Three organizations are partnering to present two free community screenings of Indigenous films and digital art in Saskatoon. On December 7th, the Saskatchewan Craft Council, the National Film Board (NFB) and Saskatoon’s Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op (CNYC) will be screening Souvenir, a series of four NFB short films addressing Aboriginal identity and representation along with short digital works created by CNYC youth.

A still from CNYC youth Michael Ben's short film “Michael was Here”. This is one of the short works that will be screened on December 7, 2017. Photo supplied by Saskatchewan Craft Council.

The event will take place at the Saskatchewan Craft Council Gallery at 813 Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon for the afternoon screening at 2pm and the evening screening at 7pm. People can enjoy a bag of popcorn with the screening as everyone is welcome.

Aabiziinbwashi (Wide Awake): NFB Indigenous Cinema on Tour

Throughout 2017, the NFB is offering the films in its exceptional collection of 250+ Indigenous-made works to all Canadians — for community screenings! The SCC is excited to bring four of these films to Saskatoon. These are the stories of our land told by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit filmmakers from every region of the country. Powerful, political, and profound, these films will initiate and inspire conversations on identity, family, community, and nationhood.

Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op: Word on the Street (WOTS)

The Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op (CNYC) is a grassroots organization committed to providing a safe space for inner city and marginalized youth in Saskatoon. They focus on helping youth develop life and employment skills through hands-on programming and offer curriculum approved classes, taught by an accredited teacher, for students to earn high school credits. CNYC promotes the values of community, cooperation, sustainability, environmentalism, gratitude, accountability, and leadership in an empowering and respectful atmosphere.

Word on the Street (WOTS) is a youth-focused digital storytelling program offered at CNYC. Along with working on their own projects, the youth are introduced to a variety of art organizations and community resources that are available in Saskatoon and get to engage directly with local artists. CNYC's collaboration with the Saskatchewan Craft Council is such an opportunity for WOTS youth — who are first-time filmmakers. They will have several short films which are all documentaries: reflective and inspiring but very unique from one another.