About the film
Directed by Erica Tremblay | Drama | 1h 30m | 2023
Since her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. Every spare minute goes into finding her missing sister while also helping Roki prepare for an upcoming powwow. At the risk of losing custody of Roki to the young girl’s estranged father, the pair hit the road and scour the backcountry to track down Roki’s mother in time for the powwow. A nuanced exploration of the violence of settler colonialism and the systemic abandonment of Indigenous communities (in particular, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls), Fancy Dance traces the resilience, resistance, and collective care that persist in its wake.
Director Bio
Erica Tremblay is a Native American filmmaker from the Seneca-Cayuga Nation. Her first feature film, Fancy Dance, starring Academy Award Nominee Lily Gladstone, premiered in competition at Sundance in 2023 and was acquired by Apple Original Films where it was released in 2024.
Erica writes and directs on AMC’s Dark Winds. Previously, Erica was a Co-Producer on Reservation Dogs at FX. Together with Sterlin Harjo, she is developing a series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize finalist, Yellowbird, for Paramount+.
Shorts Pairing: Niimi
About the film
Directed by Dana Solomon | Drama | 15m | 2025
In an attempt to move past a traumatic incident, an Anishinaabe ballerina strikes a friendship with a kindred soul in this uplifting drama about healing through self-expression from Dana Solomon.
Director Bio
Dana Solomon is a multi-disciplinary Indigenous artist, actor, and filmmaker of Anishinaabe and Afro-Guyanese heritage from Sagkeeng First Nation. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, her acting credits include Gail Maurice’s film Blood Lines (TIFF), Netflix’s Anne with E, Houston Bone’s web series Teenagers, and CBC’s Heartland and Diggstown. As a writer and director, her short film Niimi premiered at TIFF in 2025.
Pre-Show Activities (from 7:30pm)
The party starts before the movie! Join us on the field at 7:30pm not only just to snag a good seat, but also for family-friendly activities and fun. Lay your blanket down, secure your popcorn, and relax until the show starts!
★ Children’s Book Bank Free Books: Children’s Book Bank will be giving away free books for children and families as well as offering book readings and story sharing activities.
Visit our community tablers:
★ Native Earth Performance Arts
★ Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction
Thank you to our co-presenters:
