Buffalo Nickel Creative's First Narrative Film, DEAD BIRD HEARTS, Premieres At imagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival

Buffalo Nickel Creative, the multifaceted production and creative agency, proudly celebrates the premiere of its inaugural narrative film, Dead Bird Hearts, at the prestigious imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. The film screens as part of the 23rd annual festival, a world-leading showcase for Indigenous screen content.

This marks a significant milestone for Buffalo Nickel Creative, representing their first foray into narrative fiction and cementing their commitment to elevating authentic Indigenous voices in cinema.

Dead Bird Hearts is an Indigenous post-apocalyptic relational story between an incompetent man and his dog after the man is made homeless following a breakup. The unique, heartfelt, and darkly comedic narrative touches on themes of of identity, purpose and belonging - topics that are highly resonant within Indigenous Nations around the world.

The film was written and directed by Ryan Redcorn (Osage Nation) and produced by Joseph Brown Thunder (Ho-Chunk and Lakota)

Ryan Redcorn and Joseph Brown Thunder of Buffalo Nickel Creative

In a departure from usual practice, the production had decided to look outside of the indigenous talent pool, and also outside of North America for one of it's key creative roles. Cinematography for the film was led by Singaporean Director of Photography Justin Ivan Hong.

This decision falls in line with Buffalo Nickel Creative's wider mission to develop and foster local Indigenous talent by introducing them to international ideas and practices.

"We believe that to truly grow the Native film world, we must expose ourselves to global excellence," said Producer Brown Thunder.

"Bringing in a Cinematographer with Justin’s technical and visual artistry provides an invaluable opportunity for our Native crew to learn, train, and expand our own capacity, ensuring that the next generation of Indigenous filmmakers is able to compete, and surpass the expectations of the world stage."

Cinematographer Justin Ivan Hong

The production, consisting of a majority indigenous team, began filming in January 2022, serves as a proof of concept for Buffalo Nickel Creative’s narrative fiction expertise, and a commitment to building a sustainable and highly skilled Native production ecosystem.

"Dead Bird Hearts" joins a dynamic selection of features, shorts, and digital media from Indigenous creators worldwide at the imagineNATIVE Film Festival, which runs in Toronto from October 18–23, 2022. The festival appearance is the start of the film's international circuit, allowing Buffalo Nickel Creative to share its unique storytelling with a global audience.