The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is hosting what’s billed as the first-ever International Indigenous Co-Production Forum to take place in Cannes.

The event is running today (May 18) alongside the Cannes Film Festival with 21 delegates from Canada, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Australia, Greenland, Norway, and Sweden taking part in panel sessions, roundtables, and networking activities at the Canadian Pavilion.

There are eight Canadian producers/filmmakers in the delegation, hailing from Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. They include Sonya Ballantyne of Code Breaker Films; Paula Devonshire of Devonshire Productions; Tyler Hagan of Experimental Forest Films; Nyla Innuksuk of Mixtape; Gail Maurice of Assini Productions; Caroline Monnet; Darlene Naponse of Baswewe Films; and Loretta Sarah Todd of Mama-oo Productions.

This marks the ISO’s second year at Cannes, following last year’s delegation with the Black Screen Office (BSO). It was initiated in partnership with Ontario Creates and is supported by Telefilm, according to a news release.

The ISO also worked in collaboration with the New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Australia, Sami Film Institute, and Sundance Institute to support event delegates.

Two of the case studies at the forum involve Indigenous coproductions, including Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders, produced by Tara Woodbury for Uno Bravo; Paul Barkin for Alcina Pictures; Ainsley Gardiner and Georgina Condor for Miss Conception Films/Whenua Films; and coproduced with Chelsea Winstanley for Defender Films. The Canada/New Zealand dystopian drama won six Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.

The other case study is director Lin Alluna’s Canada/Denmark/Greenland copro Twice Colonized, produced by Alethea Arnaquq-Baril of Nunavut-based Red Marrow Media. It made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and recently screened at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

In addition to the coproduction case studies moderated by Kerry Swanson (pictured), CEO of the ISO, there is a Decision-Maker panel featuring funders from participating countries and moderated by Erin Creasey, director of industry development at Ontario Creates.

Roundtable hosts include representatives from Eurimages, the Sundance Institute, the Toronto International Film Festival, Berlinale Talents, New Dawn Fund and the Government of Canada.

“This day is an example of the growing interest in Indigenous production internationally and an opportunity to bring the global Indigenous community together at the Canada Pavilion,” said Swanson in a statement.

“The goal of the event is to bring Indigenous producers, filmmakers and decision-makers together to stimulate international coproductions between Indigenous peoples. We hope this will be the first of future gatherings of this kind at other international festivals and markets.”

Photo by Loïc Thébaud