Wapikoni, Cinema On Wheels, showcasing stories made during Wapikoni stopovers rolls across Canada

« As part of Wapikoni Mobile’s first-ever coast-to-coast tour, Wapikoni: Cinema on Wheels will be stopping in various cities and communities across the country from April to November 2017 to bring a selection of incredible short films with compelling stories and incredible visuals directed by Indigenous youth from Eastern Canada to urban areas and remote communities. 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.

Cinema on Wheels offers three distinct programmes of shorts films that were selected in prestigious film festivals such as Sundance, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Montreal International Documentary Festival, the Cannes Film Market, etc.: the general public (14 shorts), the teen (10 shorts) and the youth 7-12 (8 shorts) programmes. Witness the flowering of a new generation of talented young Indigenous filmmakers, learn about other cultures and participate in a discussion about Indigenous films and realities with the projectionists-facilitators. The choice of these works, with their unique stories, is aimed at discovering dynamic Indigenous voices and incredible talents coming straight from the communities.

Don’t hesitate to contact Tanis Choueiri at diffusion@wapikoni.ca to book a FREE a screening in your community, school or to have the caravan stop at your festival!

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING DATES:

• August 14 , 6pm: Toronto (Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 16 Spadina corner of Bloor)
• August 17, 11:30 am: Hiawatha First Nation (Youth Centre, 361 Hiawatha Line)
• August 21, 12:30 pm: Alderville First Nation (Community Centre, 8913 Country Road 45, Roseneath, ON)
• August 22, 7 pm: Peterborough (Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, 580 Cameron Street)
• August 24, 11:30 am: Moose Deer Point Rec Center (1011 Ogemawahj Rd.)
• September 9: Rideau Hall, Ottawa
• September 15: Montréal
• September 16: Festival de cinéma de la ville de Québec
• We are currently booking more dates and taking reservations. Our calendar is updated daily.

“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.

We have 3 programmes:
– general public (14 shorts)
– teen (10 shorts)
– youth 7-12 (8 shorts)

« 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 close to 1,000 short films translated into several languages. These films have received 146 awards and honours at national and international festivals. Wapikoni is under the patronage of UNESCO. »

-from Wapikoni Mobile website
Read Wapikoni’s profile in ArtBridges’ Community-Engaged Arts Directory and Map