Raised in Mittimattalik, NU, Ipeelie Ootoova now currently resides in Iqaluktuttiaq (Cambridge Bay), NU, with his partner and collaborator Sarah Jancke. Ootoova initially broke into the film industry as an actor in director John Houston’s The White Archer in 2010, where he played the role of Kanguq. Soon after, he took on roles in films such as Uvanga (2013) and Maïna (2013), with his performance as Natak in the latter earning him a Best Actor Award nomination at the American Indian Film Festival that year [1]. Outside of feature films, Ootoova has also starred in multiple short films and commercials.
In 2020, Ootoova released a horror film he co-wrote and produced along with Sarah Jancke, Nakimayuq (2020), at the Dead North Film Festival in Yellowknife, NT. Among his production credits, Ootoova also served as Assistant Iglu Builder on set [2]. This Profile was made possible through support from the RBC Foundation’s Emerging Artists Project.
Nakimayuq premiers at Dead North, 2020
Nakimayuq, 2020
Best Actor Award Nominee, 2013