SIX NATIONS/VANCOUVER — How do you break into the movie industry? Just by doing it. That is what budding filmmaker Jesse Marie Anthony is about to do for her first feature film, “Brother, I Cry” which she wrote and is directing.
Although it is her first feature length film, she has spent years perfecting her craft and has had success. In fact, almost half of the funding necessary to complete the movie she won at the 2017 Telefilm Canada awards’ “Talent to Watch” category for her short work of the same story receiving $127,000 in grant money towards the estimated goal of $250,000 for the feature film. She is also an alumni of the Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking program at Capilano University.
She is finishing her last semester producing, writing and directing a micro-budget feature film titled ” Brother, I Cry” a story that started to develop during her second year in the Indigenous independent digital Filmmaking program.
“‘Brother, I Cry’ highlights the resiliency that is truly the backbone of our nationhood,” says Anthony, a proud member of the Six Nations of the Grand River, Onondaga Nation, Beaver Clan. “It continues to shine through during and after the traumas of European contact. It is my story. It is time for the world that is watching to see through the eyes of a young and strong, born Six Nations of the Grand River Territory Onondaga woman.”
Playing the lead role is Six Nations actor Lauren Hill, who is a Mohawk woman from the Six Nations of The Grand River Territory. She is passionate about life and cares deeply for the lives of her people with holistic health and medicine playing a large role. However, nothing seems to keep her from her passion for acting and the need to educate herself in all things filmmaking. It is her love for learning and the need to know every possible influence that makes a character who they are and what pushes them to make the choices they make. Lauren is a graduate of the acting for film television program at the Vancouver Film School and has continued to work on indigenous short films. This will be Hill’s first feature film.
Anthony is currently fund raising for the remainder needed to complete the film and has started a GoFundMe page where people can help with big and small donations from the grass roots, at https://www.gofundme.com/5wgdaj-brother-i-cry.
This is a journey Anthony is not taking alone. She is determined to create an avenue for other Indigenous screen-writers, actors and technicians to pursue their dreams as well. Through her “Pass Through Productions Inc.”
Local fundraising for the Six Nations area issuing coordinated by Andrea Curley who can explain more about the project and how you can help with the fundraising efforts, at 519-732-5283.
