Iqaluit (Jun 19/06) - It's time to say "hooray!" for film.

The Ajjiit Nunavut Media Association is hosting Film Day on June 23, a series of film presentations held around Iqaluit for this year's Alianait! Festival (which is "hooray!" or "yay!" in Inuktitut).

Martha Niriung manipulates one of the many puppet characters in the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation's children's show "Takuginai." The IBC will celebrate the show's 20th anniversary during Film Day, a celebration of film on June 23. - photo courtesy of Inuit Broadcasting Corporation

"I think it's wonderful. It's a day of film that's geared towards youth and adults," said Ajjiit executive co-ordinator Charlotte DeWolff.

The day will include presentations from the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation, a film from Emmy award-winning director Peter Bate and premiere screenings of films from Zacharias Kunuk, Nunavut Sivuniksavut and EnTheos Films.

"This is growing into a bigger event than I thought it would," DeWolff said.

The shows begin at 3 p.m. at Nakasuk school, where the IBC will present students with a retrospective commemorating the 20th anniversary of the children's series Takuginai, which the corporation says is the first aboriginal-language children's show - and to date, the only one in Inuktitut.

"What's exciting is we've managed to maintain it for 20 years despite many, many obstacles," said IBC executive director Debbie Brisebois. These include finding funding and training people to work on the show.

Despite the obstacle, she said Takuginai remains IBC's most popular show.

"It's obviously important to people," she said.

At 5:15 p.m., the show moves to the Astro Theatre, for a screening of "Finding Franklin," which was filmed by Bate partially in Iqaluit. The showing is free to the public.

Two shows will follow at 7 p.m. One of these is "Inuit Pigungit" (What belongs to Inuit) a film by Zacharias Kunuk and Bernadette Miqqusaaaq Dean.

The film follows elders to museums in Ottawa, Toronto, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., examining Inuit artifacts, said Kunuk.

"Following them with the camera was unique because these elders had never been to the states," he said.

He said it was very interesting watching the elders interact with the pieces, and hear them give insight into the way life has changed for the Inuit.

"We imagine how poor they were," he said of his ancestors. "When you go back like 500 years, it's not about money, it's all about wealth. Wealth is food and clothes."

DeWolff said she hopes the day will be the first of many.

"As long as Alianait! continues, we will continue to host and sponsor a Film Day."

The second annual Alianait! Festival runs from June 21 to July 1, all around Iqaluit.