WARU and THE ROAD FORWARD to Bookend imagineNATIVE Festival

imagineNATIVE's opening night gala on Wednesday, October 18 will be Waru at the Hot Docs TEd Rogers Cinema.

The film, directed by eight Maori women, tells the story of Waru, a young boy who dies at the hands of his caregiver. Directors Chelsea Cohen, Ainsley Gardiner, Briar Grace-Smith, Paula Jones, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene and Katie Wolfe, each tackle a ten-minute segment of Waru to create one complete, remarkable story through the lens of multiple family and community members as they deal with the horrific loss. Waru will be preceded by the short film Holy Angels, directed by Jay Cardinal Villeneuve, a redemptive and ingeniously crafted documentary sharing the testimony of Elder Lena Wandering Spirit's time at residential school.

On Sunday, October 22, the closing night gala will be The Road Forward, a musical documentary by Métis/Dene award-winning filmmaker, Marie Clements at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Connecting the beginnings of Indigenous nationalism on West Coast - a pivotal moment in Canada's civil rights history - with the powerful momentum of First Nations activism today, The Road Forward's stunningly shot musical sequences, performed by an ensemble of some of Canada's finest vocalists and musicians, seamlessly connects past and present with soaring vocals, blues, rock, and traditional beats. The Road Forward is a rousing tribute to those who fought for First Nations rights, a soul-resounding historical experience, and a visceral call to action.

More programming for the 18th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

IF YOU GO:

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
October 18-22, 2017
imagineNATIVE Early Bird Ticket Packages and Festival Pass
are on sale at a reduced price until Sunday, September 24, 2017
Call - TIFF Box Office on 416-599-TIFF (8433)
Online - TIFF Festival Partners and Third Party Events
In Person - TIFF Box Office at 350 King St W, Toronto, ON

For more information, call 416.585.2333 or visit www.imagineNATIVE.org, or follow on Facebook: facebook/imagineNATIVE and Twitter: @imagineNATIVE.

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous festival showcasing innovation in film, video, audio and digital media. The Festival presents the most compelling and distinctive works from Canada and around the globe, reflecting the diversity of the world's Indigenous nations and illustrating the vitality and excellence of Native art and culture in contemporary media.