TELUS originals

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TELUS originals

Supporting the production of award-winning documentaries and docu-series by established filmmakers in B.C. and Alberta. Est 2014.

11/01/2024

Watch for the TELUS original film “Slides on the Mountain” in your city as it makes its way across North Ameria and Europe on the Arc’teryx Winter Film Tour!

A film by Seth Gillis and Sandy Ward, “Slides on the Mountain” explores the dedication and passion of two young brothers from Lil’wat Nation as they ski the mountain they were raised beneath, pushing themselves and their culture.

Find the Canadian dates below and check out the Arc’teryx website at https://events.arcteryx.com/film-tour/en for international dates.

❄ Vancouver
November 1, Vogue Theatre

❄ Toronto
November 8 and 9. The Royal Theatre

❄ Calgary
November 23, Bella Concert Hall

❄ Montreal
December 10, Olympia de Montreal

10/31/2024

In celebration of TELUS originals 10 year anniversary, we are excited to post our first spotlight, Laura O’Grady!

We asked: What is a memorable highlight while working with the TELUS originals team?

📽️ Spotlight on: Laura O’Grady, Director of TELUS original films including “Undetectable”, “Francheska: Prairie Queen” and “Thunder of Clouds”

💬 “The impact of TELUS originals is truly immeasurable. By supporting the production of hundreds of hours devoted to amplifying Canadian stories, it provides essential funding for independent filmmakers. I began producing TELUS originals films a decade ago, and it’s been a joy to witness its growth and evolution, as it introduces a wealth of diverse and exciting filmmakers and underrepresented communities to Canadian audiences.”

Stay tuned for more spotlights to come! Catch “Undetectable” and “Francheska: Prairie Queen” on TELUS Optik TV channel 8 and online at watch.telusoriginals.com.

10/31/2024

We are thrilled to have two TELUS original films screening at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival!
Head to the links in our bio and get your tickets today!

“Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama”
🗓️ When: November 8 @ 4:00pm
✨ Where: Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas - Aud 10
📸 Take a filmic journey with director Cindy Mochizuki as she beautifully documents the life of Japanese-Canadian photographer Tamio Wakayama in “Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama”.

“It Takes a Village”
🗓️ When: November 10 @ 7:00pm
✨ Where: Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas - Aud 10
🏀 Directed by Christopher Cho, “It Takes a Village”explores the transformative power of community, mentorship and basketball.

10/30/2024

Congratulations to the “Curl Power” team for winning the Documentary Feature Award at the Forest City Film Festival (London, Ontario).🎉

The Documentary Feature award went to Josephine Anderson’s Curl Power from Secret Bench Films and Studio 104 Entertainment. The doc follows the 4KGIRL$ team as they strive to become national curling champions. After its world premiere at the 2024 Hot Docs, the TELUS originals film was picked up by Sherry Media Group for a Canadian theatrical release under its Impact Series banner. (Excerpted from Playback Magazine, October 30, 2024)

10/30/2024

As we mark a decade of TELUS originals, we want to highlight the incredible filmmakers who have made this achievement possible! 🎉

Over the next few weeks, watch this space for features on some of the talented filmmakers that we have had the pleasure to work with over the years.

10/29/2024

Congratulations to the team from the TELUS original series ‘Pain and Offering’ for the following incredible wins at AMPIA’s Rosie Awards. So well deserved!

🏆 Best Web Series:
Rebecca Campbell, Frederick Kroetsch and Daniel Ennett

🏆 Best Editor, Documentary Under 30 Min
Sarah Taylor, Blair Drover

10/28/2024

Happen to be in Banff?

🐃 Check out Leanne Allison and Pete Balkwill’s gorgeous and powerful TELUS original film “Iniskim - Return of the Buffalo” at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. 🐃

WHEN: Sat, November 2 @ 10:00am
WHERE: Max Bell Auditorium, Banff Centre
TICKETS: https://filmfest.banffcentre.ca or head to the link in our bio

“Iniskim: Return of the Buffalo”, is an intercultural artistic response to the return of the buffalo featuring Leroy Little Bear, Amethyst First Rider and the Old Trout Puppeteers.

10/24/2024

As we celebrate 10 years of TELUS originals, we want to shine a spotlight on the amazing team members whose dedication has made this milestone possible! 🙌

We asked them: What are you most excited about for the future of the TELUS originals program?

1️⃣ Cameron Zinger, Director, TELUS Local Content
💬 As TELUS originals marks a decade of amplifying Canadian voices, I’m thrilled about the horizon ahead. Our commitment to high-impact, social-purpose documentaries has never been stronger. I eagerly anticipate discovering more untold stories and pushing the boundaries of storytelling. With an expanded slate of diverse projects and our continued focus on reflecting Canadian and Indigenous experiences, TELUS originals is poised to inspire, challenge, and connect audiences in unprecedented ways. Here’s to another decade of groundbreaking content that makes a difference!

2️⃣ Leah Camenzind, Team Lead & Managing Production Executive, TELUS originals
💬 We aspire to be one of the best places in Canada for documentary filmmakers to produce impactful, critically acclaimed films that bring Western Canadian and Indigenous stories to local and global audiences. As we work towards this goal, with confidence and excitement, we remain grounded in our values and a growth mindset that allows us to serve the TELUS Optik TV customers who fund this work through their patronage.

3️⃣ Kelly Fox, Senior Marketing Manager
💬 TELUS original films keep screening to wider and more diverse audiences. I can’t wait to see them find their way into more educational, organizational and community screenings. They have such power to spark conversation and challenge audiences to see the world in a new light!

Stay tuned for more team highlights coming soon!

10/22/2024

Exciting news - APTN has acquired the Siksikaitsiipowahsin version (Blackfoot language) of the TELUS original documentary “Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun” for its new ‘APTN Languages’ channel!🎉

The documentary, directed by Nuxalk filmmaker Banchi Hanuse, follows a young Siksika woman as she prepares for one of the most dangerous horse races, the Indian Relay. The film had its world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Festival in 2023 where it won the Big Sky Award. It has since screened in over 43 festivals and won 23 awards.

Read more about ‘the APTN Languages’ channel by heading to the link in our bio!

Both the English and Blackfoot language versions are available on TELUS Optik TV channel 8, Stream+ and online at watch.telusoriginals.com.

10/22/2024

An incredible and whirlwind 11 days at ! 🎉In addition to the magical opening night screening of “Ari’s Theme” in partnership with the , the Local Content team came out to show their support for the other TELUS original films “The Chef and the Daruma”, “Curl Power” and “Delta Dawn”. It was a banner week for TELUS originals and we couldn’t be more proud of the filmmakers and their teams. And a huge congratulations to “The Chef & the Daruma” on their Insights Audience Award! Check out “The Chef & the Daruma” film screenings with in October by heading to the link in our bio.

Carousel 1: Ari Kinarthy at “Ari’s Theme”Opening Night at VIFF, photo credit: .photography
Carousel 2: “The Chef and the Daruma” screening, photo credit: .photography
Carousel 3: “Curl Power” screening, photo credit: .photography
Carousel 4: “Delta Dawn”, film still

10/10/2024

On , we would like to shine a light on Carol Todd. Driven by the memory of her daughter Amanda Todd, Carol has become an advocate for mental health and a voice against online bullying. Watch more of Carol Todd’s journey with the TELUS original film, “Dark Cloud” on TELUS Optik TV channel 8 and online for free at watch.telusoriginals.com.

10/09/2024

It’s been an exciting few weeks celebrating our TELUS original films at various festivals. 🎉 We were proud to support “Curl Power” and “Iniskim - Return of the Buffalo” at the Calgary International Film Festival this year. Sharing some of our team’s favourite moments including the beautiful buffalo puppets () from “Iniskim - Return of the Buffalo” and the fun blow-up curling rink for “Curl Power”!

10/08/2024

📢 Hey Vancouver, catch Asher Penn’s probing and intimate TELUS original documentary “Physician, Heal Thyself” at VIFF Centre between October 11 and 22.

🎟️ Get your tickets at the link in our bio!

Dr Gabor Maté has become one of the world’s most influential thinkers about addiction, trauma and childhood development on the back of books like In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, The Myth of Normal and When the Body Says No. He’s pioneered the idea of Compassionate Inquiry as a therapeutic approach, and worked for over a decade on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

In Asher Penn’s “Physician, Heal Thyself” Dr Maté shares not only his theories, but also his personal story: his difficult early childhood in Hungary, immigrating to Canada, his experience as a journalist for the Ubyssey, and his early reputation as a contrarian. Maté candidly discusses his own struggles with pain, his complicated behaviours and fractured relationships. “Physician, Heal Thyself”offers hope and comfort, encouraging us to own our failings, share our struggles, and accept our imperfections.

10/08/2024

Happy International Le***an Day! Celebrate le***an history, diversity, culture and community with Ali Grant’s TELUS original film “Not Quite That” on TELUS Optik TV channel 8, TELUS Stream+ and online for free at watch.telusoriginals.com.

The story of a nice Jewish butch le***an with a genetic mutation that might just allow her to be fully seen at last. Meet Sarah, 57. Le***an? For sure. Jewish? Yes and no. Mother? In all but one sense. Trans? No, just often mistaken as such. Breast cancer survivor? Well, that’s the plan, the survival bit, but without the cancer or the breasts. “”Not Quite That”” is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.

09/26/2024

🎥 Tonight is ’s Opening Night and the B.C. premiere of the TELUS original, Ari’s Theme. Making its red carpet debut, Ari’s Theme follows composer Ari Kinarthy, who lives with a rare genetic condition that causes his muscles to deteriorate; impeding his creative pursuits. In an effort to leave an impactful legacy, Ari ambitiously undertakes a new composition inspired by his life’s most treasured moments, underscoring his purpose: creating music 🎵 For this singular cinematic experience, eight members of the will live-score select passages of the film using Ari’s original orchestral arrangements. Joining us in person, Ari will be in attendance to witness his musical visions ascend to new heights.

09/16/2024

📽 Watch “I’ll Tell You When I’m Ready” on TELUS Optik TV channel 8, Stream+ or online (link in bio)!

Directed by Hayley Morin, check out this TELUS original short doc that captures poet, activist and drag performer jaye simpson as she revisits her childhood and declares “If they’re gonna eat me alive, I want them to have to chew.”

09/09/2024

📢 Watch TELUS original Films at the Calgary International Film Festival!

🐃 “Iniskim - Return of the Buffalo” is a cinematic wonder and a lens into Indigenous ways of knowing. In 2017, history was made when bison were reintroduced to Banff National Park where they continue to roam free today. The documentary captures puppeteers from Old Trout Puppet Workshop working in deep collaboration with leaders of the Buffalo rematriation movement Leroy Little Bear and Amethyst First Rider - to absorb their knowledge and integrate it into the creation of both the puppets and the theatrical production of the Buffalo’s journey back to their ancestral home. (Dirs: Leanne Allison, Pete Balkwill | Prods: Leanne Allison, Amethyst First Rider)

🗓️ September 20th @ 6:00 PM at the Contemporary Calgary Dome
🗓️ September 20th @ 6:20 PM at the Contemporary Calgary Auditorium

🥌 “Curl Power”: A feature-length coming-of-age documentary that follows five best friends in their quest to rise to the top of Canada’s cult-favourite sport, and win a spot at the National Curling Championships. With intimate access into the complicated inner lives of this all-girl team, the film follows as they strive to redefine their bodies as powerful, resulting in an intoxicating exploration of what it’s like to be a teenage girl in pursuit of a big, oddball dream. (Dir: Josephine Anderson | Prod: Mike Johnston)

🗓️ September 22 @ 4:00pm at the Contemporary Calgary Dome
🗓️ September 25 @ 5:30pm at the Cineplex Chinook 15

Check out the full festival line-up at the link in bio!

09/05/2024

Congratulations to the TELUS originals film teams behind, “Flashback” and “Pain and Offering” for their impressive nine AMPIA Rosie Award nominations:

📽️ Flashback:
✨Best Documentary Production Over 30 Minutes, (Flashback // Peter Hays, Matthew Hays // Tangerine Productions)
✨Best Screenwriter Documentary Over 30 Minutes, (Peter Hays // Flashback // Tangerine Production)
✨Best Cinematographer Documentary Over 30 Minutes, (Bradley Warren // Flashback // Tangerine Productions)
✨Best Original Musical Score Documentary, (Ian Dillon, Carson Dillon, D’orjay // Flashback // Tangerine Productions)

📽️ Pain and Offering (Erin):
✨Best Web Series, (Pain and Offering “Erin” // Rebecca Campbell, Daniel Ennett, Frederick Kroetsch // Catapult Pictures)
✨Best Director Documentary Under 30 Minutes, (Daniel Ennett, Frederick Kroetsch // Pain and Offering “Erin” // Catapult Pictures)
✨Best Screenwriter Documentary Under 30 Minutes, (Daniel Ennett, Frederick Kroetsch, Cynthia Decore // Pain and Offering “Erin” // Catapult Pictures)
✨Best Cinematographer Documentary Under 30 Minutes, (David Baron // Pain and Offering “Erin” // Catapult Pictures)
✨Best Editor Documentary Under 30 Minutes, (Sarah Taylor, CCE, Blair Drover // Pain and Offering “Erin” // Catapult Pictures)

Check out the link in our bio to see all the Rosie Award nominations.

08/29/2024

📢 TELUS Local Content is proud to announce a new initiative to support the mental health and well-being of our filmmakers and content creators.

TELUS STORYHIVE and TELUS originals have partnered with TELUS Health MyCare™ to offer current TELUS STORYHIVE project leads (in the programs: 2024 Scripted Edition, 2024 Voices, 2024 Video Podcast, 2024 On Location) and TELUS originals funded directors and producers five sessions with a certified counsellor at no cost.

In the filmmaking and TV industry, where mental health often takes a backseat, we’re making sure it’s front and center. We’re dedicated to fostering a supportive environment where creativity and mental wellness go hand in hand.

Want to learn more? Check out the latest blog post by Amanda Wong, Manager of the TELUS Local Content Program Office, through the link in bio.

08/28/2024

Catch three more TELUS original Films at VIFF!

So excited to share that these fantastic TELUS original films will screen at the Vancouver International Film Festival! Check out the full VIFF programme at our link in bio for screening and ticket info and come celebrate some of B.C.’s best stories and storytellers.

🍣 The Chef and the Daruma: Visionary chef Hidekazu Tojo grapples with his life’s work and reflects upon the struggle to make himself and his culinary creations palatable to a Western audience. Amidst the push and pull between his traditional Japanese heritage and his new persona in Canada, Tojo embarks on a journey of identity intertwined with the mythical presence of Daruma, a legendary monk from Japanese folklore - shaping a narrative that transcends borders, realities, and flavours. (Dir: Mads K. Baekkevold, Prod: Luis Geurra, Exec Prod: Matt Lawrence Dix) 🍿 WORLD PREMIERE. Cast and crew in attendance.

🐍 Delta Dawn: Explore the early life and career of Indigenous wrestling sensation Dawn Murphy aka “Princess Delta Dawn” who rose to fame in the 1980s and early 1990s as well as her present day life in Prince George, B.C. After competing in the pro wrestling circuit in Canada, Dawn rose to international success at the age of 17 and became the first Indigenous woman and the first Canadian woman to compete in Japan.(Dir: Asia Youngman, Prod: Mike Johnston) 🍿 WORLD PREMIERE. Cast and crew in attendance.

🥌 Curl Power: A feature-length coming-of-age documentary that follows five best friends in their quest to rise to the top of Canada’s cult-favourite sport, and win a spot at the National Curling Championships. With intimate access into the complicated inner lives of this all-girl team, the film follows as they strive to redefine their bodies as powerful, resulting in an intoxicating exploration of what it’s like to be a teenage girl in pursuit of a big, oddball dream. (Dir: Josephine Anderson, Prod: Mike Johnston) 🍿 B.C. PREMIERE. Cast and crew in attendance.

08/28/2024

📢 JUST ANNOUNCED:

We are thrilled to announce ARI’S THEME, a TELUS original feature documentary, has been selected as the opening night film for the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival!🎵

Music composer Ari Kinarthy has a rare genetic condition that causes his muscles to deteriorate. In an effort to leave an impactful legacy and discover his life’s purpose, he ambitiously undertakes a new composition inspired by his most treasured moments.

Not to be missed – The Opening Gala presentation will include a live musical accompaniment with members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.. This hometown B.C. premiere will be celebrated with Vancouver directors Nathan Drillot and Jeff Lee Petry, and Victoria’s incomparable Ari Kinarthy.

The entire creative team and Ari will also be in attendance at the second screening, September 28 screening - get your tickets today!

🗓️When: Saturday September 28 @ 1:30
📽️Where: VIFF Centre - Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St

Visit the link in bio for more information and stay tuned for more exciting news about TELUS original films at VIFF!

08/28/2024

📢 TELUS Local Content is proud to announce a new initiative to support the mental health and well-being of our filmmakers and content creators!

TELUS STORYHIVE and TELUS originals have partnered with TELUS Health MyCare™ to offer current TELUS STORYHIVE project leads (in the programs: 2024 Scripted Edition, 2024 Voices, 2024 Video Podcast, 2024 On Location) and TELUS originals funded directors and producers five sessions with a certified counsellor at no cost.

In the filmmaking and TV industry, where mental health often takes a backseat, we’re making sure it’s front and center. We’re dedicated to fostering a supportive environment where creativity and mental wellness go hand in hand.

Want to learn more? Check out the latest blog post by Amanda Wong, Manager of the TELUS Local Content Program Office, through the link in bio.

08/21/2024

Hey Vancouver! 📢

Don’t miss the screening of the TELUS original short film “I’ll Tell You When I’m Ready” on the opening night of on September 11, 2024, at 7 PM at Vancouver Playhouse!

📽️ About the Film: Critically acclaimed poet jaye simpson strives to write their next book in a literary industry that doesn’t always know what to do with them.

🎟️ Get your tickets now through the link in our bio!

08/15/2024

Congratulations to Mike Johnston, producer of the TELUS original feature “Curl Power,” for his CMPA 2024 Indiescreen Awards nomination for the Kevin Tierney Emerging Producer Award! 🎉 Congratulations to all the other nominees—your creativity and hard work are inspiring!

Head to the link in our bio to read the full article with all the 2024 Indiescreen Awards nominees.

08/08/2024

The 2024 pitch submission window has closed. Thank you to all the producers who submitted a pitch! We will reply to all submissions with a decision between December 2024 and early January 2025.

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TELUS originals is proud to be celebrating 10 years of award-winning, social-purpose storytelling that connects communities locally and globally.🎉 Since 2014, TELUS originals has invested more than $27 million in bringing the stories of British Columbia and Alberta to life on-screen. This significant investment has resulted in the creation of over 350 documentaries and docuseries episodes, raising awareness of community challenges and successes while empowering Canadian and Indigenous filmmakers. Join us in the celebration as #TOTurns10 by sharing on your socials! Watch TELUS original films on Optik TV channel 8, TELUS Stream+ and for free at watch.telusoriginals.com.

Check out what T Bannister, Partnership & Training Lead at Local Content has to say about their connection to “Ari’s Theme” at the @viffest Opening Night and their favorite part of the event. Don’t miss “Ari’s Theme” screening once again on Sunday, October 6 at The Cinematheque. Grab your tickets through the link in our bio!

Hear what Leah Camenzind, Team Lead & Managing Production Executive at TELUS originals has to say about her involvement with “Ari’s Theme” and her favorite part of @viffest. Catch “Ari’s Theme” screening again on Sunday, October 6 at The Cinematheque. Head to our link in bio to get your tickets.

‘The Secret Society’ shines a spotlight on a stigmatized health crisis, diving into the complexities of infertility and the legal challenges surrounding egg donation in Canada. 📺 Stream ‘The Secret Society’ now on watch.telusoriginals.com or visit our bio link to learn more and join the movement to break the silence surrounding infertility and egg donation in Canada. #TheSecretSocietyFilm #FertilityMatters #TELUSoriginals

Delve deeper into this pressing issue and hear from those affected by the complexity of infertility and egg donation in Canada by streaming ‘The Secret Society’ on watch.telusoriginals.com or visit the link in our bio. #TheSecretSocietyFilm #TELUSoriginals #FertilityMatters #AlbertaFilm #CanadianDocumentary #NowStreaming

The Secret Society shines light on a hidden and unacknowledged women’s health crisis. Complicating the already stressful and stigmatized world of infertility, women who are unable to conceive because their eggs are no longer viable are forced to take their medical needs into their own hands only to discover that  Canadian law criminalizes payment to anyone who wants to use an egg donor. These laws perpetuate the secrecy surrounding egg donation and create a bizarrely complex world of assisted reproduction in this country. NOW STREAMING on watch.telusoriginals.com. #TheSecretSocietyFilm #TELUSoriginals #ABFilm #CanadianDocumentary #AlbertaFilm #KeepAlbertaRolling

Did you know Canada has no egg banks, leading to an astounding 80% of eggs used in assisted reproduction being imported from the United States? This fact alone underscores the complexity and urgency of addressing these legal and medical challenges. To learn more about the reality of egg donation in Canada, stream ‘The Secret Society’ now on watch.telusoriginals.com or visit our link in bio. #TheSecretSocietyFilm #TELUSoriginals #TelusFund #ABFilm #DYK #fertilitymatterscanada

Launching on watch.telusoriginals.com on November 2, join us in watching @thesecretsocietyfilm, a documentary that delves into the hidden realm of egg donation in Canada. Discover the challenges and legal complexities faced by women on their journey through infertility and assisted reproduction. Streaming November 2 on watch.telusoriginals.com. 📺 #TELUSoriginals #WorldFertilityDay #ABFilm

Francheska: Prairie Queen Trailer 9x16

Watch for Francheska: Prairie Queen on TELUS Optik TV or online at watch.telusoriginals.com FREE. ANYTIME. ANYWHERE.

Francheska Dynamites: Prairie Queen Trailer 4x5

The feature documentary, Francheska: Prairie Queen follows the journey of Filipino care worker, Francis (Kiko) Yutrago, as he tries to achieve drag star superstardom while still financially supporting his family back in the Philippines. Adding complexity to his quest is where Kiko and his fiancé Cody choose to live: a tiny bible belt town in southern Alberta, population: 956. Watch for Francheska: Prairie Queen on TELUS Optik or online at watch.telusoriginals.com