Tag Archives: Nish Media

Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Nish Media’s documentary series Skindigenous sold to PBS & international broadcasters

From a media release:

The documentary series Skindigenous, which airs on APTN, the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, has been licensed by PBS. The 13-episode x 26-minute series, which explores Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world, is produced by Gatineau’s Nish Media and is internationally represented by Filmoption International Inc. Skindigenous has been selected as an official 2020 Rockie Awards nominee in the Arts & Entertainment: Arts & Music category. The Rockie Awards will be streaming live today (June 15) at 3pm EDT on Youtube.

Season 1 of Skindigenous has been purchased by networks around the world: NITV (SBS) in Australia, RSI Switzerland and MAORI TV in New Zealand. UR Sweden and USHUAIA in France has purchased both seasons of the series.

Season 2 of the series is currently airing on APTN in both English and Dene until July 15, 2020. Season 3 is currently in production.

Skindigenous is a 13-part documentary series exploring Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world. Each episode dives into a unique Indigenous culture to discover the tools and techniques, the symbols and traditions that shape their tattooing art. In this series, the art of tattoo becomes a lens for exploring some of the planet’s oldest cultures and their unique perspectives on life, identity, and the natural world.

About Nish Media
The series is produced by Nish Media, a multi-award-winning production company based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Over the past years, producer Jason Brennan has produced over 220 hours of television for various networks such as APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtTV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including Mouki, Wapikoni, La Fosse aux tigres and seven seasons of Hit The Ice, nominated in prestigious television festivals including the Banff World Media Festival and Italy’s FICTS. Its first feature film, Le Dep, was selected to play in several film festivals including the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Vancouver Film Festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ImagineNative and the American Indian Film Festival. Filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s new feature film, Rustic Oracle was presented in several festivals over the last few months. Nish Media currently has several TV projects in the works, including Season 3 of Skindigenous, the dramatic miniseries Pour toi Flora as well as the documentary Non réclamé. 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Skindigenous debuts Season 2 Jan 21 on APTN

From a media release:

Nish Media launches the 2nd season of its 13-episode documentary series Skindigenous, which explores Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world. The English version premieres Tuesday, January 21 at 8:30 p.m. ET on aptn hd & aptn e and 8:30 p.m. MT on aptn w.
A Dene version will also be broadcast on APTN.

Skindigenous 2 explores Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world from Canada to the US through Asia, Africa and Europe to New Zealand. Each episode dives into a unique Indigenous culture to discover the tools and techniques, the symbols and traditions that shape their tattooing art. In this series, the art of tattoo becomes a lens for exploring some of the planet’s oldest cultures and their unique perspectives on life, identity, and the natural world. Among ancient cultures, tattooing was only practiced by those with special standing in the community. Today, modern day tattoo artists use their art to re-connect with the heritage of their ancestors and to ensure that their stories are not lost. The series celebrates both ancient and modern tattooing techniques. Many are reviving or assuring the continuation of traditional techniques such as skin stitch or hand poke. Others aim to introduce their culture to the people around them.

Skindigenous 2 visits tattoo artists in LeBret, Sask., Kahnawake, Que., Nimkii, Northern Ontario, Haida Gwaii, B.C., Iqaluit, Nunavut, New Mexico, Los Angeles, Amsterdam, India, Taiwan, Tunisia and New Zealand. Here are a few examples of the artists being profiled:
Kanen’tó:kon Hemlock from Kahnawà:ke, Que. has been helping to revive tattooing traditions that were lost as a result of colonization. In the first episode of the series, he invites us to witness the first tattooing in a longhouse in roughly 300 years.

Stephanie Big Eagle of New Mexico is a traditional hand poke tattoo artist, who weaves Indigenous activism into her designs and became a prominent figure in the Dakota pipeline protests, where her thunder hawk hand poke design became a symbol of the standoff.

Métis artist Audie Murray grew up in Regina and Lebret, Sask. She works closely with traditional Cree tattoos and Michif visual culture and uses both hand poke and skin stitching methods.

The accompanying Skindigenous app on the series website gives Indigenous tattoo artists from around the world a forum to record and view their tattoo art.

The series was directed by Nish Media producer Jason Brennan and five other directors, including 4 female directors. Jason, a member of the First Nations community of Kitigan Zibi, has produced shows for APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtTV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including the seventh season of the Indigenous youth hockey show Hit The Ice. The series’ remaining directors are: Abenaki/Mohawk Writer/Director/Producer Angie-Pepper O’Bomsawin (Award-winning Mohawk Girls, APTN’s Hit The Ice 7, CBC Kids Cultural Capsules), award-winning film and television director, editor and cameraman Randy Kelly; Mohawk Producer/Writer/Director Roxann Whitebean (Mohawk Girls, Raven’s Quest, “Top 25” in Diversity of Voices at Banff Festival), Mohawk filmmaker Courtney Montour (Flat Rocks, APTN’s award-winning Sex Spirit Strength and Working It Out Together) and filmmaker Sara Ben-Saud (Mina, presented at TIFF).

About Nish Media
The series is produced by Nish Media, a multi-award-winning production company based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Over the past years, producer Jason Brennan has produced over 220 hours of television for various networks such as APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtTV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including Mouki, Wapikoni, La Fosse aux tigres and seven seasons of Hit The Ice, nominated in prestigious television festivals including the Banff World Media Festival and Italy’s FICTS. Its first feature film, Le Dep, was selected to play in several film festivals including the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Vancouver Film Festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ImagineNative and the American Indian Film Festival. Filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s new feature film, Rustic Oracle was presented in several festivals over the last few months. Nish Media currently has several TV projects in the works, including Season 3 of Skindigenous, the dramatic miniseries Pour toi Flora as well as the documentary Non réclamé.

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Featured, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Preview: Skindigenous celebrates the heritage and importance of Indigenous tattoos

People who get tattoos usually do it for a reason. For some, it’s to salute a band or loved one. For others, it’s a way to express a mantra. For the folks documented in Skindigenous, it’s to remember the heritage of Indigenous people around the world.

Debuting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN, Nish Media’s Skindigenous is a 13-part adventure that takes viewers into the lives of tattoo artists and their unique culture to discover the tools, techniques, symbols and traditions that shape their art. At its origins among ancient cultures, tattooing was only practiced by those with special standing in the community. Today, modern-day tattoo artists use their art to re-connect with the heritage of their ancestors and to ensure that their stories are not lost.

Gorgeously shot, Episode 1 travels to the green hills of the Philippines to visit a woman and her grandnieces who keep the ancient tattooing tradition alive. Forget the whirring needles and bottles of colour you see in any Canadian city; 100-year-old Whang-Od Oggay (pictured below) and grandniece Grace Palicas practice the hand-tapping technique handed down through generations of members of their Kalinga tribe. Dubbed “the islands of the painted ones,” by Spanish explorers 500 years ago, the Phillippines’ tattooing traditions, as Whang-Od explains, surrounded marking men who killed or wounded opponents during ancient tribal wars.

As narrator Candy Palmater outlines, Whang-Od’s first tattoos were made in the 1940s on those who had fought against the Japanese in the Second World War. Now nature serves as inspiration for Whang-Od’s art via stylized mountains, rivers, centipedes and python scales that signify spirituality and strength. Tattoos in this culture can represent a number of things, including beauty and social status. The show’s producers use CGI brilliantly, showing the intricacies of the tattoo patterns and key locations where they are placed on the body.

Thousands of tourists visit Whang-Od’s small town of Buscalan every year, injecting the local economy with much-needed money. Determined to keep the economy of the area up and continue her art after she passes, Whang-Od has taught grandnieces Grace and Elyang the old traditions. Made from charcoal scraped from the bottom of a cooking pot, placed in a coconut husk and mixed with water and sweet potato, the ink is applied using a thorn of the pomelo tree tapped against the skin.

Upcoming episodes of  Skindigenous travel to Indonesia, Alberta, New Zealand and Hawaii, continuing the stories and art of Indigenous tattoo artists.

Skindigenous airs Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN.

Images courtesy of Nish Media.

 

 

 

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Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Nish Media’s Hit the Ice returns for its sixth season on APTN

From a media release:

Hit The Ice returns for its sixth season. The 15-episode series features Midget and Junior Indigenous hockey hopefuls, from communities across the country, aged 16 to 18, as they are put through the paces of a real NHL style training camp by a team led by ex-NHL coach and player John Chabot. This year, for the first time ever, hopefuls had the chance to try out either via virtual video or in person in Winnipeg.

Premieres on March 10 on APTN e and APTN hd at 12:00 p.m. ET, APTN w at 10:00 a.m. MT and APTN n at 11:00 a.m CT. The Cree version of the show began on February 7.

The players are tested and put through various hockey drills and other physical challenges during the camp in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, like the pros, the players then go through cuts and watch some of their group released until the final roster is determined.

The 20 remaining prospects then experience the challenges of an NHL calibre training camp featuring physical training, on ice drills and different team building activities which make them grow not only as a team but also as men. Their ultimate payoff is to showcase their skills playing against a Team Made in Manitoba under the scrutinizing eyes of real-life Junior hockey scouts from the Canadian Hockey League as well as U.S. universities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that few young players will ever get to experience.

The coaching & training team is led by ex-NHL coach and player John Chabot, a member of the Kitigan Zibi First Nation, who returns as head coach of the camp. Chabot played with the Canadiens, Red Wings and Penguins and had coached & assistant-coached for the Islanders as well as in the QMJHL. His team includes:

Assistant Coaches
Ron Choules, currently a coach with the Gatineau Olympiques; was the Assistant Coach for Team Canada U-18; played in the QMJHL, drafted by the Maple Leafs.

Pat Loyer, currently president of the Calgary Canucks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League; coached in the WHL and various Junior A teams; played in Major Junior for the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Alfie Michaud, Ojibwe, currently the goalie coach for the University of Maine’s hockey team; goaltended for the Canucks, the Danish Sonderjyske Ishockey and in the AHL.

Carrie Peters, a strength and conditioning coach and fitness instructor will take care of the off-ice training.

Guest Coaches
Mark Stone (Ottawa Senators player)

Calvin Pickard (currently Vegas Golden Knights player, formerly Colorado Avalanche)

Travis Hamonic, Métis (currently Calgary Flames player, formerly with NY Islanders)

Joe Cramorossa (currently Stockton Heat/AHL player, formerly with Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks)

Brandon Montour, Six Nations of the Grand River (Anaheim Ducks player).

Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, a University of Manitoba sports psychologist.

J.P. Vigier, a former NHL player (Atlanta Thrashers) and coach.

Brad McEwen, an NHL scout with the Calgary Flames. Brad will lead the player evaluation and selection process for Hockey Canada’s Program of Excellence for the 2018 World Junior Championship.

R.T. Rice, the Hit the Ice alumnus who has been invited to attend the Vancouver Canucks’ development camp.

Dan Girardin MPT, BESS, is the physiotherapist for the team.

Over the years, Hit The Ice has demonstrated its positive impact on young Indigenous hockey players with many of them now playing in the WHL, QMJHL and the OHL. Everyone’s hope is to one day see one of the players reach their goal of playing in the NHL.

About Nish Media
The series is produced by Nish Media, a multi-award-winning production company based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Over the past ten years, producer Jason Brennan has produced over 200 hours of television for various networks such as APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including Mouki, Wapikoni, La Fosse aux tigres and six seasons of Hit The Ice, nominated in prestigious television festivals including the Banff World Media Festival and Italy’s FICTS. Its first feature film, “Le Dep”, was selected to play in several film festivals including the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Vancouver Film Festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ImagineNative and the American Indian Film Festival. Nish Media is currently adapting Marc Séguin’s novel Nord Alice for film, as well as producing Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s next feature film Rustic Oracle.

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Industry News, Reality, Lifestyle & Documentary

Nish Media announces brand new TV series on APTN Skindigenous debuting Feb. 20

From a media release:

Nish Media debuts its brand new 13-episode series SKINDIGENOUS, which explores Indigenous tattooing traditions around the world, on Tuesday, February 20th at 7:30 p.m. ET on APTN HD and APTN E and at 7:30 p.m. MT on APTN W. The APTN N broadcast begins on Friday, February 23 at 5:00 p.m. CT.

The art of tattooing is much more than simply a method of decorating one’s body. At its origins among ancient cultures, tattooing was only practiced by those with special standing in the community. Today, modern-day tattoo artists use their art to re-connect with the heritage of their ancestors and to ensure that their stories are not lost. They do this by maintaining the traditions of their forebears and teaching a new generation about both the ancient and modern techniques they’ve learned.

SKINDIGENOUS takes us on a scintillating journey around the world, from the Philippines and Indonesia to Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand and Mexico, by way of North America via British Columbia, Alberta, Toronto, Alaska and Newfoundland.

Each episode takes the viewer into the lives of the different practitioners and their unique culture to discover the tools and techniques, the symbols and traditions that shape their tattooing art. The art of tattooing is the lens for exploring some of the planet’s oldest perspectives on life, identity, and the natural world.

In Indonesia, a shaman named Aman Jepri gives an apprentice the markings that will complete his initiation into Mentawai shamanism. In Alberta, Amy Malbeuf practices the skin stitch technique with needle and thread; 100-year-old Philippine Wang Od Oggay and Samoan Peter Sulua’pe continue the traditions of their ancient customs; in BC, Alaska, Newfoundland, Toronto, Mexico, Hawaii and New Zealand, Dion Kaszas (BC), Nakkita Trimble (BC), Marjorie Tahbone (AL), Jordan Bennett (NL), Jay Soule (TO), Samuel Olman (MX), Keone Nunes (HI) and Gordon Toi (NZ) are reviving the forgotten art of their ancestors; and in Seattle, artist Nahaan sees tattoo as a political act and a form of resistance.

The accompanying Skindigenous app on the series website will give Indigenous tattoo artists from around the world a forum to record and view their tattoo art. This initiative marks a unique opportunity for a community to build around these artists.

The series was directed by Nish Media producer Jason Brennan and four other directors. Jason, a member of the First Nations community of Kitigan Zibi, has produced shows for APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtTV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including the sixth season of the Indigenous youth hockey show Hit The Ice. The series’ remaining directors are: Award-winning Mohawk filmmaker Sonia Bonspille Boileau (feature film Le Dep, Gémeaux-winning Last Call Indian, Yorkton Film Festival Golden Sheaf winner The Oka Legacy); award-winning film and television director, editor and cameraman Randy Kelly; filmmaker, content creator, director, author Jean-François Martel (the Gémeaux-nominated Radio-Canada documentary Véronique Dicaire : Grand V, La Fosse aux tigres) and Kim O’Bomsawin (La ligne rouge, APTN/Canal D’s Je ne veux pas mourir and the APTN series Motetan Mamo/Marchons Ensemble).

About Nish Media
The series is produced by Nish Media, a multi-award-winning production company based in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Over the past ten years, producer Jason Brennan has produced over 200 hours of television for various networks such as APTN, CBC, Radio-Canada, Ici ArtTV, Canal D, TV5 and CBC Docs, including Mouki, Wapikoni, La Fosse aux tigres and six seasons of Hit The Ice, nominated in prestigious television festivals including the Banff World Media Festival and Italy’s FICTS. Its first feature film, “Le Dep”, was selected to play in several film festivals including the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, the Vancouver Film Festival, the Raindance Film Festival, ImagineNative and the American Indian Film Festival. Nish Media is currently adapting Marc Séguin’s novel Nord Alice for film, as well as producing Sonia Bonspille Boileau’s next feature film Rustic Oracle.

 

 

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