The documentary Ceremony, directed by Banchi Hanuse, will make its world premiere at SXSW as part of the festival’s Documentary Spotlight Program.

The film will debut at Alamo Lamar in Austin on March 14, with a second screening scheduled for March 16. Ceremony is also nominated for the SXSW “Green Lens” Award, which recognizes projects that highlight environmental change and pathways toward a more sustainable future.

The documentary centers on the Nuxalk Nation in Bella Coola, where the disappearance of the ooligan fish becomes a starting point for examining deeper histories tied to land, culture, and survival. Through testimony, watercolor animation, and archival footage, the film explores how Indigenous voices confront historical erasure while reclaiming their stories and relationship with the natural world.

Directed and produced by Slts’lani Banchi Hanuse, the film has been in development since 2014 and builds on Hanuse’s work as a filmmaker and co-founder of Nuxalk Radio, which supports language revitalization and cultural preservation.