The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is pleased to announce its new partnership with the Sundance Institute this week and the selection of filmmaker Amanda Strong as its first Canadian Fellow to take part in the 2020 Sundance Institute Native Filmmaker’s Lab.
“We are very excited to create new opportunities for Canadian Indigenous screen creators through our partnership with Sundance. We extend our congratulations to Amanda as well as thank our partners at the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) for their support of this project,” said Kerry Swanson, Managing Director of the Indigenous Screen Office.
“We look forward to building on this partnership with the Sundance Institute and Bird Runningwater, who has been at the forefront of fostering independent voices in the Indigenous film industry for over 20 years. This is an incredible opportunity for skills building and mentorship in a uniquely Indigenous context.”
Amanda Strong, a Michif (Métis, Cree, Chippewa, Assiniboine, European and Polish Ancestry) was selected by a panel to participate in the 2020 Sundance Institute Native Filmmakers Lab, reimagined and expressed digitally this year on Sundance Co//ab. The Lab is at the core of the Institute’s commitment to supporting Indigenous storytellers since its founding.
Amanda’s work is fiercely process-driven and takes form in various mediums such as stop-motion, 2D/3D animation, Virtual Reality, gallery/museum installations, published books and community-activated projects.
At the Native Filmmakers Lab which runs from June 29–July 10, the Fellows will workshop scripts of their short films under the expert creative mentorship of Indigenous Program alumni and other established filmmaking professionals serving as Advisors along with the Sundance Indigenous Program staff, led by Indigenous Program Director N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/Mescalero Apache).
The Lab encourages Fellows to hone their storytelling and craft skills in a hands-on and supportive environment. Following the Lab, Fellows will receive a year-long continuum of support.