Creative BC has awarded $232,000 in early development grants to 13 Indigenous B.C. filmmakers through the Rogers Indigenous Film Fund (RIFF) Program.

The $1 million RIFF Program, created in 2021 and funded by Rogers Group of Funds, provides grants between $10,000 and $20,000 to Indigenous creatives for early project development work. The grant covers phases such as research, community engagement and consultation, first draft and rewrites, packaging, and more. To date, it has supported 65 projects with over $830,000 in grants and top-up funding to B.C. Indigenous filmmakers, according to a release.

Eight feature films are included in the grant funding, five of which received $20,000 grants. Those films, and the key creatives behind them, are: A Bloom in the Bentwood Box from Dustin McGladrey, Before I Go (Vision Quest Communications) from Danielle Wilson-Brown, Don’t Look Down (IndigiFilm) from Kelvin Redvers, Dreamer (Lowd Television Productions) from Tamara Bell and Unbroken Bonds: The Story of Survivors (Tsawalk Media), with the creative team led by Randy Fred.

Rounding out the feature film selections are Headhunter (working title), which received a $19,920 grant, from Lindsey Willie; Kinikinik (working title), given $18,000, with the creative team led by Renae Morriseau; and Riel, which received $10,855, from Rob Labas.

Three TV series have also been selected for grants. They are âniskê, which received $12,300, from Bree Island; Iht’a’ū’a (let’s trade) (Rez Dog Productions), granted $20,000, with its creative team led by Michael Bourquin; and Nimohitotan, which received $16,000, from Hayley Morin.

Rounding out the RIFF Program selections are the animated short film Homelands (Bronfree Films) from Ritchie Hemphill, and the theatrical production Wîhtiko X led by Jay Cardinal Villeneuve. The projects received grants of $20,000 and $15,000, respectively.

Earlier in February, Creative BC announced it had allocated $250,000 across 25 projects that had been selected for development support through the organization’s Equity and Emerging Development Program.

Image: Unsplash