Leadership

Leadership

Leena Minifie (Gitxaala Nation/British) is a Vancouver-based film, television producer and digital strategist whose work prior to BONES OF CROWS has included BRITISH COLUMBIA – AN UNTOLD HISTORY; THE RECKONING: Secrets unearthed by Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, and production of an interactive webart SENSE OF HOME (Best New Media ImagineNative 2012), and ?E?anx ‘THE CAVE’ (Sundance Festival 2011, TIFF Top Ten 2011). Her company Stories First strategically marketed INDIAN HORSE, THE GRIZZLIES, MONKEY BEACH, THE NEW CORPORATION, NIGHT RAIDERS, and RUN WOMAN RUN.

Past Speaking Engagements

Nov 19,2023 – Podcast

Indigenizing the Film Industry with Leena Minifie: Spotify | Apple

Breaking the 4th Wall , Online

May 18,2023 – Panelist

Equal Futures Network – Gender Equality Summit

The Future of Feminism: Shifting Power Narratives and Practices towards reconciliation

Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health , Online

Feb 10,2023 – Panelist

Available Light Film Festival

ALFF Industry Panel Discussion – Lifting Indigenous Projects and Producers

Yukon Film , Whitehorse, YK

Sep 20,2022 – Interviewer / Host

Q+A with The Ice Walk and Stories First

Interviewer/Host

St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival , Online

Sep 10,2021 – Podcast

Johnny Webb, Leena Minifie and Mark Procter

Indigenous producers working in Canada

C21 Podcast , Online

Aug 30,2021 – Podcast

#10 Health Vs. Healthcare

Canadaland: The Backbench , Online

Jun 24, 2021 – Webinar / Panel

“Decolonizing Digital Series” – Disrupting Data & Distribution for Indigenous Audiences & Allies

Hosted by Leena Minfie, in conversation with Jade Begay, Climate Justice Campaign Director for NDN Collective, Marylou Mintram Producer, Co-Owner of Rainy Storm Productions and former lead at an Indigenous distribution company, and Delphine Leivens, Senior Box Office Analyst at Gower Street Analytics. This webinar will give an overview of digital literacy for Indigenous creators and take a deep dive into identifying and developing audience segments. Offering advice for re-engaging Indigenous audiences, using data tools and setting engagement goals, and exploring how long tail strategy and audience development are crucial to marketing Indigenous stories. These strategies are part of larger collaborative and systemic change against traditional, non-diverse, restrictive, and oppressive social media barriers.

Canada Council Cool World, Stories First , Online

Jun 21,2021 – Interview

History of Aboriginal People’s Day

History of Indigenous People’s Day in Canada

Indian Country Today , Online

May 27,2021 – Webinar / Panel

“Decolonizing Digital Series” The Rise of BIPOC Data & Distribution

Hosted by Leena Minfie we dig deep into BIPOC audience strategies and digital strategy for film This will briefly talk about digital literacy for BIPOC creators and then have a deep focus on audience development that, with decolonized data tools, can reach engagement goals and continually re-engage/re-activate BIPOC audiences as a larger collaborative and systemic change against traditional, non-diverse, restrictive, and oppressive social media corporations.

Canada Council Cool World, Stories First , Online

May 10,2021 – Panelist

The Future of Entertainment | CSA Members Lounge 2021

Effectively identifying and creating content for an audience

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television , Toronto, ON

Mar 5,2021 – Featured Panelist

The Restorative Image: From Impact to Healing

Q&A

European Film Market and Salon Toolbox (doc program) , Berlin, DE

Nov 18,2020 – Panelist

Indigenous Music Awards

Marketing your music in a digital world

The Manito Ahbee Festival Inc. , Online

Nov 3,2020 – Panel

Native Land Digital with Elder Woody – Territory Mapping Discussion

Native Land Digital with Elder Woody – Territory Mapping Discussion

Native Land Digital , Online

Feb 22,2020 – Lecture

Timetable Toolbox Programme 2020

Salon Talk on Impact Producing

European Film Market and Salon Toolbox (doc program) , Berlin, DE

Oct 24,2019 – Panel

Industry Days 2019 w/ Adrian Love from Elevation Pictures

Indigenous Film Distribution Success Stories

ImagineNative , Toronto, ON

Aug 24,2018 – Lecture / Forum / Q&A

Indigenous Mapping Workshop (IMW) in Montreal

Native Land Digital , Montreal, QC

May 29,2018 – Host / Facilitator

Feature talk host

Building an Indigenous owned digital agency, and #Next150 Campaign for Indian Horse

Activate 2018 , Cortes Island, BC

Nov 1,2017 – Roundtable

Media Democracy Day 2017

Media power-sharing w/ underrepresented or misrepresented communities

Media Democracy Day , Vancouver, BC

Nov 1,2017 – Lecture

Canroots West Caucus 2017

Narrative Change in Organizations

SFU & Space Centre , Vancouver, BC

Oct 8,2017 – Host / Facilitator

Web of Change Conference 2017

Web of Change , Cortes Island, BC

Jul 8,2017 – Lecture

Personal Democracy Forum 2017

Indigenizing Media

New York University , New York City

Jun 14,2017 – Lecture

Allied Media Conference

Decolonizing Media and Mapping

Decolonizing Media and Mapping , Detroit, MI

Oct 27,2016 – Webinar

Building a Culture of Digital Engagement

As a grantee of First Nations Development Institute, please join us for a free webinar titled “Building a Culture of Digital Engagement” on October 27, 2016. This 90-minute webinar is being presented by First Nations Development Institute’s partner, Fourth Sector Consulting, a national consulting firm that specializes in using digital strategy to connect people and ideas that are needed to make change happen.

First Nations Development Institute , Online

May 25,2016 – Host/Facilitator

Web of Change Conference 2016

Web of Change , Cortes Island, BC

Feb 9,2016 – Podcast

#120 Indigenous Media Roundtable

Most Canadians don’t hear about the stories Indigenous peoples tell within their communities. Mainstream media only covers the most tragic events affecting Indigenous communities — if it chooses to cover them at all. Now, alternative digital platforms have created an opportunity for these stories to travel outside the communities they are about.

Canadaland: The Backbench , Online

Sep 6,2015 – Host / Facilitator

Web of Change Conference 2015

Web of Change , Cortes Island, BC

Nov 7,2014 – Lecture

Media Democracy Day 2014

Changing the Channel: News, Independent Media and Campaign 2015

Media Democracy Day , Vancouver, BC

Oct 1,2014 – Panel

Web of Change Conference 2014

Web of Change , Eslan, California

Nov 8,2013 – Lecture

Media Democracy Day 2013

The portrayal of Idle No More in mainstream media

Media Democracy Day , Vancouver, BC

Sep 18,2013 – Lecture

Web of Change Conference 2013

Idle No More and the Movement Online

Web of Change , Austin TX