Indigenous Romance SWEET SUMMER POW WOW Begins Filming

Sweet Summer Pow Wow, a coming of age drama from veteran actor, director and screenwriter Darrell Dennis, has begun production.

Shooting is taking place on location in Duncan, British Columbia on Vancouver Island. Filming is expecting to continue through to the end of August 2023.

The romance follows a young Indigenous couple on a break from their troubled lives. They come together through a summer of love on the Pow-Wow circuit. The Pow-Wow circuit is the trail of traditional summer gatherings of Indigenous people across Canada and the US.

Tatyana Rose Baptiste (In The Blink of an Eye) and Joshua Odjick (The Swarm) star as the central couple. Tanis Parenteau (Gossip Girl), Lisa Ravensbergen (The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story), Joel Montgrand (Beans) and veteran actor Graham Greene (The Last Of Us) also star.

Darrell Dennis is directing his second feature, the previous being The Great Salish Heist. He had this to say about the project:

“This movie is inspired by my experiences as an Indigenous teen, traveling the Pow Wow circuit every summer. Those days have impacted every aspect of my life and worldview, from first loves to cultural pride, to an awareness of the foundations of strong indigenous communities. This movie is a love letter to those days of Pow Wow and the resilience, beauty, and hope of Indigenous peoples and culture.”

Harold C. Joe and Leslie D. Bland at Orca Cove Media produce Sweet Summer Pow Wow. Crave, a division of Bell Media Inc. also produces.

Financing is provided by Telefilm Canada, the Indigenous Screen Office, and the Canada Media Fund.  The film is slated for a fall 2024 festival release.

SOURCE: Deadline.com