Alethea Arnaquq-Baril Invited to Join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, based in Iqaluit, NU, is one of 487 artists and executives invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Through her films, Arnaquq-Baril brings attention to important issues that Inuit face. Her 2016 documentary Angry Inuk won the People’s Choice award at TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival 2017 and was selected for the Audience Choice award at Hot Docs Festival and the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Her most recent film, Twice Colonized (2023), won the Best Feature Length Documentary award at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, among others. Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are selected based on their professional excellence and ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity.
Eldred Allen Named Artist-in-Residence with Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures
Inuk photographer Eldred Allen from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, NL, is one of five artists who have been chosen to participate in a residency with Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures. Allen uses handheld cameras, drones and 3D modelling to capture photos of wildlife and landscapes in his community. He was featured in the solo exhibition Resemblance (2021–2022) at The Rooms in St. John’s, NL, and has participated in several group exhibitions, including the Our Beautiful Land (2019) at La Guilde in Montreal, QC, and INUA (2021–2023) at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq in Manitoba. Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures is a project focused on supporting informed decisions and planning for the Labrador Inuit Settlement Area, working to ensure that Inuit have input in its future. The artist residency program runs for one month and offers the opportunity for artists to create work related to food security, ice safety, informed management solutions, Inuit self-determination, climate change and more. Each artist will receive $2,500 as well as funding for materials.
Alianait Arts Festival Returns to Iqaluit
The Alianait Arts Festival was held in Iqaluit, NU, and ran from July 6 to 9, featuring art exhibits, musical performances, poetry readings and workshops by Inuit and circumpolar artists. This year marks the festival’s 20th anniversary, which was celebrated by bringing together 50 artists from across Inuit Nunaat like Aasiva, Taqralik Partridge, Nanook Unplugged Duo and more. For years, artists from both Canada and Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) have connected through Alianait’s annual festivals. The large number of visitors that fly into Iqaluit from Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat, for the festival prompted a new direct flight between the two cities. Alianait also attracts artists and visitors from Sápmi and Alaska.
IsumaTV Partners with Union House Arts on Outreach Tour
IsumaTV will be travelling with Union House Arts to the island of Newfoundland on two outreach tours, which run from July 15 to 20 and September 12 to 27. The tours are focused on connecting artists, organizations and galleries with Union House Arts, a community art space based in Port Union, NL, and will also include special screenings of an Isuma film that is still to be announced. The tour’s goal is to help Union House Arts create more accessible programming for arts communities. Isuma is a collective of Inuit-owned companies based in Iglulik, NU, with a southern office located in Montreal, QC. Launched in 2008, IsumaTV is a collaborative platform for Indigenous filmmakers and media organizations. Locations and times of screenings will be announced in the coming days.