Zoe Leigh Hopkins is a Canadian

Heiltsuk The Heiltsuk , sometimes historically referred to as ''Bella Bella'', or ''Híɫzaqv'' are an Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Indigenous people of the Central Coast Regional District, Central Coast region in British Columbia, ...

Mohawk Mohawk may refer to: Related to Native Americans *Mohawk people (Kanien’kehá:ka), an indigenous people of North America (Canada and New York) *Mohawk language (Kanien’kéha), the language spoken by the Mohawk people *Mohawk hairstyle, from a ...

writer and film director who began her career in acting in 1991 and later pursued filmmaking.

Biography

The daughter of journalist Brian Maracle,Laura Neilson Bonikowsky
"Brian Maracle"
''

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Com ...

'', April 23, 2013. Hopkins was born in

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, in the Heiltsuk fishing village. She is a fluent speaker of the

Mohawk language Mohawk () or (' anguageof the Flint Place') is an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian language currently spoken by around 3,500 people of the Mohawk people, Mohawk nation, located primarily in current or former Haudenosaunee territories, predomin ...

. She started working in film at the age of 15 as an actor in the film ''Black Robe (1991)'.'' She attended

Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District in downtown Toronto, although i ...

and received a Bachelor of Applied Arts in film in 1997. She then went on to work as an independent filmmaker directing her first short film ''Prayer for a Good Day'' (2004) starring; Christina Bomberry, Taysha Fuller and Delmor Jacobs, which premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

. Hopkins is also a part of the Embargo Collective, which is a group of seven Indigenous film makers from around the world who collaborate and challenge each other to create new, unusual films. She was selected by the

ImagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio, and new media work of Indigenous, Aboriginal and First People ...

to join this group. The majority of her films are short films, however she is transitioning to feature-length. Her feature film ''Running Home'' is currently in production after being selected by Telefilm Canada as one of the four projects to receive financial support in partnership with the ImagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival.

The Embargo Collective

The Embargo Collective has happened twice. In both instances of the program Zoe Leigh Hopkins has been an active member and participant. The second Embargo Collective, named Embargo Collective II, was started due to the major success of the first Embargo Collective. The goal of this program is to provide more opportunities for Indigenous film making and collaboration within the industry of film. The program pairs both established and up and coming Aboriginal film makers together to create new and interesting short films.

Filmography

Awards

Hopkin's short Tsi tkahétayen (The Garden) received the NSI Online Festival's A&e Short Filmmaker's Award. Additionally, Hopkins was the winner of the #TIFFStarWars contest for her submission "Star Wars - Trash Compactor Scene", a short which recreated the scene from the

original film Original Film is an American film and television production company founded by Neal H. Moritz. Notable films the company has produced include the '' I Know What You Did Last Summer'', '' Cruel Intentions'' and ''Fast & Furious'' franchises, the ...

in the

.imaginenAtIVE brochure
Retrieved February 19, 2023 Her short Mohawk Midnight Runners received accolades at the NSI Online Film Festival, imagineNATIVE, SWAIA Class X, Dawson City International Short Film Festival, Yellowknife International Film Festival and the Niagara Integrated Film Festival including Best Canadian Short Drama at imagineNATIVE 2013. In 2017 Hopkins won the Audience Choice award at imagineNATIVE for ''

Kayak to Klemtu ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word ''qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be a ...

''. Her 2021 film ''Run Woman Run'' won the Moon Jury Award at imagineNATIVE,Jeff Blagden
"Adaawk Takes Home ‘New Voice in Storytelling Award’, among 18 winners at imagineNATIVE Film Festival"

CFNR-FM CFNR-FM is a Canadian radio station based in Terrace, British Columbia, owned and operated by Northern Native Broadcasting (Terrace). The station operates at 92.1 FM from the station headquarters in Terrace. The programming reflects and is broadc ...

, October 25, 2021. as well as the awards for Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Performance for its lead actress

Dakota Ray Hebert Dakota Ray Hebert is a Dene comedian, actress and writer from Canada.Bryan Eneas"Comedy the vehicle for sensitive racial topics in new Saskatoon play" CBC News Saskatoon, March 4, 2019. She is most noted for her performance in the 2021 film '' Run W ...

at the 2022 Vancouver International Women in Film Festival.Victoria Ahearn
"Run Woman Run crosses finish line with three awards at VIWFF"
'' Playback'', March 14, 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hopkins, Zoe Living people 20th-century First Nations people 21st-century First Nations artists 21st-century First Nations women Actresses from British Columbia Canadian film actresses Film producers from Ontario Canadian women film producers Canadian Mohawk filmmakers Canadian women film directors Film directors from British Columbia Canadian Mohawk actresses First Nations filmmakers Heiltsuk people Writers from British Columbia Year of birth missing (living people) Film directors from Ontario 20th-century Canadian women writers Canadian Mohawk women writers Canadian Mohawk writers Six Nations of the Grand River people