The NFB has been recording life in the North since the 1940s.
But for decades, northern Indigenous people were restricted to being subjects in films by non-Indigenous NFB directors.
It’s only very recently that the NFB has started to address how it works in the North and how it supports northern creators.
In 2017, it introduced its first-ever Indigenous Action Plan, acknowledging that past NFB films “contributed to a system of miseducation with devastating social impacts that have been well documented in the work of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.”
Today, the NFB’s collection of northern cinema features a growing number of works by Indigenous creators, but there is still much to be done.
These works are a vital part of the NFB’s online resources and learning initiatives, providing uniquely northern perspectives to classrooms and communities everywhere.
We’re proud to be sharing those perspectives and experiences at the Arctic Arts Summit.
J’net Ayayqwayaksheelth, Director, Indigenous Relations and Community Engagement at the NFB.
Credit: This video was originally published on the NFB YouTube channel. COURTESY NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA.
Note: This video was filmed prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and mentions collaboration with eight circumpolar regions.
A Look at the NFB’s Indigenous Cinema Collection
Enjoy more than 50 years of First Nations, Métis and Inuit filmmaking, and centuries of storytelling, with an ever-expanding collection of Indigenous-made cinema.
Inuit Cinema at the NFB
Explore a collection of films made by Inuit for Inuit.
Inuit Cinema to Watch
Discover new and upcoming films from the NFB by Inuit artists, filmmakers, musicians and storytellers.
Spotlight on Evan’s Drum
Learn about a new short film on the return of the Inuit drum to Labrador.
Spotlight on Nalujuk Night
Learn about an upcoming short film on an exhilarating Nunatsiavut tradition.
Spotlight on Three Thousand
Watch an archive-inspired film that retells the past, present and future of Inuit in a radiant new light.
Unikkausivut: Sharing Our Stories
An educational resource from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), bringing together films by and about Inuit.
Each week, the Arctic Arts Summit Digital Platform spotlights an important region of the circumpolar North or organization working to support Arctic artists and their practices. Spotlights are an exciting introduction to the variety of perspectives across the circumpolar world and we invite you to learn more across the platform.
