Portraits from a Fire | |
---|---|
Directed by | Trevor Mack |
Written by | Trevor Mack Manny Mahal Derek Vermillion |
Produced by | Rylan Friday Kate Kroll Trevor Mack |
Starring | William Lulua Nathaniel Arcand Asivak Koostachin |
Cinematography | Kaayla Whachell |
Edited by | Elad Tzadok |
Music by | Andrew Dixon Conan Karpinski |
Production companies | Portraits from a Fire Productions Black Moon Media Elemental Studios |
Distributed by | Photon Films and Media |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | Canada |
Languages | English Tsilhqot’in |
Budget | $525,000 CAD |
Portraits from a Fire is the first narrative feature film written and directed by a Tsilhqot'in filmmaker.
Portraits from a Fire is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Trevor Mack and released in 2021. [1] The film stars William Magnus Lulua as Tyler, an amateur filmmaker living with his father Gord (Nathaniel Arcand) on a Tsilhqotʼin reserve in northern British Columbia, whose life is upended following the revelation of a long-hidden family secret. [2]
The film was shot in 2019 on Tl'etinqox-t'in territory around the community of Anaham. [3] Mack has indicated that the film was inspired by a desire to tell a First Nations story that had nothing to do with colonialism or the Indian residential school system, [2] as well as by a desire to reclaim the Tsilhqot’in language, which during his early life was typically spoken by people in the community only when they needed to discuss something they did not want their children to hear or understand. [1] Many of the supporting roles in the film are performed by local residents of Anaham rather than professional actors. [3]
The film had its official theatrical premiere on October 3, 2021 at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival, [4] although it was screened on the online platforms of the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival [5] and the FIN Atlantic Film Festival [6] in September. It was also selected as the opening film of the 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival, [2] and was screened at the 2021 ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival, [7] and the 2021 American Indian Film Festival.
It premiered commercially on November 1. [8]
It was a nominee for the DGC Discovery Award at the 2021 Directors Guild of Canada awards. [11]
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Trevor Mack is a Tsilhqot'in, Dakelh, Canadian filmmaker, writer, photographer and former Crashed Ice extreme sports athlete.
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