| The Northlander | |
| Director: | Benjamin Ross Hayden |
| Producer: | Benjamin Ross Hayden Wendy Hill-Tout Jeremy Torrie Adam Beach Jim Compton |
| Starring: | Corey Sevier Roseanne Supernault Michelle Thrush |
| Music: | Michalis Andronikou |
| Cinematography: | Dan Dumouchel |
| Studio: | Manifold Pictures |
| Distributor: | Raven Banner Entertainment |
| Runtime: | 98 minutes |
| Country: | Canada |
| Language: | English |
The Northlander is a 2016 Canadian fantasy adventure film written and directed by Benjamin Ross Hayden.[1] The film stars Corey Sevier as Cygnus, Roseanne Supernault as Mari, and Michelle Thrush as Nova. The film was produced by Benjamin Ross Hayden's production company Manifold Pictures and filmed in Alberta.[2]
The film premiered at the 40th Montreal World Film Festival.[3] The film was selected in the Perspective Canada program at Cannes in 2016.[4] It was distributed under the banner Raven Banner Entertainment theatrically in Canada. The Northlander was lauded as one among "8 of indigenous cinema's most important films" by i-D magazine.[5] The Northlander theatrically opened in over ten major cities across Canada between October 2016 and April 2017.[6]
The Northlander won Best Screenplay Award at the 40th Alberta Film & Television Awards,[7] and for directing the film Hayden was awarded the RBC Artist Award at the Mayor's Lunch for Arts Champions.[8]
In the year 2961, the time is after humanity and nature have recovered the land. A hunter named Cygnus is called to protect his people. He travels across a desert valley to protect his tribe against a band of Heretics and must find a way for his tribe to survive.
The story is inspired by the historic journey of the Métis leader Louis Riel away from Batoche, Saskatchewan toward the Montana mountains in the 1880s.[9]
The film's futuristic styling of Canadian history has the film contributing to the science fiction movements of Indigenous Futurism.[5]
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Best Dramatic Feature Film | Benjamin Ross Hayden | [10] | ||
| Best Director | |||||
| Best Screenwriter | |||||
| Best Performance by an Alberta Actor | Nathaniel Arcand | ||||
| Best Performance by an Alberta Actress | Michelle Thrush | ||||
| Best Costume Designer | Dee Fontans, Shannon Chappell, Jessica Waddell & Samantha Huskisson | ||||
| May 27, 2017 | Best Makeup Design | Melissa Meretsky, Jennifer Walton | [11] | ||
| Canadian Screen Awards | March 12, 2017 | Melissa Meretsky, Jennifer Walton, Lisa Belyea | [12] |