Portraits from a Fire
Directed byTrevor Mack
Written byTrevor Mack
Manny Mahal
Derek Vermillion
Produced byRylan Friday
Kate Kroll
Trevor Mack
StarringWilliam Lulua
Nathaniel Arcand
Asivak Koostachin
CinematographyKaayla Whachell
Edited byElad Tzadok
Music byAndrew Dixon
Conan Karpinski
Production
companies
Portraits from a Fire Productions
Black Moon Media
Elemental Studios
Distributed byPhoton Films and Media
Release date
  • November 1, 2021 (2021-11-01)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesEnglish
Tsilhqot’in
Budget$525,000 CAD

Portraits from a Fire is the first narrative feature film written and directed by a Tsilhqot'in filmmaker.

Portraits from a Fire is a Canadian comedy-drama film, directed by Trevor Mack and released in 2021.[1] The film stars William Magnus Lulua as Tyler, an amateur filmmaker living with his father Gord (Nathaniel Arcand) on a Tsilhqotʼin reserve in northern British Columbia, whose life is upended following the revelation of a long-hidden family secret.[2]

The film was shot in 2019 on Tl'etinqox-t'in territory around the community of Anaham.[3] Mack has indicated that the film was inspired by a desire to tell a First Nations story that had nothing to do with colonialism or the Indian residential school system,[2] as well as by a desire to reclaim the Tsilhqot’in language, which during his early life was typically spoken by people in the community only when they needed to discuss something they did not want their children to hear or understand.[1] Many of the supporting roles in the film are performed by local residents of Anaham rather than professional actors.[3]

Trevor Mack, center, directing on the set of Portraits from a Fire.

The film had its official theatrical premiere on October 3, 2021 at the 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival,[4] although it was screened on the online platforms of the 2021 Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival[5] and the FIN Atlantic Film Festival[6] in September. It was also selected as the opening film of the 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival,[2] and was screened at the 2021 ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival,[7] and the 2021 American Indian Film Festival.

It premiered commercially on November 1.[8]

Awards

  • Best Canadian Feature Film - 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival[9]
  • Best B.C. Emerging Filmmaker: Trevor Mack - 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival[10]
  • Best Director: Trevor Mack - 2021 American Indian Film Festival
  • Best Supporting Actor: Asivak Koostachin - 2021 American Indian Film Festival
  • B.C. Emerging Filmmaker Award: Trevor Mack - 2021 Vancouver International Film Festival
  • Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award: Kate Kroll, Trevor Mack, Rylan Friday - 2021 Indiescreen Awards
  • Best British Columbia Film - 2021 Vancouver Film Critics Circle
  • One to Watch: Trevor Mack - 2021 Vancouver Film Critics Circle
  • Best Picture - 2022 Leo Awards
  • Best Direction: Trevor Mack - 2022 Leo Awards
  • Best Cinematography: Kaayla Wachell - 2022 Leo Awards
  • Best Score: Conan Karpinski & Andrew Dixon - 2022 Leo Awards
  • Best Editing: Elad Tzadok - 2022 Leo Awards

It was a nominee for the DGC Discovery Award at the 2021 Directors Guild of Canada awards.[11]

References

  1. 1 2 Marsha Lederman, "VIFF 2021: Indigenous filmmakers are here to teach, and be taught, long-lost language lessons". The Globe and Mail, September 30, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Fish Griwkowsky, "Portraits from a Fire lights up the 35th annual Edmonton International Film Festival". Edmonton Journal, September 28, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Patrick Davies, "Mack wraps up shooting Portraits From A Fire". Williams Lake Tribune, September 4, 2019.
  4. ↑ Craig Takeuchi, "Vancouver International Film Festival returns to cinemas for 40th-anniversary edition". The Georgia Straight, September 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ Colleen Romaniuk, "Cinéfest Sudbury unveils its 2021 program; will follow a hybrid format". Sudbury Star, August 26, 2021.
  6. ↑ Jordan Parker, "FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival films to watch". Halifax Today, September 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ "imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival returns to Toronto with in-person, virtual events". Toronto.com, September 16, 2021.
  8. ↑ Kelly Townsend, "Photon Films acquires Trevor Mack’s coming-of-age drama". Playback, October 6, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Awards". EIFF. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  10. ↑ "Vancouver International Film Fest announces award winners". The Georgia Straight. October 13, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ "TV & Film News – DGC reveals Discovery Award long list of emerging directors to watch". Broadcast Dialogue, September 23, 2021.
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