Indigenous filmmakers look to empty Winnipeg theatre to spark industry

A group of Indigenous filmmakers are hoping to turn a shuttered downtown Winnipeg theatre into a film school. Joseph Bernacki explains.

A group of Indigenous filmmakers is eyeing a historic theatre in downtown Winnipeg as a way of developing talent in the city.

Actor and director Charlene Moore loves being on both sides of the camera. It’s why she joined the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmakers Collective more than a decade ago.

“Through the work of us coming together for a story, like something beautiful and magical happens every single time,” Moore said.

Every second Wednesday of the month, Moore and her fellow filmmakers meet at the Winnipeg Film Group in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. Moore said collaboration is essential to get stories like theirs to the screen as projects can be often overlooked by the mainstream industry.

“The scope of storytelling and allowing for, voices who haven’t been heard before to speak,” she said.

This week, members of the collective talked about what it would look like to purchase the old Towne 8 Cinemas building on Princess Street. The building has been on the market for more than three years at an asking price of 2.25 million.

Members said they imagine the vacant space could be a hub for Indigenous film, but the steep price tag is a definite barrier.

“A few of the collective members, our advisory group are really thinking about opening a film school,” said Rachel Beaulieu, creative director of Can Dream Productions. “We have the skills, we know a lot of people.”

Beaulieu is a director with more than 15 years in the business and she wants to give back to the community that helped launch her career by developing a space of their own.

“I think’s it’s a great use,” said Rennie Zegalski, principal at Capital Commercial Real Estate Services and the listing agent for the property. “The challenge always is getting the money together and finding the financing.”

He said a number of Indigenous filmmakers toured the property in the past couple of months despite the hefty price tag.

Still, Moore said it doesn’t hurt to dream big.

“Winnipeg is like an epicenter of storytelling, specifically with Indigenous filmmakers,” she said. “Having that opportunity to showcase our work somewhere permanently would be amazing.”