Celebrating Indigenous Arts in Algonquin Territory
The 5th annual Asinabka Film & Media Arts Festival is happening this week, August 10 through 14, in Ottawa. And it will be showcasing the best contemporary Indigenous film, art and music from Canada and around the world. The Festival takes place over five days at Victoria Island, the Museum of Nature, Gallery 101 and SAW Gallery.
The festival begins the evening of Wednesday, August 10 at the Aboriginal Experiences native village on Victoria Island with a welcoming celebration of traditional Indigenous music, dance and food. Filmmaker Adam Garnet Jones will be in attendance to screen his film Fire Song on beautiful Victoria Island at sunset.
The schedule also includes two evenings of film in the Theatre at the Canadian Museum of Nature – Musée canadien de la nature, a Gallery Crawl with two art openings at Gallery 101 & Galerie SAW Gallery, as well as Matinee Film Screenings, a Midnight Film Screening, live Indigenous music, and a family friendly film screening on closing night outdoors in the SAW Courtyard.
Highlights include:
Screening of Fire Song with filmmaker Adam Garnet Jones and lead actor Andrew Martin in attendance, co-presented with Ottawa Capital Pride.
Film programs at the Museum of Nature Theatre with International Short Documentaries, International Short Dramas, 7 Sami Film Program, Experimental Shorts, and a Midnight Screening of alternative and quirky films.
Screening of Chasing the Light with director Blackhorse Lowe in attendance.
Music Night featuring Canadian and International Indigenous artists – Rise + Silla, Dio Ganhdih, Ziibiwan Rivers, Gentlemen Soundgoods, Lyle Odjick, The Handsome Savages, VJ Paradise and guests.
Maori and Pacifica spotlight with curator Leo Koziol in attendance, co-presented with the Wairoa Maori Film Festival.
Art Gallery Crawl, with chartered bus between SAW Gallery and Gallery 101 for solo art show by Inuit multimedia artist Geronimo Inutiq and Indigenous Pop Art Show featuring artists Kent Monkman, Sonny Assu, Tanya Linklater, Alison Bremner, Steven Paul Judd, Natasha Keating, and other international artists.
Outdoor film screening at SAW courtyard of animated family friendly films from the Inuit, Mayan, Iroquois, Anishnabe, Haida cultures.
For details about the entire festival schedule visit www.asinabkafestival.org.
