Elle-Máijá Apiniskim Tailfeathers (born in 1986) is a Canadian filmmaker, actor, and producer. She has won several accolades for her film work, including multiple

Canadian Screen Awards The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...

. Born in

Cardston, Alberta Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century ...

, Tailfeathers began acting in the late 2000s before embarking on a career as a filmmaker. For directing '' The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open'', she shared the

Canadian Screen Award for Best Director The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presents an annual award for Best Achievement in Direction to the best work by a director of a Canadian film.Maria Topalovich, ''And the Genie Goes To...: Celebrating 50 Years of the Canadian Film Award ...

with Kathleen Hepburn. That film also won the

Toronto Film Critics Association The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) is an organization of film critics from Toronto-based publications. As of 1999, the TFCA is a member of the FIPRESCI. History The Toronto Film Critics Association is the official organization of Toro ...

's $100,000

Rogers Best Canadian Film Award The Rogers Best Canadian Film Award is presented annually by the Toronto Film Critics Association to the film judged by the organization's members as the year's best Canadian film. In 2012, the cash prize accompanying the award was increased to $1 ...

Early life

Tailfeathers was born to Bjarne Store-Jakobsen, a Sámi rights activist and journalist from Norway, and

Kainai The Kainai Nation () (, or , romanized: ''Káínawa'', Blood Tribe) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,965 members in 2024, up from 11,791 in December 2013. tra ...

activist and doctor Esther Tailfeathers, from Canada. Her parents met at a global indigenous peoples' conference in Australia, and married sometime after.

Career

Tailfeathers studied acting at the

Vancouver Film School Vancouver Film School (VFS) is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition. The Vancouver Film School has campus locations around Downtown Vancouve ...

, and graduated in 2006 and then moved on to the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

where she would graduate with a degree in First Nations studies and a minor in women and gender studies in 2011. After acting for a period of time, Tailfeathers shifted her focus to filmmaking and began to work as a writer, director, and producer. During her time at the University of British Columbia, she started to use film equipment and

editing Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written language, written, Image editing, visual, Audio engineer, audible, or Film editing, cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing p ...

software Software consists of computer programs that instruct the Execution (computing), execution of a computer. Software also includes design documents and specifications. The history of software is closely tied to the development of digital comput ...

''Bloodland''

''Bloodland'' (2011) is an experimental

short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...

that offers a commentary on

fracking Fracking (also known as hydraulic fracturing, fracing, hydrofracturing, or hydrofracking) is a well stimulation technique involving the fracturing of formations in bedrock by a pressurized liquid. The process involves the high-pressure inje ...

practices in Canada and across the world. It can be found on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

, where it was made public in 2013 in solidarity with the

Idle No More Idle No More is an ongoing protest movement, founded in December 2012 by four women: three First Nations women and one non-Native ally. It is a grassroots movement among the Indigenous peoples in Canada comprising the First Nations, Métis a ...

movement. The short film uses metaphoric imagery of a woman being held down and drilled into as a comment on the current fracking practices in Canada. This project was funded by the Blood Tribe Chief and Council through a distribution cheque, and as a result was indirectly funded by the proceeds of various

gas Gas is a state of matter that has neither a fixed volume nor a fixed shape and is a compressible fluid. A ''pure gas'' is made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon) or molecules of either a single type of atom ( elements such as ...

and

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

, as well as KRI Resources. The film was well received at its premier in

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

, and was the subject of a greater national debate regarding the practice of fracking in Indigenous lands. The film was selected for the following film festivals: *

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...

2011 * ImagineNATIVE Film Festival 2011 *

American Indian Film Festival The American Indian Film Festival is an annual non-profit film festival in San Francisco, California, United States. It is the world's oldest venue dedicated solely to Native American/First Nations films and prepared the way for the 1979 formati ...

2011 * L.A. Skins Festival 2011 * Tulsa International Film Festival 2011 * Yellowknife International Film Festival 2011 *

Riddu Riđđu Riddu Riđđu () is an annual Sami people, Sámi music and culture festival held in Olmmáivággi (Manndalen) in the Gáivuotna Municipality (also known as Kåfjord Municipality) in Norway. The goal of the festival is to bring forward both Sámi ...

International Indigenous Peoples Festival 2011 (Norway) * Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival 2011 * Skábmagovat Film Festival 2012 (Finland) * Vancouver Women in Film Festival 2012

''A Red Girl's Reasoning''

''A Red Girl's Reasoning'' (2012) is a short film that was created in response to the growing numbers of

missing and murdered Indigenous women Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are instances of violence against Indigenous women in Canada and the United States, notably those in the First Nations in Canada and Native American communities, but also amongst other Indigenous peoples s ...

in Canada. This film centres around a survivor of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

and her quest to bring

justice In its broadest sense, justice is the idea that individuals should be treated fairly. According to the ''Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy'', the most plausible candidate for a core definition comes from the ''Institutes (Justinian), Inst ...

to the attackers of her fellow women. While originally a short film, it is currently in the process of expanding into a

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

. This film was the winner of the 2012 Vancouver Crazy8s Competition, where filmmakers were challenged to create a film in under eight days.

''Rebel (Bihttoš)''

Rebel A rebel is a participant in a rebellion. Rebel or rebels may also refer to: People * Rebel (given name) * Rebel (surname) * Patriot (American Revolution), during the American Revolution * American Southerners, as a form of self-identification; ...

(Bihttoš)'' is an experimental and unconventional documentary where a young woman (Tailfeathers) explores her complex "relationship with her father through an examination of family photos and the family lore surrounding her parents’ courtship and marriage." ''Bihttoš combines "''animation, re-enactments, and archival photos, nddelves into the dissolution of her parents' mythic love story and how it has coloured her perception of love in her adult life." ''Bihttoš'' first screened at the imagineNATIVE film festival in 2014.

''cəsnaʔəm, the city before the city''

''cəsnaʔəm, the city before the city'' (2017) is a feature film on the history of the land in the area which is now known as

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

. Made in partnership with Musqueam First Nation, the film was part of a larger exhibition put on in partnership with the

Museum of Anthropology at UBC The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) campus in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada displays world arts and cultures, in particular works by First Nations in Canada, First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. As well ...

, the

Museum of Vancouver The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) (formerly the Vancouver Museum and prior to that the Centennial Museum) is a civic history museum located in Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. The MOV is the largest civic museum in Canada and the oldest museu ...

and the Musqueam Cultural Centre.

''The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open''

Co-directed with Kathleen Hepburn, '' The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open'' centres on the interaction between Áila (Tailfeathers), an

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

woman with a stable and happy domestic life, and Rosie ( Violet Nelson), a more impoverished First Nations woman who has just been a victim of

domestic abuse Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...

, after they meet in the street. The majority of the film consists of one long, unbroken shot. The film premiered at the 2019 Berlin Film Festival in the Generation program, and had its Canadian premiere at the

2019 Toronto International Film Festival The 44th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 5 to 15 September 2019. The opening gala was the documentary film '' Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band'', directed by Daniel Roher, and the festival closed with a ...

. It was nominated for six

Canadian Screen Award The Canadian Screen Awards () are awards given for artistic and technical merit in the film industry recognizing excellence in Canadian film, English-language television, and digital media ( web series) productions. Given annually by the Academy ...

s, including

Best Motion Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film an ...

, and won three. For directing ''The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open'', Tailfeathers shared the

with Hepburn. That film also won the

's $100,000

Themes and issues

Her work has garnered attention for its focus on representations of women of colour, and her thematic focus on

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

subjects and issues. Tailfeathers explores "innovative means of telling stories through mediums including narrative fiction, docudrama, documentary, mockumentary, and experimental film." Her film projects are usually staffed primarily with

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

cast and production members, reflecting her emphasis on engaging with First Nations and Indigenous filmmakers. One of Tailfeathers' primary focuses as a filmmaker is activism and

social justice Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...

; she approaches film as a way to "use it as a form of

nonviolent Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

direct action against issues like

violence against women Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence (GBV) or sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), violent, violence primarily committed by Man, men or boys against woman, women or girls. Such violence is often considered hat ...

and degradation of Indigenous land." Her film and activist pursuits focus on issues that directly relate to and affect Indigenous women and communities.

Awards and recognition

She has won and been nominated for awards at various international film festivals, and has been recognized for her work rooted in social justice. Notable recognition has included receiving a Kodak Image Award, the Vancouver Mayor's Arts Award as an emerging filmmaker. She is included in

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

's "Young Indigenous Leaders: 5 Under 30 To Watch in 2015." Her autobiographical short film ''

(Bihttoš)'' was named one of the Top Ten short films at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also awarded best documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2015. In 2017, Tailfeathers won a Canadian Screen Award for best actress for a dramatic program or limited series for her work in the CBC movie ''Unclaimed'', as well as an award for best performance at the Vancouver Women in Film Festival. At the 2019

, Tailfeathers and her co-director Kathleen Hepburn received the $25,000 Best BC Film Award for their film ''The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open''. Tailfeathers also won the $17,500 BC Emerging Filmmaker Award. In 2020, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers was awarded the

Skábmagovat Prize The Skábmagovat Prize (, , and ) is an indigenous film award to honor the significant, long-term contributions the recipient has made to the Sámi culture and communities. The award is announced in conjunction with the Skábmagovat indigenous ...

, an indigenous film award to honor the significant, long-term contributions she has made to the Sámi culture and communities. At the

10th Canadian Screen Awards The 10th Canadian Screen Awards were presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television from 4–10 April 2022 to honour achievements in Canadian film, television, and digital media production in 2021. The presentations were held as a ...

in 2022, she won the

for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress award ...

for her performance in '' Night Raiders'', and her documentary film '' Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy'' won the award for Best Feature Length Documentary.Adina Bresge
"'Scarborough' top film winner at Canadian Screen Awards"

CP24 CP24 is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by Bell Media, a subsidiary of BCE Inc. and operated alongside the Bell-owned CTV Television Network's owned-and-operated television stations CFTO-DT (CTV Toronto) and CKVR-DT ( ...

, 10 April 2022.

Personal life

Tailfeathers divides her time between Vancouver Canada, the Blood Reserve, and Sápmi territory in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. She is active in advocating for issues affecting First Nations communities. In 2011, she was arrested for participating in a peaceful

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

at the entrance of a drilling site in the Alberta Blood Reserve.

Filmography

Acting

Filmmaking

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tailfeathers, Elle-Maija Living people Kainai Nation people Norwegian Sámi people Sámi filmmakers Canadian people of Sámi descent Canadian women film directors Vancouver Film School alumni University of British Columbia alumni First Nations filmmakers First Nations actresses Sámi actors Sámi screenwriters Sámi film directors Canadian film actresses Canadian television actresses 21st-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century First Nations writers 21st-century First Nations women 21st-century First Nations people Canadian women screenwriters Best Director Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Best Screenplay Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Canadian curators Canadian women curators First Nations screenwriters 1986 births Best Actress Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners Directors of Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners for Best Documentary Film Canadian women documentary filmmakers