In November 2021, after working on several NFB projects as a freelancer, Mélanie Brière was appointed associate producer at the Documentary Studio, where she will be working to promote Indigenous cinema, showcase its creators, and build bridges between Indigenous and French-speaking communities.
A producer, director, and activist, she has produced and directed documentaries, short films, and awareness-raising works for the Wapikoni. She organized the first Wapikoni arts residency as part of the International Year of Indigenous Languages (2019). She was also executive producer of the documentary series Dans un territoire près de chez vous (Terre Innue/APTN and Unis).
In 2018, she wrote the Wapikoni Teaching Guide: An Introduction to the Diversity of Indigenous Cultures in Canada for teachers in schools associated with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. Since 2017, she has also been an ambassador for Mikana, which raises awareness about Indigenous perspectives, and serves on the diversity and inclusion committee of the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM). She also sits on the Indigenous advisory councils of the NFB and Space for Life and on the board of directors of Musique Nomade.
In February 2022, she organized the Narrative Sovereignty Doc Lab for the NFB, which brought together nine Indigenous creators to reflect on and share their visions about the future of their communities and of their cinema. She is currently developing documentary projects with Marie-Kristine Petiquay, Kim O’bomsawin, and Maryse Legagneur.
Mélanie is a Quebecer and member of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk First Nation, formerly known as the Maliseet of Viger First Nation.