May 4, 2023 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
The National Film Board of Canada and the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) are pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Immersive/Interactive Producer Fellowship at the NFB. They are Claudia Skunk, who’ll be working in English at the Animation & Interactive Studio in Vancouver, and Neegan Siouï Trudel, who’ll be working in French at the Interactive Studio in Montreal.
The six-month program aims to develop expertise in the fields of VR, XR, AI and games, and to tap into the exciting job opportunities available in this growing area of production.
Quotes
“As an emerging Indigenous producer, I was thrilled to learn I was selected to be part of the NFB immersive and interactive fellowship. I’m excited to learn and deepen my skills from the many talented NFB producers and creatives, and I plan to reciprocate new ideas and meaningful collaboration.” – Claudia Skunk
“I’m very happy to be able to collaborate with and learn from NFB producers. This is a great opportunity to broaden my professional network and become more involved with the interactive media ecosystem. I’m looking forward to sharing my knowledge with future collaborators.” – Neegan Siouï Trudel
About Claudia Skunk and Neegan Siouï Trudel
Claudia Skunk is an Anishinaabekwe from Mishkeegogamang First Nation. She has spent several years with the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and is now furthering her passion for working with organizations and people who uplift Indigenous voices on documentary series like Amplify and Treaty Road.
Neegan Siouï Trudel is a Wendat emerging producer who’s worked on a number of documentary projects. In 2022, he completed the EAVE On Demand Access Program, an international co-production program. He started his own production company in January 2023, after working as a 2D and 3D director and animator for companies including the renowned Moment Factory.
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About the NFB
The NFB is Canada’s public producer and distributor of award-winning documentaries, auteur animation, interactive stories, and participatory experiences. Since 1968, the NFB has produced over 300 works by First Nations, Métis and Inuit filmmakers—an unparalleled collection that pushes past dominant narratives and provides Indigenous perspectives to Canadian and global audiences. The NFB is implementing an action plan with commitments that include devoting a minimum of 15 percent of overall production spending to Indigenous-led productions and making these works more accessible via Indigenous Cinema, a destination on NFB.ca.
About the Indigenous Screen Office
The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is an independent national advocacy and funding organization serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis creators of screen content in Canada. The ISO’s mandate is to foster and support narrative sovereignty and cultural revitalization by increasing Indigenous storytelling on screens and promoting Indigenous values and participation across the sector.
French version here | Version française ici.