Atikamekw Suns
Atikamekw Suns () is a Canadian drama film, directed by Chloé Leriche and slated to premiere in 2023. The film centres on the true story of five youths from the Atikamekw First Nation community of Manawan who were found dead in a truck in the nearby river in 1977, with police investigation remaining inconclusive to this day about whether the truck driving into the river was a simple accident or a racially-motivated attack. Its cast includes Jacques Newashish, Mirotansa Chilton and Wikwasa Newashish. The film is slated to premiere at the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma. Production The film received production funding from Quebec's Société de développement des entreprises culturelles in 2019, and from Telefilm Canada in 2020. Its planned filming in summer 2020 was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was shot principally in collaboration with the community of Manawan, although auditions were held in some other Quebec cities to allow First Nations actors from outside the community to try out for various roles in the film. Awards The film was shortlisted for the 2023 Jean-Marc Vallée DGC Discovery Award. At the 2023 Festival du nouveau cinéma, it won the TV5 Public Prize for most popular francophone film. References 2023 films 2023 drama films Atikamekw Canadian drama films Canadian films based on actual events First Nations films Quebec films 2020s Canadian films Films shot in Quebec Films set in Quebec