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Reel Injun Roll Out
After successful Canadian festival premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival and imagineNATIVE, Reel Injun opened theatrically on February 19 in Toronto at the AMC Yonge and Dundas and in Vancouver at the Tinseltown, distributed by Domino Film.
Media coverage in anticipation of the theatrical premiere has been excellent, with Brian D. Johnson of Maclean’s magazine hailing the film as Reel Injun is “funny and shocking.” Todd Brown of Twitchfilm.net called the film "smart, funny, insightful and hugely entertaining," with Now magazine giving Reel Injun four stars!
U.S. and festival premieres
After an appearance at two Native American film festivals, the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana (February 12-21, 2010) and the Palm Springs Native American Film Festival (March 10-14, 2010), Reel Injun will make its official U.S. premiere at the SXSW Film Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas (March 12-20, 2010). We’ll also hopefully be making a major announcement regarding U.S. distribution of Reel Injun at SXSW – but more about that as we get closer to the premiere!
There’s nothing like opening in your home town. So we’re also thrilled to be having our Montreal premiere at the prestigious International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) (March 18-28, 2010).
From then on, we’ve been booked at a growing list of festivals around the world: the Bradford International Film Festival in the United Kingdom (March 18-28, 2010), the Bermuda International Film Festival (March 19-25, 2010), the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival (March 12-14, 2010), Sapatq’ayn Cinema, the University of Idaho’s annual Native American film festival (March 25-28, 2010) and Wairoa Māori Film Festival, New Zealand’s premiere Māori and indigenous film festival (June 4-7, 2010).
Television debuts
In addition to all the theatrical and festival dates, we’re also looking forward to Reel Injun’s television premieres, starting of course with our wonderful co-producer, the Passionate Eye on CBC News Network, at 10 pm ET/PT on March 28, 2010.
Reel Injun is slated to premiere on U.S. TV on PBS this fall, and has also been picked up by APTN, documentary, Knowledge, SRC, ARTV, ARTE in Germany, and AVRO in Holland. Reel Injun is distributed in Europe by Films Transit International.
Stay tuned for more info!
Reel Injun
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Down the Mighty River premieres March 3rd on APTN
Down the Mighty River is a 6-part documentary series about the Rupert River on the last summer before it’s diverted for a hydroelectric project. Cree native Ernest Webb takes us on a final journey down the river, exploring the impact of this megaproject on the people and environment of the north.
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Reel Injun Opens in Theaters February 19th
Mark your calendars!
Reel Injun will be opening February 19th at Tinseltown in Vancouver and AMC Yonge & Dundas in Toronto. More cities to be announced soon.
Got a minute? Check out our trailer!
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Reel Injun Opens in Cinemas in February 2010
The Reel Injun website is up and our first guest blogger, Russell Means shares with us some of his controversial thoughts about films by Natives and non-Natives. Check it out at
www.reelinjunthemovie.com
Our new trailer should be ready in the next week! We will keep you posted on all release dates and festivals to come.
Here’s the online trail of the Hollywood Indian - follow us!:
  
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Reel Injun Premieres to Sold Out Crowds at TIFF 2009
It’s been a couple of weeks since the world premiere of Reel Injun at the Toronto International Film Festival and we at Rez have had some time to reflect and let it all sink in.
After two years of work on Reel Injun, it was one heck of a ride.
Reel Injun premiered to critical acclaim and a crowded AMC theatre on September 15, 2009 at TIFF. The audiences responded overwhelmingly to the Rezolution Pictures’ feature doc about the portrayal of Natives in Hollywood, and gave a standing ovation when directors Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge and Jeremiah Hays took to the stage for a post-screening Q&A.
A number of key people in Reel Injun attended the world premiere, including Sacheen Littlefeather, who gained world attention at the 1974 Oscar ceremony when she refused Marlon Brando’s Academy Award on his behalf to protest the representation of Natives in cinema and the mistreatment of Native residents at Wounded Knee. She was joined by comedian Charlie Hill and Seminole film historian and professor Melinda Miccol, also featured in the film, as well as such VIPs as former Assembly of First Nations National Chief Ovide Mercredi; Leonard George, son of Native screen legend Chief Dan George; and actors Gary Farmer, Jennifer Podemski and Art Hindle.
It’s impossible to convey just how thrilling it was to hear the reaction after the film and see the excitement in people’s faces. Thank you Toronto!
The celebration continued at Toronto’s Revival Bar launch party where Toronto mayor David Miller, NFB Film Commissioner Tom Perlmutter, CBC Commissioning Editor Catherine Olsen, ACTRA Toronto President Ferne Downey and others joined the lively party that included a performance by Charlie Hill.
TIFF was just the start for Reel Injun, but what a start it was.
Reel Injun continues its Festival run in the coming months. The next stop is Opening night of the ImagiNATIVE Festival (October 14-18) in Toronto.
Here is what some critics had to say about Reel Injun:
“Reel Injun, a sincere and straightforward doc about cinematic depictions of Native Americans from the silent era to contemporary times”
Joe Leydon, Variety Magazine
“Packs an uplifting story arc, as it culminates with recent cinematic breakthroughs for native-authored films.”
Matthew Hays, Playback
“With much humour and insight, [Diamond] delivers excellent footage from 1920s movies onward, some fascinating oddities like the camp for wannabe Indians and good interviews.”
Andrew Dowler, Now Magazine
“Impeccably well researched and crafted, Reel Injun neatly walks the line between Michael Moore-style personality driven doc and the more traditional talking head.”
Todd Brown, Twitchfilm.net
“A witty look at Native American Indians in Hollywood movies.”
CTV.ca
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World Premiere of Rezolution’s Reel Injun at TIFF TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 AT 5 PM AT THE AMC 2
Rezolution Pictures International is proud to announce the World Premiere of Reel Injun by the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.
Co-produced by Rezolution Pictures and the National Film Board of Canada, Reel Injun will premiere at the Festival on Tuesday September 15th at 5pm at the AMC 2, followed by a screening on Thursday September 17 at 6:15 pm and Friday September 18 at 1 pm. There will also be a press and industry screening on Sunday September 13 at 12 pm.
Everyone at Rezolution is thrilled by this news, and by the fact that legendary activist Sacheen Littlefeather and Native American Comedian Charlie Hill are planning to join us at the Festival! Ms Littlefeather, who is interviewed in Reel Injun, made Aboriginal and cinema history in 1973, when Marlon Brando asked her to accept his Oscar for his portrayal of Don Corleone in The Godfather, to focus attention to the treatment of American Indians and the siege at Wounded Knee. Charlie Hill, who also appears in Reel Injun has recently received the 2009 Ivy Bethune Tri-Union Diversity Award for his work in breaking many stereotypes about Native and non-Native Americans. Charlie Hill has appeared with such comedy stalwarts as Richard Pryor, David Letterman and Jay Leno, and his acting credits include the TV series Moesha and Roseanne.
Reel Injun was produced by Ernest Webb, Catherine Bainbridge, Christina Fon and Linda Ludwick, along with Oscar-winning NFB producer Adam Symansky.
REEL INJUN AUDIENCE VENUE DATE TIME
Public 1 AMC 2 09/15/09 05:00 PM
Public 2 AMC 7 09/17/09 06:15 PM
Public 3 JACKMAN HALL - AGO 09/18/09 01:00 PM
Press & Industry 1 AMC 10 09/13/09 12:00 PM
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World Premiere of Rezolution’s Reel Injun
at TIFF’S REAL TO REEL
Rezolution Pictures International is proud to announce the selection of Reel Injun by the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival 2009.
Reel Injun is Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond’s entertaining and insightful look at the Hollywood Indian. This feature length documentary is a stunning portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema.
Travelling through the heartland of America, Diamond looks at how the myth of “the Injun” has influenced the world’s understanding – and misunderstanding – of Natives.
With clips from hundreds of classic and recent films, and candid interviews with celebrated Native and non-Native directors, writers, actors and activists, including Clint Eastwood, Robbie Robertson, Sacheen Littlefeather, John Trudell and Russell Means, Reel Injun traces the evolution of cinema’s depiction of Native people from the silent film era to today, only to find the future of Native cinema in the unlikeliest of places – Canada’s North.
Reel Injun was produced by Ernest Webb, Catherine Bainbridge, Christina Fon and Linda Ludwick (Rezolution Pictures International) and Adam Symansky (NFB).
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41 min. 39 sec. with Clint Eastwood
No documentary about Hollywood “Indians” would be complete without talking to one of the screen’s consummate Western heroes.
That’s what we had the honour of doing on February 6th 2009 when Reel Injun director Neil Diamond, producer Christina Fon and a small crew travelled to the Warner Brothers lot for a rare interview with screen legend Clint Eastwood.
We’d worked and waited for six months to set up this interview – and only found out two days before that it was a go! Rezolution hastily assembled a crew and were ready, rolling literally within seconds as soon as we set foot in his office.
The interview itself lasted 41 min. 39 sec. – Neil remembers exactly. Clint had a lot to say about having Natives playing Natives in the movies, too, but we’re not telling. Wait for the movie!
After the interview, Mr. Eastwood was presented with a can of Quebec maple syrup which he appreciated immensely, after making sure it was the real stuff. Clint’s known for his healthy ways. Why do you think he looks so great at 78 years?
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Clint Eastwood!
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Reel Injun goes Hollywood...
and hits the Big Apple, too
Rezolution Pictures has just wrapped interviews with some of the biggest names in show business for the upcoming Reel Injun, exploring the evolution of the image of North American Native people in cinema and television.
Filming in Los Angeles, director Neil Diamond interviewed legendary musician Robbie Robertson, actor Adam Beach, comedian Charlie Hill as well as writer, musician and activist John Trudell. In New York City, we sat down with iconic indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, Chris Eyre, director of the Sundance-winning feature Smoke Signals, and screen veteran Wes Studi. Upcoming interviews include Clint Eastwood!
Rezolution was also successful in obtaining a rare interview with Sacheen Littlefeather, who made Oscar history in 1973 with her impassioned statement on behalf of Native Americans while accepting Marlon Brando’s Academy Award for The Godfather.
While out west, the Reel Injun filmmakers shot location footage at historic Monument Valley, where many of Hollywood’s most famous westerns were filmed.
With CBC Newsworld as the main broadcaster and co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada, this insightful and entertaining documentary is garnering interest from broadcasters around the world. Stay tuned for more!
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The Last Explorer at the 20th Annual St. John’s International Women’s Festival
Our docudrama The Last Explorer has been selected by the 20th Annual St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival and will screen on Friday, October 23rd at 7 pm in The Rooms Theatre in St. John’s.
The Last Explorer recreates the Hubbard expeditions into the heart of uncharted Labrador in the early 1900s, from the point of view of Cree guide George Elson (Nathaniel Arcand), great uncle to our own Neil Diamond -- exploring what may have transpired between Elson and Mina Hubbard (Jenna Wright) in untamed Labrador.
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The Last Explorer premieres February 18 on APTN
A labour of love for co-directors Neil Diamond and Ernest Webb and the entire Rezolution Pictures team, the docudrama The Last Explorer has its English-language television premiere on Wednesday, February 18 at 8 pm on APTN, with rebroadcasts on Tuesday, February 17 at midnight and Thursday, February 19 at 1:30 am (all times ET).
The Last Explorer takes viewers back to an ill-fated expedition to chart northern Labrador, one of the last unexplored areas of North America, over a century ago. It’s a tale of tragedy, death and forbidden love, with Cree guide George Elson at the centre of the controversy. Neil has a special connection with the story: George was his great uncle. So there’s a special sense of urgency and intimacy as he sets out to uncover what really transpired in the wilds of Labrador, years ago.
Playing Elson is Cree actor Nathaniel Arcand, who appeared in the Rezolution comedy series Moose TV and is now starring in the CBC series Heartland. The Last Explorer premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in October 2008.
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Rezolution’s River adds to roster
Rezolution Pictures is delighted to announce that Malcolm MacRury is on-board as co-creator on dramatic series The River, now in development with The Movie Network and Movie Central. With credits on Deadwood and ZOS: Zone of Separation, Malcolm is quite simply one of the hottest writers in Canadian dramatic televison today.
Malcolm is joined on The River creative team by co-writer Pete Mitchell (ZOS: Zone of Separation and Cold Squad), co-creator Michelle Latimer and rising Native writer/filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, whose 2007 short film The Colony was hailed by the Toronto International Film Festival as “a prime example of filmmaking that pushes boundaries, cinematically and socially.”
The episodic drama The River delves into the world of illegal smuggling rings on First Nations along the porous US/Canadian border, revealing the inner workings of a powerful First Nations crime family. It’s a complex, innovative and uncompromising series – now bolstered by the impressive creative talents of our team. Welcome aboard!
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Make that two Geminis…
We’re thrilled! And so proud for Tracey.
In addition to receiving the prestigious Canada Award, Club Native won the award for Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series for writer/director Tracey Deer at the 24th Annual Gemini Awards in Toronto.
Which means that this Rezolution/NFB coproduction about Native identity and belonging has racked up a total of six awards – and counting! To go along with its two Geminis, Club Native has also been honoured with the award for Best Documentary at Dreamspeakers, an Honourable Mention for the Alanis Obomsawin Best Documentary Award at imagineNATIVE, the Best Canadian Film prize at First Peoples’ Festival/Land InSights and the award for Best Canadian Documentary at the Doxa Documentary Film and Video Festival.
Congratulations to all the Gemini winners this year – and many thanks to the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television for such a wonderful experience.
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Club Native Receives Prestigious Canada Award at 2009 Gemini
The Canada Award honours excellence in mainstream television programming which best reflects the racial and cultural diversity of Canada by fostering greater awareness among the Canadian public of the multicultural and multiracial nature of the country as well as promoting opportunities for ethnic and visible minority professionals within the broadcasting industry. Produced by Rezolution Pictures and co-produced by the NFB, Club Native is an affecting documentary that looks deeply into the history and present-day reality of Aboriginal identity. Through moving stories from a range of characters from her Kahnawake Reserve, Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer explores the divisive legacy of more than 100 years of discriminatory government policy and the ongoing challenges of belonging. The Canada Award is sponsored by CBC.
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Club Native Gets 2009 Gemini Nod
We’ve also just been informed that Tracey Deer’s multi-award-winning Rezolution/NFB co-production Club Native has received yet another honour.
This hard-hitting look and bloodlines and belonging in Tracey’s home reserve of Kahnawake has already received the Best Documentary Award at the Dreamspeakers Festival in Edmonton, the Best Canadian Film Award at the First Peoples' Land InSights Festival and the Award for Best Canadian Documentary at the DOXA in Vancouver.
Now, Tracey’s been nominated for Best Writing in a Documentary Program or Series for Club Native at the 24th Annual Gemini Awards. The documentary Geminis will be presented at the Industry Galas on October 19 and 20 in Toronto.
Best of luck, Tracey!
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A big year for Club Native
With 2008 behind us, it’s a good time to reflect on what was truly an outstanding year for the Rezolution documentary Club Native.
Things got off to a great start in May, when Club Native was chosen to open the prestigious Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. Shortly after, the film also scooped up its first award: the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Documentary at the Doxa - Documentary Film and Video Festival (May 27 to June 1) in Vancouver.
Just days later, Club Native was honoured with the Kodak-Vision Globale Award for Best Canadian Film at the Land InSights First Peoples’ Festival (June 11 to 22) in Montreal. It then went on to garner an Honourable Mention for the Alanis Obomsawin Best Documentary Award at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto, in October. And now Club Native has been accepted to screen at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois 2009 on February 21.
Congratulations to filmmaker Tracey Deer, our co-producers at the National Film Board of Canada and all involved!
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Moose TV Premieres on APTN Tuesday, September 8 at 9:30 PM
As the Rezolution team eagerly prepares for the World Premiere of Reel Injun at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15th, we received more good news with word that our award-winning comedy series Moose TV is moving to the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) this fall.
Premiering on APTN on Tuesday, September 8 at 9:30 pm (ET), the eight-part series follows George Keeshig (Adam Beach) back to the remote Northern Quebec community of Moose, where he revives an abandoned local television studio and starts Moose TV, helped by Clifford (Nathaniel Arcand), Alice (Jennifer Podemski) and the rest of the resident misfits in this tiny, isolated community.
In 2008, Moose TV was honoured with the CFTPA Indie Award for Best Comedy Series. The series was originally produced for Showcase.
Moose TV is an offbeat look at a tiny fictional Aboriginal-run TV channel. We at Rezolution couldn’t be more proud that it’s now coming to APTN: the first and only national Aboriginal broadcaster in the world, now marking its 10 anniversary — and a source of pride to Aboriginal peoples across Canada.
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Moose TV goes online
The Rezolution Pictures series Moose TV earned a 2008 CFTPA Indie Award for Best Comedy Series for its hilarious look at a DIY Native-run TV station in Canada’s North.
Series star Adam Beach seems to have taken the DIY ethos to heart, creating his own Native Television Network (channel 400) on Internet broadcaster OpenVision Networks’ OVNTV (www.ovntv.com) – the first Native channel to be offered by the service – and featuring all eight episodes of Moose TV. Episodes 1 and 2 will air consecutively January 22 at 9 pm ET.
Way to go, Adam! And what an excellent programming choice. See, we always knew you’d do a great job running your own TV channel.
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