YELLOWKNIFE - There's no shortage of good stories in the North, and an Edmonton-based filmmaker is doing his best to let the rest of the country know.

Raymond Yakeleya, formerly of Tulita, will be exploring some of the creativity - and some of the mystery - the North has to offer in two upcoming projects.

Lutsel K'e artist John Rombough works on a new piece at NorArt Gallery (now Arrowmaker's) in Yellowknife. He will be featured in From the Spirit, a six-part television series Tulita filmmaker Raymond Yakeleya will be shooting for Bravo! this year. - NNSL file photo

The first is a series on Northern artists for Bravo! television, which should air nationally later this year. It's called From the Spirit, and will be a six-part series on First Nations artists across the country.

"We're looking to shoot with John Rombough from Lutsel K'e and confirming with another artist from Paulatuk," he said.

He said he also hopes to work with Cape Dorset elder and acclaimed graphic artist Kenojuak Ashevak in his journeys, as well as a number of southern artists.

"We want to bring younger artists to national attention, and we also want to honour existing living master artists," he said.

"I think that's the really great thing," he said. "We want to create a voice for the artists in mainstream media."

Yakeleya said he expects the series to be ready by August, which puts a fair bit of pressure on the company.

"It's a crazy, crazy schedule," he said.

Not content with one project, Yakeleya is also developing a project to animate Fort Simpson author John Tsetso's book, Trapping is My Life.

"We will be making a call for Deh Cho artists," he said. "We want to create an animation team from the Deh Cho to bring his stories alive."

Though he said the project is still in the "beginning stages," he is in talks with the Deh Cho education board to make it happen.

Beyond this, Yakeleya hopes to create a further Bravo! series, which will examine the paranormal "from a Native perspective."

He plans to focus on a series of UFO sightings in the North - particularly in Fort Resolution - as well as stories of reincarnation, near-death experiences and prophetic dreams.

"We have a lot of work to do on that one, but I think that's going to a be a really, really interesting one."

However, right now, Yakeleya has deadlines to worry about.

"We get ourselves in these situations," he said with a laugh. "It's a good thing, though, it teaches us to work fast."