Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation film festival kicks off next week

Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation is set to host its third annual film festival from February 21 to 27 in Fort Simpson.

The event will be held in-person at the community’s recreation centre and include films from across Canada, the Dehcho region and elsewhere in the NWT, according to Jonathan Antoine, the community tourism coordinator for the First Nation.

An initial schedule for the festival shows films and documentaries will screen from Monday to Thursday between 7pm to 9pm. There will be a red carpet event on Friday from 6pm to 10pm, and films will also play on Saturday and Sunday from 3pm to 5pm.

Antoine said he’s working on posting a more detailed schedule in the coming days to outline when specific films will screen.

Antoine said there is a “good selection for everybody.” Some titles include Food for the Rest of Us, First We Eat, The High Road, Tails on Ice, and Paddling the Tsiigehnjiik. There will also be some short films about paddling.

From the Dehcho region there will be two films – a documentary about Treaty 11 that was filmed this summer, and another called Dene Drum Songs in Gahnı̨hthah, which was shot by Antoine.

Admission for the festival will be $10, with funds going toward youth activities in the region. Popcorn and drinks will also be available.

“We do a paddle trip every year so it could contribute to that or it could contribute to the speed skating, really any cause we choose,” Antoine said. “It’s a good cause and it helps youth.”

Antoine said the festival is also a great opportunity for the community to come together and support the art of film and storytelling, especially from local filmmakers.

“I think it’s really good to come out and experience it because you can’t pause it like you do in streaming, it’s going to be played all the way through,” he said.

“It’ll be really good to go out and socialize with friends and peers and just talk about film – which I like to do – because lately we can’t really do that.”