Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival releases plans for February event in Moose Factory
Press Release
Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival Launches 2009 Festival
12/22/2008
The Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival proudly announces its 7th annual festival scheduled during February 17 to 21, 2009. The festival officially kicks off with an Opening Night Welcome Reception for invited filmmakers, special guests and community members at 6 pm on Tuesday, February 17th.
This Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival continues to showcase stories that resonate with issues, concerns and perspectives relative to the James Bay area. Local, regional, national and international filmmakers will be featured. A total of 35 films will be screened for the week including 7 feature documentaries, 9 short docudramas, 12 youth films, 4 animation and 2 feature films. The festival showcases shorts, animation, documentaries and feature films as well as hosts hands-on workshops for aspiring young artists. For 2009, 2 workshops for aspiring youth filmmakers and 3 filmmaker workshops will be featured. The Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival is an artist and community run festival led by brothers, Fred Rickard Jr., Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Paul Rickard.
Presenting sponsor, CTV is pleased to announce the Welcome Reception and Opening Night premier festival screening of In the Sticks by local filmmaker, Victor Linklater. The sport of hockey has always been a mainstay in the small remote Cree community of Moose Factory. In the Sticks follows the history of this sport from the 1950's up to and onto the NHL ice of the San Jose Sharks' Jonathon Cheechoo – a Cree from this island community. Creator and Director, Victor Linklater will be in attendance.
Commencing the evening will be two short films, Sikumi (On the Ice) by Andre MacLean and Incident at the Rock Roe by Roy Boney Jr. Sikumi is a story of how an Inuit hunter drives his dog team out on the frozen Artctic Ocean in search of seals. Instead he becomes a witness of a murder and is forced to navigate the uneasy morality of honouring the body of one friend and destroying the life of another. Incident at Rock Roe is an animated Muscogee Cree language story of courage and hope. It is a story of a father, his family and community being forced from their homes during the Trail of Tears.
The Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival is a unique, community driven, northern experience on the Moose Factory island located along the James Bay Coast. The festival partners with local organizations, co-presenting screenings, workshops, traditional Cree feasts and festival activities at various venues throughout the community such as the Elder's Centre, EPR Center and at local schools. Co-presenting partners include imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival, Moose Cree First Nation and Mushkegowuk Council and the National Film Board of Canada. Audience members are mainly from the Moose Factory and Moosonee area. Many travel by plane, by the Polar Bear Express train and along ice roads from all over the south and from as far north as Attawapiskat.
The Weeneebeg Aboriginal Film and Video festival is a free festival and provides unlimited access to all screenings, events and workshops. Visit the official website for further details of screenings, visiting artists and festival activities at: www.weeneebeg.ca