well as paint for gallery installations. He said NVP is contemporary but anchored to the tradition of telling stories.
“That’s what we always do. We sit down and tell each other stories. . .because from every other situation is a lesson,” Weber said.
Anita Doron is the director of the opening film, The Lesser Blessed.
The film is a love story centred on a Tlicho teenager in a remote community in the Northwest Territories.
“Being in love or being silly is equally important as considering your past or future or talking to your elder. Everything has the same weight,” Doron said of the film.
The festival’s name, Asinabka, came from the area that inspired it. It means “Place of Glare Rocks” in aboriginal terms, pointing to the area around Victoria Island and the Chaudiere Falls.
Adler and his co-founder, Chris Wong – also a Carleton alumnus – stumbled upon the idea of hosting an indigenous film festival on their way back from studying Ojibwe on Victoria Island.
As they left the island, it started to rain. They ran into the National Library Archives Canada, which is located beside the bridge to the island. An Indian film festival was taking place inside.
“That led us to discuss the absence of an indigenous film festival in Ottawa,” Adler said.
Other Canadian cities such as Toronto, Vancouver and Thunder Bay have their own indigenous film festivals, added Adler.
“Proceeds go to the operation of the Asinabka Festival, which includes paying artists,” said Adler.
“If there is a surplus in our budget after the 2013 festival, remaining funds will go towards future Asinabka Festival events.”
