Toronto Festival Features Unprecedented Number of Indigenous Films

By Miles Morrisseau. ICT.

The Toronto International Film Festival 2024 opened with an unprecedented 15 Indigenous films in the line-up, including the eagerly anticipated "Rez Ball" based on the true story of a Navajo boys basketball team and the thrillers "Seeds" and "The Beguiling."

The festival, celebrating its 49th year, has become one of the top film festivals in the world and a launching pad for big studio projects, Oscar contenders, independent darlings and everything in-between.

The 11-day festival, which kicked off Sept. 5 and runs through Sept. 15, has become more inclusive for Indigenous creatives in recent years with the addition of two Indigenous programmers.

"We're getting a front row seat in seeing how some Indigenous storyteller's careers are developing," said Kerry Swanson, Michipicoten First Nation, who is chief executive of the Indigenous Screen Office told ICT from her home in Toronto.

"We're so excited about the representation of ISO-funded films at TIFF this year, in addition to the overall representation of Indigenous films from around the world," Swanson said. "We have seven projects funded in the festival this year."

The festival hired two programmers - Kelly Boutsalis, Mohawk, and Jason Ryle, Anishinaabe- to help guide the programming, not just for Indigenous content, Swanson said.

"Since they've hired those programmers, there's been an annual increase in the number of (Indigenous) projects at TIFF," Swanson said.

Swanson has watched the evolution of Indigenous film, television and digital creatives in Canada for more than 20 years, serving as executive director and board chair of imagineNATIVE, Canada's largest Indigenous film festival, before moving to the Indigenous Screen Office, an advocacy and funding organization. She says watching artists grow in their craft is like watching a movie.

One example of that is Eva Thomas, producer of the feature film, "Seeds," and co-director of "Aberdeen," both featured in this year's festival.

"She's a great example of someone who's been really utilizing all of the ISO's training and mentorship programs as well as accessing funding for short films," Swanson said. "She's really been able to access funding to develop her career, and she is certainly one to watch."

Thomas, Walpole Island First Nation, co-directs "Aberdeen" with Ryan Cooper. The film tells the story of an Indigenous woman who is forced to move to the city of Winnipeg as a climate-change refugee.

"Seeds" is the feature film debut of writer/director Kaniehtiio Horn, who is known on camera for roles as Deer Lady in "Reservation Dogs" and Tanis in "LetterKenny" as well as producer in the series, "Shoresy." Horn is Kanieńkehá:ka from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory.

"Seeds" is marketed as a horror comedy with big laughs and scenes of ritual torture and cannibalism. The film uses the home invasion horror trope but also includes the Indigenous defense of the seeds that have historically fed the people, corn, beans and squash. Horn not only directs but stars in the lead role along with iconic Indigenous actor Graham Greene.

"We're really excited about Kaniehtiio Horn's film 'Seeds,' Swanson said. "And she has said to us that our funding made a really huge impact in allowing her to bring a crew from her community ... She said that made the world of difference for her first feature to have the support of crew from her community."

Variety of offerings

Those two films are the features in this year's collection of Indigenous projects at the festival, but there are short- and long-form documentaries and short films as well.

Among the international highlights this year include the world premiere of "Rez Ball," the third feature by Sydney Freeland, who co-wrote the film with Sterlin Harjo, creator of "Reservation Dogs." The film is executive produced by professional basketball player LeBron James.

"Rez Ball" is based on the book, "Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation," by New York Times writer Michael Powell. It tells the story of the Chuska Warriors from New Mexico, who band together after losing one of their star players.

"I could not be more enthusiastic about 'Rez Ball," Freeland, Navajo, said in a statement released by Netflix. "This is a story that is so deep and close to me, and to be able to showcase our part of America with the world in such an authentic way is deeply gratifying."

Director Sydney Freeland, Navajo, shown here at the premiere of "Reservation Dogs" in Los Angeles on Aug. 5, 2021, is again in the spotlight at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival with the debut of the feature film, "Rez Ball," which she co-wrote with Sterlin Harjo and also directed. The festival runs Sept. 5-15, 2024. (Photo by Max Montour, Indian Country Today)

Freeland is not a newcomer to the film festivals. She premiered her first feature, "Drunktown's Finest" 10 years ago at the Sundance Film Festival. Her follow-up, "Deidre and Laney Rob a Train," also premiered at Sundance in 2017 and is available to stream on Netflix.

Another international film, "The Mountain," is brought to the festival by executive producer Taika Waititi, Māori. The family-centered film is the directorial debut of Rachel House, one of the globe's most recognizable Indigenous actors. And a new series, "Thou Shalt Not Steal," by Dylan River stars Arrernte actor Sherry-Lee Watson, who was previously in the Australian series, "Heartbreak High."

The documentary series, "The Knowing," is also being closely watched. It is co-directed by Tanya Talaga and Kanien'kehá:ka filmmaker Courtney Montour. The series is based on a book of the same name in which Talaga, Anishinaabe, searches her ancestry to find the women who were erased from the family tree. In the process, she uncovers the family's history with the Canadian residential school system.

"Tanya is a well-known author and journalist who's made the series with Courtney Montour, and so we're excited to see that one as well," Swanson said.

Other Indigenous titles from Canada include "So Surreal: Behind the Masks," a documentary that unveils the fascinating connection between the work of famed Surrealist artists and Yupʼik and Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw ceremonial masks, and the quest to bring some of the masks back home.

The films in the Short Cuts program include "Anotc Ota Ickwaparin Akosin," directed by Catherine Boivin; "Inkwo: For when the Starving Return," directed by Amanda Strong; "Welima'q," directed by Shalan Joudry; and "A Black Screen Too," directed by Rhayne Vermette; "Vox Humana," directed by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan; and "The Beguiling," directed by iskhwaazhe Shane McSauby.

McSauby told ICT that the 16-minute film is about a blossoming romance that evolves into a night of awkward horror.

"As the night progresses it starts to get a little weird and weird and weird until eventually one of them suspects the other," McSauby said. "Starts to get suspicious of the other's Indigenous heritage and it culminates into this big, awkward, darkly comedic ending that I hope will have audiences at the edge of their seats and spilling their popcorn."

'Diversity of storytelling'

Swanson believes that all audiences will be surprised and entertained by the growing and glowing spectrum of Indigenous creatives in film.

"What is really exciting at TIFF this year is the rise of Indigenous-made cinema and storytelling on screen," Swanson said. "And I think audiences are going to start recognizing the difference in seeing Indigenous portrayals on screen made by Indigenous people.

"We're excited about that, and the diversity of storytelling that is out there is really going to be exciting for audiences."

The Toronto International Film Festival 2024 features 15 Indigenous films, series and documentaries. Here's the line-up.

Feature films

"Rez Ball" - directed by Sydney Freeland

"Seeds" - written and directed by Kaniehtiio Horn, who also stars

"Aberdeen" - co-directed by Ryan Cooper and Eva Thomas

"The Mountain" - directed by Rachel House

"KA WHAWHAI TONU (Struggle Without End)" - directed by Michael Jonathan

"My Father's Daughter," directed by Egil Pedersen

Documentaries & Series

"So Surreal: Behind the Masks," documentary, co-directed by Neil Diamond and Joanna Robertson

"The Knowing," documentary series, co-directed by Courtney Montour and Tanya Talaga

"Thou Shalt Not Steal," series, directed by Dylan River

Short films

"Anotc Ota Ickwaparin Akosin," directed by Catherina Boivin

"Inkwo: For when the Starving Return," directed by Amanda Strong

"welima'q," directed by Shalan Joudry

"A Black Screen Too," directed by Rhayne Vermette

"The Beguiling," directed by iskhwaazhe Shane McSauby

"Vox Humana," directed by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan