Celebrating 7 Years of Empowering Indigenous Filmmakers

Hi! I’m Farhan Umedaly, and I lead the TELUS STORYHIVE Empowered Filmmaker program. I am incredibly proud of the partnership with STORYHIVE and what we’ve achieved since its inception in 2017. The Empowered Filmmaker program has been a transformative journey for Indigenous communities across Alberta and British Columbia. As we celebrate our seventh year, we reflect on how this intensive five-day program has not only provided technical training but has also become a beacon of storytelling, empowerment and cultural preservation.

The Empowered Filmmaker program is more than just a workshop; it’s an immersive experience where participants learn the full spectrum of filmmaking, from storyboarding to post-production. Over the course of a week, we work closely with communities to recruit participants, supply all necessary equipment, write, shoot and edit a short film, and by the final day, the entire community is invited to a grand screening event. These screenings are not just a showcase of the participants' work; they are celebrations filled with official certifications, camera giveaways, special prizes and even professional opportunities.

Respecting local protocols and traditions is paramount to everyone involved. Following my own Ismaili tradition of service, we ensure that we are invited guests, dedicated to realizing the vision of the community’s new filmmakers. The end results are often breathtaking. Attendees of our community screenings are usually astonished by the depth and creativity of the films produced—some of which have gone on to win recognition at international film festivals. This success is due to our approach of providing technical training to the original storytellers of these lands.

A Journey Across Communities

This year our journey began in Vancouver, where my team and I—accompanied by our emotional support dog, Skeena—embarked on a 4,500km road trip. With a car packed to the brim, we drove straight to Grande Prairie with 4K camera gimbals, wireless audio kits, MacBook Pro laptops, and other essential gear. Despite the 17-hour drive, we jumped directly into teaching with just a few hours to prepare.

Each year, our month-long road trip serves four communities. Starting in Grande Prairie, we produced over 11 films in a highly successful program. Next, we moved to Red Deer, where a class of motivated Indigenous filmmakers created another 10 films. Our show in Red Deer was spectacular and ended around 10 p.m. with the community overjoyed about their accomplishments. The next day, we traveled to Medicine Hat to partner with the Miywasin Centre, producing 10 more films. In total, over 100 participants were trained across the four communities. The creative energy continued to grow!

Our final stop was in Cranbrook, hosted by ʔaq'am, a part of the Ktunaxa Nation. This year, we were joined by T Bannister, Audrey Kiss and Emily Weldon from the STORYHIVE team in the final days. We debuted another 10 powerful films at our signature community screening with a packed house—an unforgettable way to wrap up our intense month on the road. Shout out to the stellar catering by Fry Bread for Fun$. 

The Heart of the Program

The Empowered Filmmaker journey is one with immense beauty. It’s uplifting and culturally immersive, and can sometimes be emotional as we push through often difficult subjects surrounding colonization and intergenerational trauma—stories that my ancestors and I can also relate to. During the program, I often volunteer to shoot for participants after class, traveling to various parts of their territories and assisting them through every aspect of production. The official program runs 8 hours a day, including breakfast and lunch, yet my work often extends until midnight; prepping gear, supporting folks through challenging creative decisions and returning from shoots into the evenings. It’s all part of the process and then we’re ready to start again at 9am the next day.

This hard work is deeply rewarding. Watching someone step into their power as a storyteller, helping to restore language and culture, protect their lands or share their struggles and experiences is incredibly fulfilling. The healing power of storytelling has become a cornerstone of our program, uniting communities and building capacity for media production. Through this journey, I have built lifelong friendships with our participants and consider some of them chosen family. We are always in touch, supporting each other both personally and professionally.

Many of our former participants now work for their nations, produce their own content, support their communities, in some cases even work as professionals with serious career prospects sparked from their time in the program. As part of the program’s aspiration for capacity building, I pledge to support those who continue to be makers throughout their filmmaking careers—whether it’s spec’ing gear, helping with grant applications or assisting in post-production, ongoing mentorship has proven to be the key to success.

Looking Forward to 2025

We are excited to serve 4 more communities in 2025 in partnership with TELUS STORYHIVE and VoVo Productions. So far, we have trained over 535 Indigenous filmmakers and produced over 175 films. Each location in 2025 promises new stories, new filmmakers and new opportunities to celebrate the rich tapestry of Indigenous cultures through the lens of filmmaking.

The Empowered Filmmaker program is more than just a workshop or a course; it's a movement. By providing the tools, training, and support needed to tell their stories, we are creating a new generation of filmmakers ready to make their mark on the world.

Stay tuned for next year’s program at empoweredfilmmaker.com. 

In the meantime, you are invited to explore 36 Indigenous-led projects completed in last year’s program, now available on TELUS Optik TV channel 9 and STORYHIVE’s YouTube channel.

Join us in supporting these incredible filmmakers and witness the power of Indigenous-led storytelling in action.

Contact Information:

• Farhan Umedaly: farhan@vovoproductions.com

• Participant contact: empoweredfilmmaker@gmail.com

TELUS STORYHIVE Empowered Filmmaker operates within the Traditional Territory of the Coast Salish Peoples