Studio One: A Look Back at the First Indigenous NFB Studio

Though Inuit filmmakers created what could be considered Indigenous-run NFB studios in Nunavut in the 1970s, the first official Indigenous-led production studio at the National Film Board of Canada was Edmonton-based Studio One (1991–1996), founded almost two decades later. This edition of Curator’s Perspective takes a brief look at the story, the films and the filmmakers behind this short-lived but impactful studio.

Although documents in the NFB’s archives mention providing support for research, development, production, distribution and workshops for hundreds of Indigenous films and filmmakers—including Willie Dunn, Shelley Niro and Zacharias Kunuk—as well as support for films about Indigenous rap and endangered Indigenous languages, only six films produced or co-produced by Studio One have been identified to date.

Gregory Coyes

To begin, I invite you to watch No Turning Back (1996), by Gregory Coyes, a visceral account of the aftermath of the Oka Crisis that brought Indigenous rights into sharp focus.

No Turning Back, Gregory Coyes, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Carol Geddes

Indigenous filmmakers had been directing powerful, award-winning films at the NFB since the late 1960s—The Ballad of Crowfoot (1968), Natsik Hunting (1975), Foster Child (1987), among others—but the meetings, screenings and discussions that took place in Alberta during the Aboriginal Film & Video Makers Symposium in the spring of 1990 were what fostered a new chapter in Indigenous filmmaking, leading to the formation of Studio One, based at the NFB’s Northwest Studio in Edmonton and supported by executive producer Graydon McCrea.

Studio 1—subsequently changed to Studio One—officially opened in September 1991,[i] and iconic Tlingit director Carol Geddes was appointed as its head. Her Studio One doc Picturing a People: George Johnston, Tlingit Photographer (1997)[ii] explores the life and work of the eponymous artist. Shown at dozens of festivals, this award-winning film remains an important and influential work in Indigenous cinema.

Picturing a People: George Johnston, Tlingit Photographer, Carol Geddes, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Studio One Goals

The studio outlined the following goals for its productions:[iii]

To counter non-representation of aboriginal people in mainstream media.
To counter misrepresentation of aboriginal people in mainstream media.
To address the invasion of aboriginal culture by non-aboriginal people.
To redress the lack of meaningful cultural education for aboriginal people.
To address the issue of appropriation of cultural images by non-aboriginal producers.
To provide and assist with the professional development of aboriginal people in the film and video industry.
To provide an environment compatible with the unique cultural aspirations of Canada’s aboriginal people. To do this, the Studio is committed to provide an atmosphere sympathetic to special cultural ways in which to work, i.e., use of elders for consultations, consensus models for decision making, etc.
To provide equal access for each group of Canada’s aboriginal people.
To provide opportunities for the expression of contemporary themes in film and video production.

Loretta Todd

Faithfully fulfilling all the above objectives, Loretta Todd’s Forgotten Warriors (1997) tells the story of thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their fellow citizens in World War II, even though they were not required to serve. “Ironically, while they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied equality in their own country and returned home to find their land seized.”[iv]

Forgotten Warriors, Loretta Todd, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Barb Cranmer – Doug Cuthand

In May 1996, the Aboriginal Filmmaking Program officially replaced the studio, and some of its films languished in the NFB’s vaults in the ensuing decades—until now. With these two documentaries below by ‘Namgis director Barb Cranmer recently uploaded to NFB.ca, most of the known Studio One productions are now available to the public.[v]

Laxwesa Wa – Strength of the River (1995) dives into the rich fishing traditions of the Sto:lo, Heiltsuk and ‘Namgis peoples of Canada’s West Coast, showing how fishing is more than food—it’s a source of spiritual, cultural and economic strength.

Laxwesa Wa – Strength of the River, Barb Cranmer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Qatuwas – People Gathering Together (1997) takes viewers on an epic journey with crews from 30 First Nations, paddling hundreds of kilometres along ancient waterways to honour the ocean-going canoe, the power of tradition and the revival of Northwest Coast Indigenous culture.

Qatuwas – People Gathering Together, Barb Cranmer, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

More to Discover

If you enjoyed this introduction to Studio One, pick one of the films above and tell us what you loved most—or just share any thoughts you may have with us on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

Craving more? Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts, including one on the Aboriginal Filmmaking Program, or check out the NFB’s Indigenous Cinema channel to explore a rich collection of Indigenous-made films.

[i] NFB Newsletter, S-1992, p.1. NFB Archives.

[ii] This film was released after the shut down of the Studio, in 1997, because it had received their funding before the studio shut down.

[iii] NFB Newsletter, S-1992, p.4. NFB Archives.

[iv] Excerpt from NFB film synopsis of Loretta Todd’s Forgotten Warriors (1997).

[v] The only film still missing is Doug Cuthand’s The Gift of the Grandfathers (1997), which showcases horsemanship as a vibrant part of Western First Nations culture.