News

Made in the North Award at Yukon’s Available Light Film Festival gives boost to BIPOC and LGBT2Q+ filmmakers across Canada

January 19, 2021

32 Canadian Filmmakers eligible for $10,000 in prizes

 

Whitehorse, Yukon (January 19, 2021) - This year, made possible through the support of Canada Goose, Available Light Film Festival (ALFF) - Canada’s largest film festival north of 60˙ - is thrilled to award cash prizes to the three outstanding films by underrepresented filmmakers in our lineup.

 

The Made in the North Award presented by Canada Goose is designed to advance the talent of Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and LGBTQ2S+ Canadian filmmakers with a focus on those living in the northern territories. A jury of invited diverse filmmakers will select the award-winning films. There are three award categories:

  • Best Canadian Feature Film
  • Best Canadian Short Film
  • Best Northern Short Film (Yukon, Northwest Territories & Nunavut)

 

“The Available Light Film Festival is over the moon to be shining an even brighter spotlight on diverse filmmakers, especially those in the North,” says Festival Director, Andrew Connors. “Since its founding in 2003, ALFF has been committed to programming films by diverse filmmakers and supporting these filmmakers in telling their stories and sharing them with audiences across Yukon and Canada. Northern diverse filmmakers have further challenges due to the remoteness and great distances from services, mentorship and skilled collaborators needed to create films and media art. With this partnership, Canada Goose will help us in our mission to build up these filmmakers and help them bring their stories from their communities to the world.”

 

Eligibility is open to all feature films and short films in Official Selection directed by Canadian resident or citizen filmmakers who self-identify as BIPOC or queer, and each winner will receive a cash award in celebration of their excellent contribution to Canadian cinema. Akilla’s Escape by Charles Officer, Beans by Tracey Deer, Monkey Beach by Loretta Todd, Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman, No Visible Trauma by Robinder Uppal and Marc Serpa-Francoeur, and short films by 24 Indigenous filmmakers including six from Canada’s three territories are just some of the films that are eligible.

 

Now in its 19th year, the Available Light Film Festival presented by Yukon Film Society is a celebration of Northern, Canadian and international cinema. The festival runs February 5-22 with 33 features, 30+ shorts by Indigenous filmmakers and circumpolar filmmakers, an open-air cinema event, live-streamed concerts by Yukon artists, and more. Each of the films premiered are available to watch online across Yukon and Northwest Territories, and 25+ film programs are available to watch across Canada.

 

Film tickets and All-Access Online Passes are available for purchase from February 5 to 22 at alff.ca

 

The Available Light Film Festival 2021 presenting partner is Canada Goose. ALFF 2021 public supporters are Yukon Government, Telefilm Canada and City of Whitehorse. Premier sponsors include Northwestel Community Television and Canada Media Fund. The Yukon Film Society acknowledges the annual support of Canada Council for the Arts, Yukon Arts Operating Fund and Yukon Lotteries.

 

The Available Light Film Festival acknowledges that it is based on the traditional territory of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and that we live, create and benefit within this territory. Shä̀w níthän. Kwä̀nä̀schis. Gunalchîsh.

 

 

 

-30-

For more information please contact:

Festival Director Andrew Connors: alff@yukonfilmsociety.com 867-332-4430

Follow us on social media

YFS Annual Supporters

Canada Council for the ArtsGovernment of YukonLotteries Yukon