Already known for being a vibrant film city, a new film festival is bringing some amazing films to cinema lovers in Calgary! The inaugural Oki Corral Film Festival will be at the Globe Cinema from February 13th – 15th. This festival aims to become a cornerstone event that bridges traditional storytelling with contemporary film art, and planning for the second year is already under way. This inaugural edition will highlight local Indigenous filmmakers while welcoming Indigenous creators from across Canada and beyond, creating
a dynamic space for exchange, mentorship, and visibility.
Oki (pronounced “oh-kee”) is a Blackfoot word for “hello” or “greetings”, which also signifies respect, connection, and community. A play on words referencing the famous O.K. Corral gunfight, this film festival was initiated by Tsuut’ina filmmaker Kevin Littlelight, who had a long rodeo career before becoming a filmmaker.
Littlelight grew up on a ranch in Tsuut’ina (which is still alive today, although focused more on crops and horses than cattle.) His father was a steer wrestler, his sister a barrel racer, his brother a tie down roper, but a rodeo injury brought an end to his own 15 year career as a steer wrestler.
Littlelight had always been a cinephile, and with his rodeo days behind him, in 2005 he decided to enroll in a “How To Make A Film Workshop” through the Calgary Independent Film Society. “We had to do everything,” Littlelight recalls, “grip, write, direct…and we worked on 16mm film.” Littlelight says working with actual film stock helped him to understand filmmaking, and especially lighting for film, as “a real, true science.” He credits this CSIF workshop with setting him up to succeed when he later went on to attend the film director program at the New York Film Academy.
For this festival, Littlelight had a vision to create a sustainable, world-class Indigenous film festival to amplify Indigenous perspectives in cinema, nurture emerging talent, and strengthen cultural identity through visual storytelling. For films to be considered, they had to have been directed by an Indigenous person.
“I wanted to create an opportunity for Indigenous filmmakers to stand in their own voices, and also get together, meet each other, and know each other. It’s a bit of a filmmakers’ film festival, and the idea is that it should help springboard Indigenous filmmakers into bigger festivals. I wanted to give Indigenous filmmakers the feeling of their community saying ‘Yes! You represent us, now go get the world!’”
The festival will showcase 23 films over 3 days, and while it does have a focus on Treaty 7 filmmakers, there will also be films from Cree, Métis, & Navajo directors. Audiences will be treated to a selection of comedy, documentaries, horror and classic cinema. There will also be panel discussions and of course awards. In keeping with the rodeo theme, lucky winners will be taking home custom belt buckles!
While the festival is the brainchild of Littlelight, it is being presented with the help of an Indigenous Volunteer Committee, and with support from the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society. This partnership ensures community leadership alongside strong governance and
professional delivery.
To learn more about the festival, you can visit the website or get your tickets on Eventbrite
