Celebrating 10 years of supporting Western Canadian storytelling
- TELUS originals
- Current Projects
Current Projects
TELUS originals is pleased to be supporting the following documentaries and docuseries. For festival programming and distribution inquiries, please contact production companies directly.

Starry Night
A remarkable troupe of performers breathe life into a play centred around schizophrenia, a condition they themselves grapple with.
Director: Bruce Thomas Miller
Producer: Kevin Dong
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Kevin Dong
Production Company:
Tall Hero Films Inc.
Run Time: 80 mins

Significant Others
In an age of growing isolation, particularly among seniors, Significant Others offers a view into the world of companion robotic pets.
Director: Milena Salazar
Producer: Milena Salazar
Production Company:
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Milena Salazar
Production Company:
Norita Films Inc.
Run Time: 75 mins

My Friend Harry
A young filmmaker, Liz, and her retiree friend Harry band together to make a movie as an act of hope after his cancer diagnosis.
Director: Liz Cairns
Producer: Liz Cairns, Erica Landrock
Production Company: Inis Duinn Films
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Liz Cairns, Erica Landrock
Production Company: Inis Duinn Films
Run Time: 80 mins

Roots and Tides: The Malahat Reawakening
The film follows the Malahat Nation's journey to restore their ancestral territory using food sovereignty as a mode for cultural reclamation.
Director: Tiffany Ayalik
Producer: Tiffany Ayalik, Caroline Cox
Production Company: Roots and Tides Productions Ltd.
Run Time: 88 mins
Producer: Tiffany Ayalik, Caroline Cox
Production Company: Roots and Tides Productions Ltd.
Run Time: 88 mins

Thieves of Ashes
Two mushroom hunters from Europe brave brutal conditions in BC, in search of morels in the aftermath of forest fires.
Director: Lumir Kosar
Producer: Marc Franceour, Wanda Kapralova, Klara Mamojkova
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Marc Franceour, Wanda Kapralova, Klara Mamojkova
Production Company:
Lost Time Media
Run Time: 80 mins

Off Road Rescue
At the edge of Canada’s most treacherous mountains, wheels user Bruce Cook is on the ground doing the work of Off Road Rescue - every day.
Director: Pamela Tomlinson
Producer: Pamela Tomlinson
Production Company:
Run Time: 5 x 30 mins
Producer: Pamela Tomlinson
Production Company:
Render Digital Media
Run Time: 5 x 30 mins

Menopause: Coming in Hot
Vancouver filmmaker Kate Green takes us on a wild ride through menopause. With experts and a sense of humour on board, she’s Coming in Hot.
Director: Kate Green
Producer: Kate Green, Amber Orchard
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Kate Green, Amber Orchard
Production Company:
Coming in Hot Productions
Run Time: 80 mins

Untamed
The Rocky Mountain Wildies are at risk. Self-appointed guardian Darrel Glover takes us inside a mission to save the horses of the open range.
Director: Julia Ivanova
Producer: Rosie Dransfeld
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Rosie Dransfeld
Production Company:
ID Productions
Run Time: 80 mins

Northern Stars
Former Olympian and Indigenous trailblazer, Sharon Firth, embarks on a cross-country skiing challenge to honour the passing of her twin sister.
Director: Todd Forsbloom
Producer: Jim Shockey, Mike Wavrecan, Erik Virtanen
Production Company: NS Documentary Productions Inc.
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: Jim Shockey, Mike Wavrecan, Erik Virtanen
Production Company: NS Documentary Productions Inc.
Run Time: 90 mins

Coming Soon

Concrete Turned to Sand
Concrete Turned to Sand traces the environment of oyster farming in B.C. through temporal, ecological and scientific modes of perception.
Director: Jessica Johnson, Ryan Ermacora
Producer: Jessica Johnson, Ryan Ermacora
Production Company:
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: Jessica Johnson, Ryan Ermacora
Production Company:
Slag Pile Films Ltd.
Run Time: 90 mins

HEARD
Searching for a sense of belonging, a Hard of Hearing (HoH) filmmaker journeys to find community and distinguish HoH as a culture of its own.
Director: Brian Ceci
Producer: Jamila Pomeroy, Brian Ceci, Nigel Edwards
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Jamila Pomeroy, Brian Ceci, Nigel Edwards
Production Company:
Ruckus Machine Pictures
Run Time: 80 mins

Hearse Chasing
Follows singer-songwriter Cassidy Waring as she uses music to forge a path towards healing, nearly two decades after her mother’s death.
Director: Teresa Alfeld
Producer: Melissa James
Run Time: 20 mins
Producer: Melissa James
Run Time: 20 mins

Kesar: Threads of Gold
After a destructive climate event wipes out their newly established saffron crop, a B.C. family rebuilds their livelihood and community.
Director: Elisa Gonzalez
Producer: Elisa Gonzalez
Run Time: 27 mins
Producer: Elisa Gonzalez
Run Time: 27 mins

Light Through The Blindfold
The story of a visually impaired, Iranian Paralympic goalball player following her athletic dreams and the path to regaining her eyesight.
Director: Alireza Kazemipour
Producer: Sepehr Samimi, Sina Nazarian
Production Company:
Run Time: 20 mins
Producer: Sepehr Samimi, Sina Nazarian
Production Company:
Understory Media
Run Time: 20 mins

Métis Scrip & The Otipemisiwak
Unveils dark history of the Métis Scrip system, exposing the fraud that ultimately lead to reunification and the formation of today's Métis Nation of Alberta.
Director: Sean Smith
Producer: Sean Smith, Scott Lepp
Production Company:
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: Sean Smith, Scott Lepp
Production Company:
Stingray Pictures
Run Time: 90 mins

Our Ocean Table
On a journey inspired by iconic Korean seafood dishes, ocean filmmaker Sonya Lee and journalist Hannah Sung dive into our ocean to explore how culture inspires conservation.
Director: Sonya Lee, Jon Chiang
Producer: Joanna Wong, Sonya Lee, Priyanka Desai
Production Company:
Run Time: 3 x 22 mins
Producer: Joanna Wong, Sonya Lee, Priyanka Desai
Production Company:
JUGAAD Sisters
Run Time: 3 x 22 mins

Reckless Abandon
Follows the original group of self-destructive teens who, thirty years ago, championed snowboarding to change mountain culture, and now seek to change themselves.
Director: Clayton Larsen
Producer: Ryan Stutt
Production Company:
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: Ryan Stutt
Production Company:
King Network
Run Time: 90 mins

Salvaged
Follows a groundbreaking cooperation between a Nuu-chah-nulth master carver and forest industry professionals to create an ethical supply of cedar for First Nations artists.
Director: Michael Bourquin
Producer: Carey Newman, Mike Wavrecan, Cody Graham
Production Company:
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Carey Newman, Mike Wavrecan, Cody Graham
Production Company:
Taxam Films
Run Time: 80 mins

Shifting Horizons
Shifting Horizons is the story of the changing face of Richmond told through the people and history of its Asian-themed plaza malls.
Director: Karen Cho
Producer: Bob Moore
Production Company:
Run Time: 35 mins
Producer: Bob Moore
Production Company:
EyeSteelFilm
Run Time: 35 mins

təm kʷaθ nan Namesake
The Tla’amin Nation's name change request sparks the City of Powell River to explore Indigenous history, putting reconciliation into action.
Director: t̓agəm Eileen Francis, Dr. Evan Adams
Producer: t̓agəm Eileen Francis, Dr. Evan Adams, Peg Campbell, Angela Kendall, Claudia Medina, Davis McKenzie, Emily White
Production Company:
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: t̓agəm Eileen Francis, Dr. Evan Adams, Peg Campbell, Angela Kendall, Claudia Medina, Davis McKenzie, Emily White
Production Company:
Tla'amin Nation
Run Time: 90 mins

The Lady Architect
Follows a groundbreaking female architect in the 1930s and her daughter, a cinematographer, as they navigate male-dominated professions.
Director: Moira Simpson
Producer: Moira Simpson, Christine McDowell
Run Time: 18 mins
Producer: Moira Simpson, Christine McDowell
Run Time: 18 mins

The Perfect Match
A grieving father in Edmonton advocates for stem cell donation, facing resistance due to medical system mistrust in Black communities.
Director: Sandro Silva
Producer: Sheena Rossiter, Sandro Silva
Production Company:
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Sheena Rossiter, Sandro Silva
Production Company:
Dona Ana Films
Run Time: 75 mins

The Tyee Club
As a fishing club celebrates its 100th year, members juxtapose tall tales with the reality of threatened fish stocks.
Director: Nate Slaco
Producer: Nate Slaco, Jevan Crittenden
Production Company:
Run Time: 52 mins
Producer: Nate Slaco, Jevan Crittenden
Production Company:
Perpetuum Films
Run Time: 52 mins

Thunder of Clouds: What Women Can Do
Afghan Canadian activists support countrywomen arriving in Calgary while building an exhibit to immerse audiences in their fight for survival.
Director: Laura O'Grady
Producer: Laura O'Grady, Robina Hamdard, Jenny Steele
Production Company:
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Laura O'Grady, Robina Hamdard, Jenny Steele
Production Company:
Snapshot Studios
Run Time: 75 mins

No Spiritual Surrender - Indigenous Voices of Hardcore
Blackfoot activists, artists and musicians examine the history of Indigenous people in the hardcore punk community in North America.
Director: Curtis Running Rabbit
Producer: Curtis Running Rabbit, Jay Lawrance
Production Company:
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Curtis Running Rabbit, Jay Lawrance
Production Company:
AM Entertainment Inc.
Run Time: 75 mins

#skoden
From infamy to a viral phenomenon, #skoden tracks the story of how a photo became an iconic Indigenous meme and the man behind the image.
Director: Damien Eagle Bear
Producer: Damien Eagle Bear
Production Company: Dirty Jacket Productions
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Damien Eagle Bear
Production Company: Dirty Jacket Productions
Run Time: 75 mins

Peggy & Balmer
A filmmaker traces his family’s link to the Pulitzer-honoured Edmonton Journal, examining the evolution of media and its impact on democracy.
Director: Tom Radford
Producer: Tom Radford, Emma Radford
Production Company:
Run Time: 75 mins
Producer: Tom Radford, Emma Radford
Production Company:
Clearwater Documentary
Run Time: 75 mins

All 4 One
Advocating for mental health, four friends create a new kind of race – racing 16ft quad tandem bicycles against teams from around the world.
Director: Mark Adam Miller
Producer: Casey Dubois, Mark Adam Miller, Zac Hoffman
Executive Producer: Gordie Rogers
Production Company:
Run Time: 50 mins
Producer: Casey Dubois, Mark Adam Miller, Zac Hoffman
Executive Producer: Gordie Rogers
Production Company:
The Grove Films
Run Time: 50 mins

Butterfly Hunters
Butterfly Hunters exposes the reality of domestic human sexual trafficking in Western Canada.
Director: Viveka Melki
Producer: Viveka Melki, Debra Kouri
Production Company:
Run Time: 78 mins
Producer: Viveka Melki, Debra Kouri
Production Company:
Melki Films
Run Time: 78 mins

Canadian Adobo
Tells the stories of Filipino-Canadian immigrant kids who are paying for their parent’s ambitions which led to estranged family relationships.
Director: Kent Donguines
Producer: Kent Donguines, Mack Stannard
Run Time: 70 mins
Producer: Kent Donguines, Mack Stannard
Run Time: 70 mins

Constant Battles
Fighting familial expectations, fierce competition, and mental health issues, Nyousha trains to be the first Iranian-born female Olympic boxer.
Director: Mack Stannard
Producer: Mack Stannard, Sina Nazarian
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Mack Stannard, Sina Nazarian
Run Time: 80 mins

Fruit is Ripe
Over a year, a group of first-generation Chinese immigrants work together to develop traditional Chinese produce farming practices in Alberta.
Director: Yuqi Kang
Producer: Yuqi Kang, Yiqian Zhang
Production Company: Blue Goat Films
Run Time: 80 mins
Producer: Yuqi Kang, Yiqian Zhang
Production Company: Blue Goat Films
Run Time: 80 mins

Healing the Healers
An exploration of some of the remarkable healing treatments newly developed to address PTSD, led by healthcare professionals on Vancouver Island.
Director: Mike Bernard
Producer: Leah Mallen, Jess Fraser
Production Company:
Run Time: 48 mins
Producer: Leah Mallen, Jess Fraser
Production Company:
All In Pictures
Run Time: 48 mins

NiiMisSak: Sisters in Film
Weaves the shared truths with the raw personal experiences of being an IsKweWak storyteller in the film industry.
Director: Jules Koostachin
Producer: Jules Koostachin, Patti Poskitt
Run Time: 70 mins
Producer: Jules Koostachin, Patti Poskitt
Run Time: 70 mins

Pain and Offering
Chronically ill and neurodivergent essayist Cynthia Decore connects with disabled artists making differences in their communities.
Director: Daniel Ennett, Frederick Kroetsch
Producer: Rebecca Campbell
Production Company:
Run Time: 3 x 12 mins
Producer: Rebecca Campbell
Production Company:
Catapult Pictures Inc.
Run Time: 3 x 12 mins

The Exploitation of Dance: Reclaiming our Heritage
Educating Canadians about the history of African dance while inspiring the next generation of Black dancers to take control of their destiny.
Director: Sylvester Ndumbi
Producer: Wunmi Idowu
Production Company: Dedya Films Inc.
Run Time: 60 mins
Producer: Wunmi Idowu
Production Company: Dedya Films Inc.
Run Time: 60 mins

Chef and the Daruma
Explore Chef Tojo's inspiring immigrant journey, blending culinary and cultural perspectives, while questioning the sacrifices of assimilation.
Director: Mads Baekkvold
Producer: Luis Guerra, Matt Dix
Production Company: Wallop Film
Run Time: 90 mins
Producer: Luis Guerra, Matt Dix
Production Company: Wallop Film
Run Time: 90 mins

The Conversation
Indigenous survivours of the opioid epidemic share inspirational stories of healing that provide pathways to understanding addiction.
Director: Denis Paquette, Carmen Henriquez
Producer: Denis Paquette, Carmen Henriquez
Production Company:
Run Time: 4 x 22 mins
Producer: Denis Paquette, Carmen Henriquez
Production Company:
Real World Media Inc.
Run Time: 4 x 22 mins

Between Pictures: The Lens of Tamio Wakayama
Highlights the artistic journey of Japanese Canadian photographer Tamio Wakayama whose work was inspired by the 1960s civil rights movement.
Director: Cindy Mochizuki
Producer: Cindy Mochizuki
Production Company:
Run Time: 70 mins
Producer: Cindy Mochizuki
Production Company:
Mochizuki Studios
Run Time: 70 mins

Curl Power
Five friends are on the quest to the top of Canada's cult-favourite sport, curling.
Director: Josephine Anderson
Producer: Mike Johnston
Production Company:
Run Time: 86 mins
Producer: Mike Johnston
Production Company:
Studio 104 Entertainment
Run Time: 86 mins

Flashback
A legendary 80s nightclub, Flashback was a disco sensation and a haven for LGBTQ2S+ people in a city often hostile to queer culture.
Director: Peter Hays
Producer: Peter Hays, Mathew Hays
Production Company:
Run Time: 91 mins
Producer: Peter Hays, Mathew Hays
Production Company:
Tangerine Productions Ltd
Run Time: 91 mins

Iniskim: Return of the Buffalo
Iniskim: Return of the Buffalo, is an intercultural artistic response to the return of the buffalo, as wild animals, to Western North America.
Director: Leanne Allison, Peter Balkwill
Producer: Leanne Allison, Amethyst First Rider
Production Company:
Run Time: 39 mins
Producer: Leanne Allison, Amethyst First Rider
Production Company:
Necessary Journeys Inc
Run Time: 39 mins

Mareya Shot, Keetha Goal: Make the Shot
An intimate look at junior hockey in the Punjabi community in British Columbia where the stakes are high as players chase the dream of the NHL.
Director: Baljit Sangra, Nilesh Patel
Producer: Baljit Sangra, Nilesh Patel
Executive Producer: Selywn Jacob
Run Time: 60 mins
Producer: Baljit Sangra, Nilesh Patel
Executive Producer: Selywn Jacob
Run Time: 60 mins

Physician Heal Thyself
A searingly intimate portrait of celebrated expert on addiction, stress and trauma, Dr. Gabor Mate.
Director: Asher Penn
Producer: Asher Penn
Executive Producer: Shannon Walsh
Run Time: 78 mins
Producer: Asher Penn
Executive Producer: Shannon Walsh
Run Time: 78 mins

Your Cinema Needs You
An exploration of the storied history of Canada's oldest surviving, purpose-built movie theatre.
Director: Luke Fandrich
Producer: Luke Fandrich
Production Company:
Run Time: 60 mins
Producer: Luke Fandrich
Production Company:
Editing Luke
Run Time: 60 mins
A selection of TELUS original films are available to watch:
- on TELUS Optik TV channel 8
- on the TELUS TV+ app
- online atwatch.telusoriginals.com
Film availability varies and may be limited to certain geographic regions.
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