UPDATE: TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT ARE NOW SOLD OUT
NANEKAWÂSIS | SPECIAL FILM SCREENING
NIC Fine Arts Department Artist Talk Series – with Conor McNally • Filmmaker + George Littlechild • Artist
Doors open at 1:00pm – Festival Seating
Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College
This documentary film, created by filmmaker/director Conor McNally, profiles the celebrated and beloved contemporary nêhiyaw (Cree) artist, George Littlechild.
McNally uses newly filmed 16 mm conversations blended with archival interview excerpts, capturing Littlechild at various moments throughout his remarkable life and career. Wit and humour infuse the film, and Littlechild’s presence is enhanced by a powerful focus on the plains landscape and an expressive score.
At 65 years of age, Littlechild shares his wisdom, perspectives on social issues and Indigenous history, and insights into his personal story and artistic career. After a childhood of trauma and upheaval, Littlechild has achieved a remarkable sense of calm and joy, which shines in this biographical study. A proud Two Spirit person, Littlechild has channeled his desire for healing into the bold and colourful works of art that characterize his unique artistic vision.
Screening Time: 1:30pm on Saturday, October 4
Screening Location: Stan Hagen Theatre, North Island College (2300 Ryan Road, Courtenay)
Director: Conor McNally
Starring: George Littlechild
Length: 80 mins
Initial Release: May 8, 2024
EVENT TICKETS
The event is free for NIC students, who can obtain advance tickets from the Fine Arts Printshop (Raven 108 C).
Tickets for the wider community are available for purchase online at cvag.tickit.ca
Tickets are $15 (service fees are added).
Please direct any questions regarding purchasing tickets online to film@comoxvalleyartgallery.com.
Students can email fineartprintshop@nic.bc.ca for more information.
This event is a collaboration between North Island College’s Fine Arts Department and the Comox Valley Art Gallery. The two institutions continue a longstanding tradition of working together to support artistic practice of emerging and established artists from the region and further afield.
The NIC Fine Arts Department Artist Talk Series invites contemporary Canadian artists to present their professional practices through image presentations, discussions, and Q&A sessions. The series provides insight into the artists’ creative processes, career development, and engagement with art-based research and community.
**NOTES: If you don’t have an advance ticket, it may be possible to purchase a ticket (cash only) on-site at the theatre, but only if there are still seats available. Cash ticket sales are only available 30 minutes before the film starts. Cash tickets will be sold on a first come – first served basis.
Seating at Stan Hagen Theatre is first come – first served. Please do not save seats for multiple people.
NO REFUNDS. You may provide your ticket to a friend if you are unable to attend.
CONOR MCNALLY | DIRECTOR
Conor McNally is a filmmaker based in amiskwaciy (Edmonton, AB). Bypassing formal film training he creates works through a combination of instinct, and hands-on trial and error. Of course, he also has some talented and helpful friends that contribute in massive ways on all of his projects! Conor has made numerous films to date, including ôtênaw (2017), an experimental forty-minute-long documentary following the oral storytelling of Dr. Dwayne Donald. In 2020, Conor was commissioned by the National Film Board of Canada to create a short film about his brother Riley. The resulting film, Very Present, was screened nationally along with other short films detailing experiences of isolation. In 2024, Conor released a feature length film titled, nanekawâsis, focusing on the celebrated and beloved nêhiyaw painter George Littlechild. Conor is a father and a proud citizen of the Métis Nation of Alberta and holds a degree in Native Studies from the University of Alberta.
IMAGE: Conor McNally. Photo by Mark Hayes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Nanekawâsis was produced by Illiop Productions with SUPPORT from: Canada Council for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council, Funding Indigenous Resurgence in Edmonton, Edmonton Heritage Council, City of Edmonton, University of Alberta Native Studies, and Red Deer Polytechnic.
A special THANK-YOU to our co-organizer: North Island College Fine Arts Department
HEADER IMAGE: George Littlechild, from the poster for nanekawâsis. Photo courtesy of the artist and filmmaker.
This event is part of an expansive program at the Comox Valley Art Gallery called George Littlechild: Hope for a better world.
