FILM CHATS 5: Sonia Bonspille Boileau

Sonia is a bilingual Mohawk filmmaker who has been working for the past decade at bringing Indigenous content to the screen for viewers of all cultural backgrounds. In 2015 Sonia wrote and directed her first feature film Le Dep, which made the official selection of several prestigious festivals around the world.

She also made a feature documentary about the impacts of the 1990 Oka Crisis called The Oka Legacy, which earned her a Golden Sheaf award at the 2016 Yorkton Film Festival. Beyond film and television, Sonia is still very much involved in community-based and corporate productions that focus on the well-being of Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Click for more information about Sonia’s film “Rustic Oracle”.

Hosted by Olivia Kiryk-Clutterbuck, an emerging filmmaker, and Algonquin College graduate.

Presented by the Digi60 Filmmakers' Festival, with support from the Digital Arts Resource Centre

FILM CHATS 3: Maissa Houri

Maissa Houri is an Arab-Canadian independent actor and filmmaker. Her award-winning series, Dirty Love, challenges biases by telling the story of a sexually-free Muslim woman living with gay roomate. Maissa’s short film, Inara, has also won her several awards.  

In this podcast, Maissa traces her creative journey and her lifelong love of acting. After college, it wasn’t long before Maissa realized the lack of non-stereotypical roles for Middle Eastern actors. Blazing her own trail, Maissa now produces her own content, writing her own roles.

Hosted by Samphe Ballamingie, emerging filmmaker and Carleton University graduate.

Presented by the Digi60 Filmmakers' Festival, with support from the Digital Arts Resource Centre

FILM CHATS 1: Filmmaker Amen Jafri

Amen Jafri is a documentary filmmaker, producer and personal brand consultant. A few years ago, she transitioned out of a career as a public servant into working in the film industry where she earned accolades as a documentary filmmaker. Her work has been shortlisted for the TVO Short Doc Contest and screened for CBC, TVO, the American Documentary Film Festival and more.

In this podcast, Amen Jafri shares her professional journey as a producer, from casting to applying to grants. Reflecting on personal experiences, Amen explains how vital it is to have representation in film and TV — both in front of and behind the camera.

Hosted by Samphe Ballamingie, emerging filmmaker and Carleton University graduate.

Presented by the Digi60 Filmmakers' Festival, with support from the Digital Arts Resource Centre