Spirit Visions
Spirit Visions is a celebration of Indigenous filmmakers in Manitoba and will consist of the 48
Hour Film Challenge.
The 6th annual Spirit Visions film event will take place on Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5, 2024 and winners will be announced on May 17, 2024 on social media platforms. Something new this year! Winning films will be showcased at the Festivals Ignite Our Spirit stage on Saturday, May 18 at 11:15am!
In partnership with the province of Manitoba, we are excited to incorporate Boys with Braids
theme into our film challenge this year! Boys with Braids is an awareness campaign regarding
the significance of Indigenous men and boys who choose to wear their hair long. There are many
reasons that Indigenous people wear their hair long: it is an extension of their bodies and
identities, it is an act of resistance to colonization, as a symbol of strength, power, and virility,
and ties us to Mother Earth - like the grasses of the prairies. When children were sent to Indian
Residential Schools, Indigenous People were often forced to cut their hair, strip our identities,
languages, and customs in an effort to assimilate us into white, Christian society.
This 2024 campaign aims to restore and revitalize the awareness of why men and boys wear
their hair long, who can touch and braid their hair, the significance of cutting hair and
returning it to the Earth, and to encourage men and boys to take pride in their identities and
long hair. It is also an educational opportunity for non-Indigenous people to understand the
importance of our hair and to be respectful of our culture and teachings. The Manito Ahbee
Festival is committed to strengthening cultural identity, education, and inclusivity for all
Manitobans and we are proud to support the vision of the Premier with this initiative.
The 48 Hour Film Challenge is open to Indigenous filmmaker teams of two. Teams have 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film. To keep things extra exciting, each team will incorporate a word and/or object to their films. Films will be reviewed by local industry professionals and winning films will be announced at the Spirit Visions film event. For more details and to register, please click here.