Indigenous Students Gain TV/Film Production Skills

Indigenous students in Vancouver Island can now learn new skills to join the film and TV industry.

Eight students have graduated in the first year of the “Indigenous Production Assistant” course at North Island College. The course is a partnership between the North Island Film Commission and Mid-Island Metis Association.

Let’s take a look at what some of the graduates themselves had to say.

Talela Manson: “I really discovered a lot of the behind the scenes of film, and I think it made me appreciate the end credits of movies more, knowing what each of these parts of a film crew do.”

Castor Angus: “I’m pretty eager. I live in Victoria, B.C., and there’s like 15 Hallmark [movies] filmed there a year, which is pretty good if I want to be a P.A. (production assistant).”

North Island College and the North Island Film Commission began developing motion picture skills training five years ago.

Joan Miller, North Island Film commissioner said:

“There’s so much interest now from the motion picture industry into diversifying our crew base. It’s a big push in many industries right now, but it’s really key in British Columbia right now, so there was a lot of excitement from our producers, from the unions, they’re watching this program really closely”

Course coordinator Aimee Chalifoux believes the employment prospects for program graduates are high.

“Oh, [the industry] is huge on Vancouver Island and B.C., and now with COVID being gone I think it’s going to go pretty quick,” she said.

The next Indigenous Production Assistant course at North Island College begins in October.

SOURCE: CTV News Local