NIFF 2023 Performances
The Bridge
Written and Performed by: Pesch Nepoose
Director/Dramaturge: Ed Roy
Age Appropriate: 14yrs+
A young indigenous woman has been drugged and is being held captive. She knows her abductors, and knows if she doesn't escape she'll probably end up dead. The young indigenous woman is Kara, and she's caught between two worlds. Raised by adoptive white parents we follow her on a treacherous journey of self-discovery, as she struggles to find identity and community while being faced with racial and cultural rejection. In this one-woman show, Kara and the various characters she encounters, takes the audience through the events that led up to her captivity, and eventually looks to the audience to help her resolve it's ending.
Get your tickets here
Written and Performed by: Pesch Nepoose
Director/Dramaturge: Ed Roy
Age Appropriate: 14yrs+
A young indigenous woman has been drugged and is being held captive. She knows her abductors, and knows if she doesn't escape she'll probably end up dead. The young indigenous woman is Kara, and she's caught between two worlds. Raised by adoptive white parents we follow her on a treacherous journey of self-discovery, as she struggles to find identity and community while being faced with racial and cultural rejection. In this one-woman show, Kara and the various characters she encounters, takes the audience through the events that led up to her captivity, and eventually looks to the audience to help her resolve it's ending.
Get your tickets here
An Indigenous Play
Company: Juicebox
An Indigenous Play explores the baggage that comes with being an Indigenous artist. How do people react to non-traditional art? Are land acknowledgments doing what we think they are? Dakota is having her first art show, but is it what everyone expects of her? After navigating troubles at work, troubles at home, and one crazy uncle, the Indigenous art show must go on.
Juicebox is a Winnipeg-based group of theatre students from the University of Manitoba. Together, they have performed "An Indigenous Play" once before at the Black Hole theatre and they are excited to be sharing this piece a second time in a new province. Their group is very diverse and comes from all different areas:
Jade Wood (playing Dakota) from Wasagamak Island Lakes first nations
Christian Perez-Carrillo (playing Uncle) from California with Hispanic heritage and Mayan roots
Josie Long (playing Bethany) from Pinawa
Hoang Quyrn (playing Jo) a Vietnamese international student in Canada from Hai Duong City
Julia Ross (playwright and director) from Pinaymootang First Nation
Get your tickets here
Company: Juicebox
An Indigenous Play explores the baggage that comes with being an Indigenous artist. How do people react to non-traditional art? Are land acknowledgments doing what we think they are? Dakota is having her first art show, but is it what everyone expects of her? After navigating troubles at work, troubles at home, and one crazy uncle, the Indigenous art show must go on.
Juicebox is a Winnipeg-based group of theatre students from the University of Manitoba. Together, they have performed "An Indigenous Play" once before at the Black Hole theatre and they are excited to be sharing this piece a second time in a new province. Their group is very diverse and comes from all different areas:
Jade Wood (playing Dakota) from Wasagamak Island Lakes first nations
Christian Perez-Carrillo (playing Uncle) from California with Hispanic heritage and Mayan roots
Josie Long (playing Bethany) from Pinawa
Hoang Quyrn (playing Jo) a Vietnamese international student in Canada from Hai Duong City
Julia Ross (playwright and director) from Pinaymootang First Nation
Get your tickets here
The Cave That Hummed a Song
Written and Performed by Trina Moyan, Directed by Jill Carter
From Creator/Performer Trina Moyan:
This story was originally created for and with my friend the great Lee Maracle who passed away on Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2021. An interesting day for Lee to go on her journey given that she spent her life encouraging us to ‘remember ourselves’. This story that was inspired by her philosophical musings on life, on being a woman, on blood memory and about women taking their rightful place in society. A timely piece to reflect the MMIWG2S movement. It was never fully written down because it was birthed out of a traditional form of oral story keeping and the traditional way of telling stories from the heart and in the moment. In that, each time I or the story teller shares it – the story changes and is transformed by the listeners in the room. My effort to write the story down, is a beginning to help formally stage the piece within western theatrical parameters. It will always be an evolving work but for now we have tried to align it within the western theatre framework.
Get your tickets here
Written and Performed by Trina Moyan, Directed by Jill Carter
From Creator/Performer Trina Moyan:
This story was originally created for and with my friend the great Lee Maracle who passed away on Remembrance Day, November 11th, 2021. An interesting day for Lee to go on her journey given that she spent her life encouraging us to ‘remember ourselves’. This story that was inspired by her philosophical musings on life, on being a woman, on blood memory and about women taking their rightful place in society. A timely piece to reflect the MMIWG2S movement. It was never fully written down because it was birthed out of a traditional form of oral story keeping and the traditional way of telling stories from the heart and in the moment. In that, each time I or the story teller shares it – the story changes and is transformed by the listeners in the room. My effort to write the story down, is a beginning to help formally stage the piece within western theatrical parameters. It will always be an evolving work but for now we have tried to align it within the western theatre framework.
Get your tickets here
Songs and Stories of a Modern Mohawk Continued
"Tiger" Will Mason
“Tiger” Will has been on stage for over half his life. From stage acting, film, television and music, Will has tried to excel in his art. He has a cover repertoire of over 500 songs, and many originals. He is very picky about his choice of what he plays for audiences; they usually reflect his views or his sense of humor. In 1986 he was given a spirit name by an Anishinabe elder: “Kahntahwi-wim'tchi'get,” which means 'Maker of Beautiful Music.'
He has won a few accolades over his 35 years+ of playing professionally. He won the first Karaoke Over Ottawa contest in 93, which he entered as a joke. This got him on CJOH-TV's variety show 'HomeGrown Cafe', on which he also won an award as Adult Performer of the year in 94. He was one of the first to play and win with original music. In 2008 he was at the first Native E Music Awards (NEMAs) and nominated for 5 awards, more than any artist there, and won 'Mainstream Song of the Year'. In 2012 he won Canada's Aboriginals Got Talent in Ottawa, judged by the late Vince Fontaine, music promoter Eddie Birkett and others.
This show features songs, mostly originals, with anecdotes and history, as well as stories from his life as a native growing up surrounded. Surrounded by people both his own but mostly not his own. Surrounded by bullies, allies, friends and animals...surrounded by friends, some family, and places where he has lived in his life: Niagara, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa.
He combines native contemporary sounds, with bluegrass/newgrass/Americana/Canadiana, country rock, blues rock, folk and whatever else fits his fancy. He has a specialty in late 60s and 70s' music. He is also an actor, having acted on stage, TV shows and films as an extra/background performer, and a speaking role or two, since the 80s, about the time he began performing as a professional musician.
Get your tickets here
"Tiger" Will Mason
“Tiger” Will has been on stage for over half his life. From stage acting, film, television and music, Will has tried to excel in his art. He has a cover repertoire of over 500 songs, and many originals. He is very picky about his choice of what he plays for audiences; they usually reflect his views or his sense of humor. In 1986 he was given a spirit name by an Anishinabe elder: “Kahntahwi-wim'tchi'get,” which means 'Maker of Beautiful Music.'
He has won a few accolades over his 35 years+ of playing professionally. He won the first Karaoke Over Ottawa contest in 93, which he entered as a joke. This got him on CJOH-TV's variety show 'HomeGrown Cafe', on which he also won an award as Adult Performer of the year in 94. He was one of the first to play and win with original music. In 2008 he was at the first Native E Music Awards (NEMAs) and nominated for 5 awards, more than any artist there, and won 'Mainstream Song of the Year'. In 2012 he won Canada's Aboriginals Got Talent in Ottawa, judged by the late Vince Fontaine, music promoter Eddie Birkett and others.
This show features songs, mostly originals, with anecdotes and history, as well as stories from his life as a native growing up surrounded. Surrounded by people both his own but mostly not his own. Surrounded by bullies, allies, friends and animals...surrounded by friends, some family, and places where he has lived in his life: Niagara, Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa.
He combines native contemporary sounds, with bluegrass/newgrass/Americana/Canadiana, country rock, blues rock, folk and whatever else fits his fancy. He has a specialty in late 60s and 70s' music. He is also an actor, having acted on stage, TV shows and films as an extra/background performer, and a speaking role or two, since the 80s, about the time he began performing as a professional musician.
Get your tickets here
Reclaiming in Motion
Kelli Marshall
Local artist Kelli Marshall premieres “Reclaiming in Motion,” a written word and dance performance. Kelli has been dancing throughout her life and brings together her love of movement and passion for cultural reclamation in this piece.
Get your tickets here
Kelli Marshall
Local artist Kelli Marshall premieres “Reclaiming in Motion,” a written word and dance performance. Kelli has been dancing throughout her life and brings together her love of movement and passion for cultural reclamation in this piece.
Get your tickets here
Leathers and Feathers
The Johnnys
The Johnnys are an Ontario-based band that deliver three-minute sermons of jet-fuelled rock’n’roll. With cheeky lyrics and anthemic choruses, Dave and Veronica Johnny have been crossing cultural boundaries by blending traditional Indigenous values and language with high voltage chords and thumping melodies. Their first three independently released albums were all nominated for national music awards. The Johnnys fourth album titled, “Leathers and Feathers” garnered international award nominations. Their songs Time to Shine, Have a Good Time All the Time, with Salas/Gutierrez remixes - Leathers and Feathers and Butterfly - all reached top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown.
Get your tickets here
The Johnnys
The Johnnys are an Ontario-based band that deliver three-minute sermons of jet-fuelled rock’n’roll. With cheeky lyrics and anthemic choruses, Dave and Veronica Johnny have been crossing cultural boundaries by blending traditional Indigenous values and language with high voltage chords and thumping melodies. Their first three independently released albums were all nominated for national music awards. The Johnnys fourth album titled, “Leathers and Feathers” garnered international award nominations. Their songs Time to Shine, Have a Good Time All the Time, with Salas/Gutierrez remixes - Leathers and Feathers and Butterfly - all reached top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown.
Get your tickets here
Wapikoni: A New Beginning
Program of Indigenous Short Films
Free Event, Registration Required.
Wapikoni mobile’s mission is to promote the expression of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people through film and music creation and the dissemination of these works. By offering Indigenous talent one-on-one support and mentoring, our organization contributes to their personal, professional and creative development while respecting their narrative sovereignty.
Wapikoni provides these artists with a distribution service to disseminate their works across Canada and the world, promoting knowledge and building awareness about First Peoples’ realities.
Since 2004, Wapikoni has collected more than 1,300 short films and 900 musical pieces, visited 45 communities and 36 nations in Canada and abroad, won more than 220 awards and mentions, and demonstrated a strong presence at hundreds of festivals and events.
For more information go to Wapikoni Mobile
Get your tickets here
Program of Indigenous Short Films
Free Event, Registration Required.
Wapikoni mobile’s mission is to promote the expression of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people through film and music creation and the dissemination of these works. By offering Indigenous talent one-on-one support and mentoring, our organization contributes to their personal, professional and creative development while respecting their narrative sovereignty.
Wapikoni provides these artists with a distribution service to disseminate their works across Canada and the world, promoting knowledge and building awareness about First Peoples’ realities.
Since 2004, Wapikoni has collected more than 1,300 short films and 900 musical pieces, visited 45 communities and 36 nations in Canada and abroad, won more than 220 awards and mentions, and demonstrated a strong presence at hundreds of festivals and events.
For more information go to Wapikoni Mobile
Get your tickets here
Funny, You Don't Look Like a Doctor
Talk with Dr. Drew Hayden Taylor
Free Event, Registration Required.
Join NIFF Artistic Director Joeann Argue in conversation with playwright, author, journalist, and newly minted honorary Doctor of Letters, Drew Hayden Taylor from Curve Lake First Nation. The good doctor will discuss his life in the arts so far, his hopes for the future of Indigenous Performance, and will read from a selection of his favourite pieces from his long and distinguished career.
Get your tickets here
Talk with Dr. Drew Hayden Taylor
Free Event, Registration Required.
Join NIFF Artistic Director Joeann Argue in conversation with playwright, author, journalist, and newly minted honorary Doctor of Letters, Drew Hayden Taylor from Curve Lake First Nation. The good doctor will discuss his life in the arts so far, his hopes for the future of Indigenous Performance, and will read from a selection of his favourite pieces from his long and distinguished career.
Get your tickets here