NSI Features First film The Sun at Midnight celebrates world premiere in Fort McPherson, NWT

Press Release

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) congratulates writer/director Kirsten Carthew on the world premiere of her NSI Features First-developed film The Sun At Midnight, happening on September 25 in Fort McPherson, NWT. Amos Scott is the film’s producer.

“NSI’s Features First program was pivotal to getting The Sun At Midnight into motion as a viable feature film,” said Kirsten.

“Filmmaking doesn’t happen in isolation and exposure to key industry agents gave our team the confidence to ask for help and access mentorship throughout the development process. NSI truly champions filmmakers and provides an immersive experience that is practical and thoroughly supportive.”

The film tells the story of an unusual friendship between a hunter obsessed with finding a missing caribou herd and a teenage rebel who gets lost while on the run.

“It’s great to see The Sun At Midnight premiere in Fort McPherson where production took place,” said Brendon Sawatzky, NSI’s director of programming. “Kirsten’s been working on this film since 2005 and has put a great deal of work and time into it. NSI is proud to have been an early step in the journey that led to its fruition.”

The Sun At Midnight premieres at a special public screening in Fort McPherson hosted by the Gwich’in Tribal Council – Department of Cultural Heritage (GTC-DCH) on Sunday, September 25, 2016.

Following its premiere, the film will screen in Yellowknife at the Capitol Theatre on October 1, and at imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival on October 23.

The Sun At Midnight was developed in 2005-06 through NSI Features First alongside producer Anneli Ekborn.

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NSI Features First 2015 was funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Program Partner The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsors Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), Innovation PEI and Creative Saskatchewan; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

About the National Screen Institute

Renowned for having given many emerging filmmakers, television writers and producers their first breaks, the National Screen Institute provides training and production support through courses like NSI Totally Television, NSI New Voices, NSI Features First, NSI Business for Producers, Movie Central Script to Screen, Corus Diverse TV Director, NSI Aboriginal Documentary, TELUS STORYHIVE Web Series and Digital Shorts, and TELUS Optik™ Local.

NSI also offers exposure through the NSI Online Short Film Festival and provides vast resources and support to those in the film, television and digital media industries at nsi-canada.ca.

All media enquiries

Laura Friesen, Manager, Communications & Alumni Relations
Tel: 204.957.2999 or email: laura.friesen@nsi-canada.ca

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