Netflix has struck a partnership with the International Sámi Film Institute to further develop Sámi voices in the Nordic region.
The partnership between Netflix and the International Sámi Film Institute is part of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which supports diversity and representation within the entertainment industry through training and up-skilling initiatives. Other programmes backed by the fund include the Children’s Content Lab for Disabled TV Creators, Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival’s Inclusion Fellowship, and the Because She Created programme for female screenwriters in the Arab world.
The Netflix partnership – financial details were not disclosed but the partnership will last at least one year – will support the Sami Film Institute’s education and training programmes, including more behind-the-camera opportunities and helping Sami creatives breakthrough in the industry.
“Netflix came up to visit us when we had the opening of our studio in Kautokeino (the Duottar Studios opened in April 2022), and we’ve been planning a collaboration since then,” Anne Lajla Utsi, managing director, International Sámi Film Institute, tells Screen. “It means so much that a giant like Netflix will work with us. This can lead to so many new opportunities for our filmmakers in the Sami community.”
“We’re focusing on development and capacity building in different ways, like with our producers’ lab and a writers initiative and so forth,” she added. “We want to tell our own stories with Sámi creatives, and this collaboration will emphasize that. Hopefully, we can also reach international audiences with Sámi stories through this collaboration with Netflix. This demonstrates that Sámi and Indigenous stories have global relevance and are attractive in the international film and streaming industry.”
Claire Willats, director of Film Netflix Nordics, said: “We could not be more thrilled about the partnership with the International Sámi Film Institute; with such a rich storytelling tradition, we look forward to seeing how we can contribute to developing these stories further. At Netflix, we want to support communities in the regions we operate in, including up and coming creators, to give new voices a chance to be heard.”
The International Sami Film Institute (ISFI) has backed films like Amanda Kernell’s Sami Blood and initiated projects such as mentoring, workshops, labs and the streaming service Sapmifilm. ISFI is a founding partner in the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund.
Sami project Árran 360° opens in Venice
News of the new Netflix partnership comes as the International Sami Film Institute attends Venice with its Árran 360° exhibition, part of the Sami Pavilion. The purpose-built large lávvu (a traditional Sami tent), equipped with a circular screen, is showcasing six film and digital media works.
Árran 360° opened Aug 26 and will run until Sept 10, it is located at the northern end of the Venetian island of San Servolo – between the Giardini della Biennale and Lido, home of the Venice Film Festival.
The six works showcased are: Ann Holmgren Aurebekk’s Ovias; Elle Márjá Eira’s Reindeer corral (EALLU – Girdnu); Hans Pieski’s Muohtačalmmit; Liselotte Wajstedt’s Mother (Eadni); Marja Helander’s Mermaid (Áfruvvá); and Siljá Somby’s Daate dijjien. The loop of films starts every hour, and from this weekend, Canadian indigenous filmmakers will also be screened there.
The filmmakers are from across Sápmi, the Sámi homeland formerly known as Lapland, which extends across the Arctic region of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula in Russia.
Árran 360° was initiated by the International Sámi Film Institute and developed in close collaboration with the Norwegian Film Institute and the Office for Contemporary Art Norway / The Sámi Pavilion. Netflix has also supported the project.
In addition to the screenings in the tent, the International Sami Film Institute is presenting two panels in Venice on September 4, about Indigenous Films in the Global Spotlight – including speakers from Netflix – and Indigenous Storytelling and Innovation.
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