Local film gets screening at Sundance film festival

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The bright Saskatchewan sun blazes down on a random street in north central Regina, bathing the lushly green trees and lawns in pristine summer light. Birds twitter, insects buzz, a group of teenagers race toward an empty playground, and for a moment, everything seems peaceful and perfect. But the moment is all too brief-the teenagers reach the playground, and launch not into a friendly game of hoops, but rather into a brutal assault on one of their number. The victim is pushed to the asphalt, hard kicks begin to fall on his defenceless body, and the illusion of beautiful tranquillity shatters, leaving only the harsh reality of life in Regina's "hood".

And then the camera cuts away.

Watching the opening scene of Moccasin Flats, the new half-hour film from Toronto-based Big Soul Productions, it's easy to forget that it's just a movie. From title screen to closing credits, Moccasin Flats demonstrates a consistent, gritty realism in its portrayal of the problems faced by the Aboriginal teens that call north central Regina home.

Though the film was only just completed in late December, its approach is already drawing accolades and attention-based on an unfinished screening version, the project was selected for inclusion in the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, the largest and most prestigious showcase of independent filmmaking in the world.

"The entire experience of making this film has given me great enthusiasm about just what Aboriginal youth are capable of. Being accepted to Sundance is proof that we can make great films, and that we can accomplish anything," said 18 year old Candy Fox, who portrays a drug-addicted prostitute in the film.

The accomplishment is even more impressive when one considers that virtually everyone involved entered the project as untrained amateurs. Moccasin Flats is the third film to be made through Big Soul's "repREZentin'" program, a media training and empowerment initiative that recruits up to 50 youth from the communities where the projects are to be shot, and provides them with intensive instruction in all aspects of television and film production. The scripts are also developed during training, and are based on the ideas and experiences of the youth involved.

"We developed repREZentin' because we saw a void in the media for Aboriginal actors, directors, writers, producers and camera people," explained Laura Milliken, co-founder of Big Soul Productions and co-producer of Moccasin Flats. "What we tried to do from the very beginning was to have Aboriginal mentors in every area. The Regina production is the closest we've come yet to having 100 per cent Aboriginal crew and mentors."

"This is an opportunity I always needed as a young actor, so I am pleased to be providing this much needed platform," said Jennifer Podemski, Milliken's business partner. The pair of filmmakers is certainly well qualified to offer such a program. Podemski is a Gemini-nominated actor (for her lead role on The Rez television series) with dozens of high profile film and TV credits, and both she and Milliken have extensive experience in producing, directing and writing.

All nine principal cast members from Moccasin Flats have been invited to join Milliken and Podemski at Sundance, and the Big Soul founders are currently raising money to pay for their large entourage. With the festival taking place from Jan. 16 to 26, their timeframe is tight, but it is very important to both that their troupe of actors be given this opportunity.

"I get a little bit star struck myself," admitted Milliken, who travelled to Park City, Utah for last year's Sundance. "On my first day walking down the street, I saw Jennifer Anniston. I don't have any idea how these kids are going to react, but the great thing is, they'll feel so empowered, because they're on the screen alongside some of the world's best."

Moccasin Flats will receive three screenings at Sundance. Following its high profile debut, the film will be broadcast across Canda on APTN (an air date has not yet been set), and the odyssey for the filmmakers and cast doesn't end there. All the principals will reunite again later this year, to film a six-part television series that will further explore the lives of all of Moccasin Flats' memorable characters.