1. Media Space

  2. Press Releases

Tasha Hubbard’s acclaimed nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up begins national theatrical tour on May 23. National Film Board of Canada bringing the Downstream Documentary Productions/NFB co-production to cities across Canada.

PRESS RELEASE
07/05/2019

May 7, 2019 – Montreal – National Film Board of Canada (NFB)

Winner of the Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs, Tasha Hubbard’s acclaimed nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (Downstream Documentary Productions/National Film Board of Canada in association with CBC DOCS and APTN) begins a national theatrical tour on May 23 in Saskatchewan. Distributed by the NFB, the film will open in Saskatoon, followed by theatrical dates in Regina, Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sudbury—with more cities to be announced soon—as this powerful portrait of a family fighting for a more just and fair society comes to communities across Canada.

About the film

On August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. From the acclaimed director of Two Worlds Colliding and Birth of a Family, this sensitively directed film weaves a profound narrative encompassing Hubbard’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.

Hailed in the Toronto Star as “one of the most consequential films ever to open Hot Docs” (Peter Howell) and “a documentary everyone in this country should see” (Tanya Talaga), nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up made history as the festival’s first-ever opening night film by an Indigenous filmmaker. The film will also have its BC premiere on May 8 and 9 at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver.

National screening schedule

  • Opens May 23, Roxy Theatre, Saskatoon
    Tasha Hubbard and Boushie family members in attendance at premiere screening
  • Opens May 31, Rainbow Theatre, Regina
    Tasha Hubbard and Boushie family members in attendance at premiere screening
  • May 31 to June 5, Vancity Theatre, Vancouver
  • May 31 to June 6, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto
  • June 1 at 6:30 p.m. and June 2 at 1 p.m., Metro Cinema, Edmonton
    Tasha Hubbard and Jade Tootoosis in attendance
  • June 5, Winnipeg Cinematheque
  • June 6, Sudbury Indie Cinema, with additional screenings to be announced shortly.

Credits

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up is a co-production of Downstream Documentary Productions and the NFB, produced in association with CBC DOCS and APTN with the participation of the Canada Media Fund, the Feature Film Production Grant Program of Creative Saskatchewan, Telefilm Canada and the Rogers Group of Funds through the Theatrical Documentary Program, with the assistance of the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund and is distributed by the NFB.

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up is produced by Tasha Hubbard and George Hupka for Downstream Documentary Productions, and Jon Montes and Bonnie Thompson for the NFB. The executive producers are David Christensen (NFB), Janice Dawe and Kathy Avrich-Johnson (Bizable Media).

–30–

Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopses: nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up

Associated Links

Hot Docs
Downstream Documentary Productions
CBC DOCS
APTN
DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver
Bizable Media

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.