FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto (Tkaronto), ON July 31, 2024 — The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is thrilled to announce a new initiative in collaboration with Reel Green™ at Creative BC, aimed at encouraging ISO program applicants to adopt environmentally sustainable production practices through an Indigenous lens. Creative BC and ISO will each contribute $100,000 towards these sustainability initiatives. The program will launch on August 28, 2024 as part of the ISO’s Production Program. Applicants must be based in British Columbia and can apply for up to $20,000 to support the hiring of a sustainability coordinator, green workshops, energy efficiency, waste reduction, eco-friendly transportation and sustainable set design, construction and more.
“This is an opportunity for ISO to actively encourage Indigenous productions to implement environmentally friendly practices. Creative BC is a long-standing partner to ISO and this new collaboration aligns perfectly with ISO’s mandate and Indigenous values,” said Kerry Swanson, ISO’s CEO.
“We are proud to build on Creative BC’s ongoing partnership with the Indigenous Screen Office through a new connection between Indigenous filmmakers and the film commission’s Reel Green™ initiative. Focused on the industry’s environmental sustainability in B.C. and beyond, the Reel Green™ top-up boosts budgets for actions that reduce a project’s consumption and carbon footprint. The partnership will also open new pathways for Indigenous perspectives to guide Reel Green™’s strategies and industry commitments to help protect First Nations’ unceded lands.” said Marnie Gee, BC Film Commissioner and Director of Production Services.
“This new initiative with Creative BC’s Reel Green™ aims to enhance sustainable practices during all facets of production through an Indigenous lens in British Columbia,” said Kristy Assu, Director of Funding Programs at ISO. “Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to sustainability within their production and meet all eligibility criteria outlined in the ISO General Guidelines to apply for this unique initiative.”
There will be more detailed information available on the website to assist future applicants to this pilot program and inquiries could be directed to funding@iso-bea.ca.
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About the Indigenous Screen Office
The Indigenous Screen Office is an independent national advocacy and funding organization serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis creators of screen content in Canada. The ISO’s mandate is to foster and support narrative sovereignty and cultural revitalization by increasing Indigenous storytelling on screens and promoting Indigenous values and participation across the sector.
About Creative BC
Creative BC is an independent society created and supported by the Province to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative industries: motion picture, interactive and digital media, music and sound recording, and magazine and book publishing. The organization delivers a wide range of programs and services with a mandate to expand B.C.’s creative economy. These activities include: administration of the provincial government’s motion picture tax credit programs; delivery of program funding and export marketing support for the sector; and provincial film commission services. Combined, these activities serve to attract inward investment and market B.C. as a partner and destination of choice for domestic and international content creation. The agency acts as an industry catalyst and ambassador to help B.C.’s creative sector reach its economic, social, environmental, and creative potential both at home and globally.
For more information:
Jean-François D. O’Bomsawin
Director of Communications and Francophone Initiatives
Indigenous Screen Office
jfobomsawin@iso-bea.ca