7:30 pm ADT – IMELDA PERLEY, PhD (Wolastoqew Storyteller; Elder in Residence – University of New Brunswick)

During the 2013 DOCTalks Festival & Symposium, Imelda and her partner David were asked to host a screening & talk at the University of New Brunswick. The evening began with a prayer and an offering to the ancestors before watching a short documentary, Our Heritage Our Future. The film was about small ‘run-of river’ waterpower facilities on the traditional lands of the Ojibwe and Cree in Northern Ontario, which they co-owned and the revenues used for education and health services purposes. After the screening, Imelda asked 75 people to form a talking circle where a stone passed from one person to another and whoever possessed the stone could freely say what was on their mind. For those in attendance, Imelda presided over a memorable evening of storytelling, inclusion and self-reflection.

12 pm ADT – GARY WEEKES (Photographer & Filmmaker, DOCTalks President)

In the Fall of 2014, Gary began attending Cinema Politica screenings at the Conservation Council of New Brunswick in Fredericton where he became engaged with documentary films as a means to create societal change. His association with DOCTalks began as an attendee and stills photographer during the 2015 DOCTalks Festival & Symposium. Then he became active with the Open Your Eyes Fredericton initiative – directing three short films. Since 2018, Gary has sat on the DOCTalks board and is currently the President. Whether it is through conversation, photography, filmmaking or as a mixed media artist, Gary is a black storyteller with a unique perspective on the world – given that his ancestors arrived in the Caribbean on a slave trading ship.

3 pm ADT – Filmmakers/Industry Professionals Panel: LAURA SCHENCK, KENT MARTIN and SIAN EVANS

As a television producer and programmer for Maine Public, Laura regularly attends film festivals in Atlantic Canada looking for stories that will appeal to American and Canadian audiences that watch PBS Maine on UHF, cable and satellite. It was through Kent Martin’s documentary films that Laura came across DOCTalks in 2018. Since then, she has participated in a DOCTalks best practices research project in 2019 and panel discussions during the 2021 and 2022 DOCTalks Festival & Symposium. Laura is not only a storyteller, but a bridge that extends across cultures, sectors and international borders.

7:30 pm ADT – FEATURE FILM: Bread in the Bones & Q&A with DARRELL VARGA

Darrell is a storyteller that wears many hats. As an academic researcher he was a Canada Research Chair (Tier II) and published numerous books and essays about Canadian cinema, including one about John Walker, a documentary filmmaker whose films have been screened at DOCTalks. But, Darrell also expresses himself through films. In 2015, DOCTalks featured his documentary – Fire, Ice & Sky – that explored the perception of time; and in 2022 we will have the opportunity to watch his latest documentary, Bread in the Bones, which explores the poetry, pleasures and politics of bread. We look forward to Darrell sharing his stories and insights as an academic researcher and documentary producer.

12 pm ADT – MILLEFIORE CLARKES (Filmmaker and Editor – One Thousand Flowers Productions)

Mille is a storyteller that is deeply rooted in place – and that place is Prince Edward Island. In 2014, DOCTalks invited Mille to screen and discuss her documentary, Island Green. It was her first film with the National Film Board of Canada that explored organic farming on Prince Edward Island, where Island Green also attracted audiences on CHCO & CIMC television as part of the 2018 DOCTalks Presents summer documentary series. As a creator of documentaries, music videos, drama, experimental shorts and an art installation – we’re excited to learn more about Mille and her world of storytelling within a community of creators on PEI.

3pm ADT – PAUL DE DECKER and GREG O’GRADY  of the Some Stutter, LUH! Podcast

Prior to becoming a linguistics researcher, Paul aspired to be a filmmaker. So, when he attended a DOCTalks knowledge mobilization workshop at UNB in 2017 – it was a match made in heaven. Since then, Paul has been actively involved with DOCTalks – first as a board member, then as Vice President and President. But he also handled location sound on an Open Your Eyes Fredericton short and was the principal researcher on the DOCTalks Guide V1.0. Within academic circles, Paul is a champion of mobilizing knowledge using documentary media and continues to collaborate across sectors to tell compelling stories about people and communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. So, DOCTalks is delighted to have Paul as a guest storyteller.

7:30pm ADT – CATHERINE MARTIN (Mi’kmaw Storyteller; Director Indigenous Community Engagement – Dalhousie  University) 

Catherine is a force of energy that seeks to make the world a better place. As the first Mi’kmaw filmmaker, she has been telling stories from an indigenous point-of-view for decades. In 2015, DOCTalks invited Catherine to be the keynote speaker and give a talk after we screened, The Spirit of Annie Mae. With a drum and a song, she has inspired generations of Mi’kmaw and indigenous people with her storytelling. If humanity hopes to imagine and create a socially just and ecologically balanced world where everyone and everything can all live peacefully within Earth’s carrying capacity – rest assured Catherine is calling on the Creator and Great Spirits to make this a reality. Let’s join her as she weaves stories of hope for future generations.

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