Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
The Boogieman, a four-minute film about students who are haunted on a camping trip, was Alinda Edda's first foray into filmmaking and, according to her, a great way to keep boredom at bay during the summer.

The Reel Youth Film Festival played to a full house in the Fort Liard community hall on Oct. 20. The screening included films made by Fort Liard youths. - photo courtesy of Hannah Clifford

"It was fun, not boring at all. Better than staying at home and watching TV," the 14-year-old Fort Liard resident said.

Edda was one of approximately 50 students to attend the Reel Youth Film Festival in the community on Oct. 20, which showcased films like hers – made by youth 19 years of age and under from Canada and across the world.

90-minute show

Beginning at 7 p.m. in the community hall, the moviegoers were treated to 90 minutes of short films ranging in topics from street kids in India to Facebook and its effects on society.

They also saw three films made in Fort Liard, which ended up being the biggest hits of the night.

"I think that the message, to me anyway, would be that our youth are really creative and they are thinking about the issues in their lives," said Roslyn Gardner Firth, manager of wellness and recreation in the hamlet.

"The youth really paid attention and really seemed to enjoy the whole thing."

Reel Youth is a not-for-profit organization that helps youth and other groups create and distribute films.

From Aug. 20 to 23, they were in Fort Liard to help the organization produce some of the films shown at the film festival. They have also been active in Fort Simpson, where a student film festival was held in April, and in Deline, where they facilitated music-video-making workshops in the spring.

Gardner Firth said she is already planning on having the organization return to Fort Liard in the spring to engage more youth, and hopes to make the Reel Youth Film Festival an annual event.

"The films were really well-received. It was really great, really inspiring," she said.

Tiffany Moses, a facilitator with the organization, said the three short films produced in Liard – the

Boogieman, as well as a film about a poem and another about elders – showcased the students' talents.

"It was great. They were very enthusiastic," she said.

Edda, a Grade 9 student at Echo Dene School, said she isn't planning on pursuing a career in filmmaking, but added the project was a great way to keep busy for a few days in August.

"We had nothing else to do, so we made a movie," she said.

"Making movies is fun."

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.