Cannes, France, May 17, 2023 – The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is set to host the first-ever International Indigenous Co-Production Forum at Cannes on May 18 at the Canadian Pavilion. Running from 11am – 7pm, the ISO will host 18 providers from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Greenland and Northern Europe for panel sessions, round tables and networking. Case studies in the successful Indigenous co-productions NIGHT RAIDERS and TWICE COLONIZED will be included and industry experts and decision-makers will discuss international funding, co-productions and markets.

“There is a huge momentum in Indigenous screen content in Canada with investment in funding and total production volume doubling over the last two years. Indigenous screen based storytellers regularly present their work and win awards internationally. 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 Kerry Swanson, CEO of ISO. “The goal of the event is to bring Indigenous producers, filmmakers and decision-makers together to stimulate international co-productions between Indigenous peoples. We hope this will be the first of future gatherings of this kind at other international festivals and markets.”

The ISO initiated the forum in partnership with Ontario Creates and is supported by Telefilm. ISO is working in collaboration with New Zealand Film Commission, Screen Australia, Sami Film Institute, Sundance Institute who are supporting delegates to attend the event. There are 21 producer/filmmaker delegates in total from Canada, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Greenland, Norway and Sweden. There will be eight Canadian producers/filmmakers from Ontario, BC and QC in attendance.

Panel discussion include:

Co-Production Case Studies with International Producers with Emile Peronard (Greenland/Denmark) Chelsea Winstanley (NZ) and Kerry Warkia (NZ), moderated by Kerry Swanson, Indigenous Screen Office, CEO,

Decision-Maker Panel with Funders from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Samiland, moderated by Erin Creasey, Ontario Creates.

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

Producer/Filmmaker participants include:

Australia
Pauline Clague, Australia
Dylan River, Australia
Mitch Stanley, No Coincidence Media, Australia

Canada
Sonya Ballantyne, Code Breaker Films, Canada
Paula Devonshire, Devonshire Productions Inc., Canada
Tyler Hagan, Experimental Forest Films, Canada
Nyla Innuksuk, Mixtape, Canada
Gail Maurice, Assini Productions Inc., Canada
Caroline Monnet, Canada
Darlene Naponse, Baswewe Films Inc., Canada
Loretta Sarah Todd, Mama-oo Productions, Canada

Greenland
Marc Fussing Rosbach, Furos Image, Greenland
Emile Hertling Péronard Ánorâk Film, Polarama Greenland
Pipaluk Kreutzmann Jørgensen, Polarama Greenland

New Zealand
Tui Ruwhiu, Tauihu Media, Aotearoa,NZ
Maria Tanner, Aotearoa, NZ
Kerry Warkia, Brown Sugar Apple Grunt Productions, NZ
Karin Williams, Multinesia Ltd., Aotearoa,NZ
Chelsea Winstanley, This Too Shall Pass, Matewa Media, Aotearoa, NZ

Norway
Linn Henriksen, Paranord Film, Norway

Sweden
Oskar Östergren Njajta Bautafilm, Sámi, Sweden

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About ISO
The ISO is the first organization of its kind in Canada and abroad – an independent Indigenous-led and run funding organization that supports screen-based content owned and controlled by Indigenous storytellers on all platforms. ISO’s mandate is in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, ratified by Canada, which positions storytelling and self-representation in media as a fundamental right. With 67% of funding in 2022 going to projects with Indigenous languages, the ISO further supports the government’s Indigenous Languages Act and language rights affirmed by this government and by UNDRIP.

For more information please contact:
Andréa Grau, Touchwood PR
andrea@touchwoodpr.com