Thank you, Ms. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Fort McPherson was buzzing with excitement on September 25th as the Gwich'in Tribal Council's Department of Cultural Heritage hosted the first screening of the film, "The Sun at Midnight". This 90-minute film was shot entirely in the Northwest Territories, in and around Fort McPherson, the Dempster Highway, the Richardson Mountains, Yellowknife, and Behchoko. This film is about a young girl raised in the south who, following the death of her mother, went north to stay with family. The story goes on that the young girl tries to escape and ends up at the hands of a Gwich'in Hunter who teaches her the skills to survive.
Mr. Speaker, to be able to understand the rest of the story, you'll just have to watch the movie. The film was also played at the Yellowknife Film Festival on October 1st where the GTC Department of Cultural Heritage hosted a gala event following the screening. In attendance were Gwich'in members, filmmakers, politicians, and select individuals to help celebrate the film.
Mr. Speaker, future screenings will be held at various film festivals worldwide and on media platforms. This being the first time a feature film has been filmed in the Delta, with high hopes that future films will be shot in the NWT to open doors, full of opportunities for our local actors and story tellers. Congratulations to the Department of Cultural Heritage staff, writer and director Kristen Carthew, and producer Jill and Jackfish Productions, in association with the GTC Department of Cultural Heritage, the GNWT, and Telefilm Canada. Also to my constituents who took part in this. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.