SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The third annual Yk Film Festival kicked off last weekend with a string of screenings, discussions and workshops at various venues around town.

Cree actor, musician and storyteller Joseph Naytowhow is visiting from Saskatchewan to attend the screening of his 2008 film, Run, at Northern United Place. The film is part of Aboriginal Achievement in Film night being staged by the annual Yellowknife Film Festival, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. - photo courtesy of Joseph Naytowhow

A gala reception downtown sparked vibrant discussion among professional filmmakers and local independent media artists. Conversation continued during the panel discussion on Sunday afternoon at the Yellowknife Public Library.

Western Arctic Moving Pictures film society president Sarah Kalnay-Watson, filmmaker France Benoit, Tulita-born documentary producer Raymond Yakeleya and Bill Stewart of Edmonton's Earth Magic Media, Inuvik-born director Dennis Allen and shared their experience and encouragement with the independent filmmakers in the audience. The group talked about future opportunities for the NWT film industry while exchanging e-mail addresses to build new relationships.

Allen is also scheduled to speak at a screening of his award-winning 2009 National Film Board documentary, CBQM Radio, during the Aboriginal Achievement in Film night beginning at 7 p.m. tomorrow evening.

Other films on the program include Tungijuq, a short film about the the Inuit seal hunt starring Tanya Tagaq and directed by Cannes-winning filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk of Igloolik Isuma Productions, and Run, a 2008 feature film about a 16-year-old Metis girl, played by Ariel Yurach, who returns to rural Saskatchewan from Vancouver to reconnect with her roots while coming to terms with her twin brother's experience of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Cree actor Joseph Naytowhow, who appears as the Yurach's grandfather in the film, is travelling to Yellowknife to attend tomorrow night's screening.

"A lot of people are moved by the film because of the nature of the story," he said.

The plot is a kind of city mouse, country mouse tale, he said, in which the city girl encounters conflict and reconciliation with her family.

The festival continues until Feb. 14. Visit www.wamp.ca for the complete schedule of events.