New college course teaches TV and film production skills to Indigenous students on Vancouver Island
Eight students are the first to graduate from a new Vancouver Island program that helps give Indigenous students the skills they need to enter the booming film and TV industry.
The students graduated from the inaugural year of the "Indigenous Production Assistant" course at North Island College, in partnership with the North Island Film Commission and Mid-Island Metis Association.
"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)," said graduate Castor Angus.
The course spanned 12 weeks and covered everything from traffic control to food safety.
"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," said graduate Talela Manson.
North Island College and the North Island Film Commission have been working together on developing motion picture skills training for the past five years.
"There's so much interest now from the motion picture industry into diversifying our crew base," said Joan Miller, North Island Film commissioner.
"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," she said.
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 is set to begin in October.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
Here's why provinces aren't following Saskatchewan's lead on the carbon tax home heating fight
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Montreal actress calls Weinstein ruling 'discouraging' but not surprising
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye make it four NFL drafts with quarterbacks going 1-3
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.