Artistic Programming

Delegates at the opening of TETHER at the Yukon Arts Centre during the 2022 Arctic Arts Summit Photo: Yukon Government/Andrew Strain

Explore a selection of upcoming Artistic Programming below, and check back as additional programming is announced

Bjällran (The Bell) Bjällran is a movement based work created for the opening evening At its core is the sound of the reindeer bell: a practical tool that carries across vast landscapes, heard by anyone who shares the space. Even without sight, the bell makes presence known. There is something enduring in this sound. It holds traces of movement, of memory and history, while always existing in the present moment. Its resonance travels forward, shifting with terrain, distance, and time. The bell’s sound becomes a reminder: of being, of continuity, and of something that moves quietly but persistently into the future.

 

Emelie Boman is a dance artist and filmmaker born in Västerbotten with Sámi and Småland roots, based in Umeå. She explores movement through various formats, often creating site-specific works that venture beyond the traditional stage. With a background in both film and dance, Emelie’s works often carry a cinematic sensitivity, aiming to engage multiple senses through interdisciplinary collaborations. Her artistry is guided by an inventive curiosity -a quality highlighted in her Minerva Award motivation, which describes her as being “deeply committed to developing dance as an art form both inside and outside traditional settings.”

 

Through thoughtfully crafted details and subtle humor, Emelie remains a dedicated force in the northern cultural landscape, inviting audiences to experience movement and presence in new, unexpected ways. Since 2021, her practice has been closely linked to Danskonst i Norr/Nomodaco (Northern Movement Dance Company). This collaboration serves as a vital platform for her latest productions, such as BLÖT and BUBBLAN, allowing her to further her exploration of contemporary dance throughout the north.

 

Jörgen Stenberg, born in 1972 in Malå (Málage), is an Ume Sámi joiker, reindeer herder, storyteller, and cultural worker. He belongs to a small group of active bearers of the Ume Sámi joik tradition and has made significant contributions to preserving and developing this unique cultural form.

 

His joik is deeply rooted in reindeer herding, language, and the landscape where he lives. Through his voice, he conveys stories, memories, and emotions that reach beyond words – from quiet presence to profound sorrow and joy. For Jörgen, joik is not just music, but a way of relating to people, nature, and history. On stage, he not only performs joik – he also shares stories about reindeer herding, Sámi culture, and Indigenous rights. His performances are personal, present, and deeply moving.

WITNESS FILMS
Date: 17 June 2026
Time: 15.15-16.00
Location: Tystnad, Väven
Host:

Witness is a global mentorship initiative by the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF) for Indigenous filmmakers across the Arctic, including Canada, Alaska, Greenland, and Sápmi. Participants create 3–5 minute films exploring the intersection of climate change and community reality. Grounded in the principle of Indigenous authorship, Witness fosters partnerships that transcend colonial borders. By strengthening cross-regional networks and building professional capacity, the program creates new pathways for authentic storytelling and shared Indigenous sovereignty in cinema.

TAMATTA ATAQATIGIIPPUGUT (WE ARE ALL CONNECTED)
GREENLAND / 2026 / 5 MIN. / KALAALLISUT
Director: Arina Kleist (Inuk)
Producer: Arina Kleist, Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Neet’saii Gwich’in)

A reflection on ancestral spirits and our broken bond with Nature, told through compelling imagery and a Greenlandic perspective.

Arina Kleist, a filmmaker based in Qaqortoq, South Greenland, is a media freelancer focused on video storytelling. Her debut short,Ivikkisartoq Kingulleq, won Best Short Film at the Nuuk International Film Festival, marking her as a rising talent.

Princess Johnson, a writer, director, producer, and actor from Lower Tanana Dene lands, Alaska, centers Indigenous voices. She is Emmy®-nominated for Molly of Denali, a producer on the award-winning True Detective: Night Country, and serves on multiple Indigenous boards.

SUKKAILLUTIT UQARUK (SAY IT SLOWLY)
CANADA | 2026 | 5 MIN | INUKTITUT, ENGLISH
Director: Ashley Qilavaq-Savard (Inuk)
Producer: Sara Beate Eira (Sámi), Ashley Qilavaq-Savard

A moving parallel between language loss and climate change, highlighting personal and communal resilience.

Ashley Qilavaq-Savard, a writer, artist, and filmmaker from Iqaluit, Nunavut, creates poetry and films exploring decolonization and Indigenous narratives. Her previous shorts include the award-winning horror film Reclaim and the documentary Lessons From Our Grandfather.

Sara Beate Eira, a Sámi producer and filmmaker, Based in Guovdageaidnu, brings a background in journalism and political advocacy to her work. A former editor-in-chief of Ávvir and core team member on Ellos Eatnu – Let the River Flow, she develops documentary and fiction slates that share Sámi stories globally.

VUOGÁIDUVVAN (ADAPTATION)
SÁPMI, FINLAND | 2026 | 5 MIN | SÁMI
Director: Aslak Paltto (Sámi)
Producer: Sadetło Scott (Tłıc̨ hǫ Dene), Marc Fussing Rosbach (Inuk), Aslak Paltto

Across shifting seasons, a reindeer herder reveals how climate change and government neglect erode the land, the herd, and the identity that defines his life.

Hánno Heaika Ásllat Ánde, also known as Aslak Paltto, is a Sámi filmmaker, reindeer herder and journalist from Leammi in Northern Finland. His films include Through a Reindeer Herder’s Eyes and Eat, Feed, Sleep, Repeat, as well as his latest feature for the Sámi Truth and Reconciliation Committee, Reindeer.

Marc Fussing Rosbach, a Greenlandic filmmaker and composer, is known for blending Greenlandic culture with genre storytelling. Founder of Furos Image, he writes, directs, and scores his own work, including the Akornatsinniittut series. His award-winning films and soundtracks highlight his innovation in independent cinema and visual effects.

DENEEGE LEŁ GHU KK’OTS’EEDENEEYH TE HEŁ HOOZOONH TS’E DENOTS’EDENEEYH (WE GET BETTER WHEN WE TAN MOOSE HIDES)
UNITED STATES | 2026 | 5 MIN | DENAAKK’E
Director: Brittany Woods-Orrison (Koyukon Dene)
Producer: Sadetło Scott (Tłıc̨ hǫ Dene), Brittany Woods-Orrison

Enduring the chaos happening to their peoples and homelands, a group of Alaskan Dene women find strength and hope in reviving the ancestral practice of brain tanning hides.

Brittany Woods-Orrison, a filmmaker from Dleł Taneets, began her journey with Native Movement’s Alaska Native Filmmakers Intensive, creating her first film, The Land and I Heal One Another. She has worked on Tribally-Owned Broadband, This is a Story About Salmon, and co-host the podcast Half Smoke.

Sadetło Scott, a Tłıc̨ hǫ Dené filmmaker from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. She explores Indigenous language and lived experience through film and holds a degree in Indigenous Governance with certificates in film production. Through her company, Zahk’e Productions, she creates work like nihtâwikihew and Edaxàdets’eetè, supporting cultural revitalization and storytellin