The sixth annual Skoden Indigenous Film Festival (SIFF) is set to return to SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, showcasing Indigenous films from across Turtle Island.

The two-day festival takes place April 6 and 7, screening four short-film programs and one feature.

The festival’s shorts program includes Retracing Our Roots, Sea to Sky, Planting the Seed, and All my Affections, with the finale feature film, WaaPaKe, by Cree director Jules Koostachin. There will also be Q&A sessions after each screening.

Notable Indigenous actors and filmmakers featured in the festival are Amanda Strong (Spirit Bear: Honouring Memories, Planting Dreams); Jay Cardinal Villeneuve (Buffalo Testicles for the Soul); and Lindsay McIntyre (NIGIQTUQ ᓂᒋᖅᑐᖅ [The South Wind]).

SIFF was founded by SFU students Carr Sappier and Grace Mathisen in 2019, who spearheaded the movement to engage with Indigenous storytelling through film. The festival received 65 film submissions for its sixth edition, demonstrating that the excitement for Indigenous film is steadily growing.

Skoden Indigenous Film Festival 2024

When: April 6 and 7

Where: SFU School for the Contemporary Arts’ Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (149 West Hastings Street, Vancouver)

Tickets: Pay what you can ($0 to $20) here