Ancestral Threads – Shorts
September 18 @ 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
Honor of the Paintbrush
Louise Thomas (Cree) • 8m • Canada • 2025 • English
Louise, an Anicinabe woman, found the strength to move on after the loss of her husband by devoting herself to the art gallery she opened in his honour. Through this process, she shows how healing can bring positivity and renewal.
Nivingajuliat
Shelby Lisk (Mohawk), Tess Girard • 12m • 2025 • Canada • English
Nivingajuliat (meaning ‘wall hanging’ in Inuktitut) follows artist Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona as she works on her latest wall hanging, depicting the story of the Inuit sea goddess, Sedna. Coming from a legacy of renowned artists, Kabloona responds to her great grandmother (Jessie Oonark) and grandmother’s (Victoria Mamnguqsualuk) artwork by continuing the tradition while making the narratives in a feminized context, making the heroines in her artwork self-sufficient, empowered women, free of patriarchal violence.
Handwoven
Dasha Levin (Mexican), Mason Cazalet, Mihika Das, Matthew Wisdom • Key Cast: Nikyle Begay (Diné) • 9m • USA • 2024 • English
A lyrical portrait of Nikyle Begay, a non-binary shepherd and weaver; working to preserve their way of life through the traditional art of weaving.
Frost Scraping
Theresa iskwêw (Nehiyaw) • 12m • 2025 • Canada • English
This short documentary follows Kanina Terry, a hide tanner from Sioux Lookout, whose family roots in hunting inspired her to ensure no hide goes to waste. Driven to learn the practice, Kanina not only mastered tanning but also refined a winter frost-scraping method that has transformed her process and deepened her love for the craft. Beyond creating earrings, calendars, and other works with tanned hides, she is part of a growing community revitalizing this ancestral skill. Kanina’s story reflects both innovation and tradition, as she carries forward a practice that connects generations.
Injalak
Jonathan Sequeira, Wade Jackson • 10.5m • 2026 • Australia • English
A remote town in Australia has a thriving community of indigenous artists.
Threads of our Ancestors
Artless Collective • 25m • 2026 • Canada • English
Threads of our Ancestors explores the enduring spirit of Tłı̨chọ art through the hands and hearts of five remarkable artists from Canada’s Northwest Territories. Blending ancestral tradition with contemporary innovation, this journey reveals how culture, land, and economic independence are intricately woven into everyday life.
