Ayasew Ooskana Pictures Inc. has announced that Bones of Crows, the dramatic feature film written and directed by award-winning Métis and Dene filmmaker Marie Clements will be available to audiences in the US when it begins streaming on Hulu November 19th, 2024 in honour of Native American Heritage Month.
Bones of Crows had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2022 and has been received with widespread acclaim from audiences around the world at film festivals including VIFF, Cinéfest, CIFF, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Birrarangga Film Festival, and many more.
Unfolding over 100 years, Bones of Crows is a story told through the eyes of Cree Matriarch Aline Spears as she survives a childhood in Canada’s residential school system to continue her family’s generational fight in the face of systemic starvation, racism, and sexual abuse. Bones of Crows stars Grace Dove (Alaska Daily), Phillip Forest Lewitski (Wildhood), Rémy Girard (District 31), Karine Vanasse (Cardinal), Alyssa Wapanatâhk (Peter Pan), Michelle Thrush (Prey), Gail Maurice (Night Raiders), Cara Gee (The Expanse), TIFF Rising Star Joshua Odjick (Little Bird) and a fantastic cast of Indigenous talent from across the country.
Since its world premiere at TIFF, Bones of Crows has continued to screen at festivals internationally and has won a long list of awards. In the US the film won Best Feature Film at the Big Apple Festival & Screenplay Competition, the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, Best Narrative Feature Film and Best Actress at the South Dakota International Film Festival, Best Drama, Best Screenwriting, Best Actress and an Audience Award at the Breck Film Festival, 7 award wins at the Red Nation International Film Festival and 3 award wins at the American Indian Film Festival including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress. In Canada, the film won the Cinéfest Sudbury Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film, the Victoria Film Festival Cultural Currents Award, received five nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards and won 10 Leo Awards including Best Feature Film. The film has now won more than 30 awards from festivals and awards bodies around the globe.
Bones of Crows is produced by Ayasew Ooskana Pictures Inc, with Marie Clements Media, Screen Siren Pictures and Grana Productions. The film is written, directed and produced by Marie Clements, produced by Trish Dolman and Christine Haebler and executive produced by Sam Grana, Aaron Gilbert, Steven Thibault, Noah Segal and associate Produced by Leena Minifie and Kerriann Cardinal. Bones of Crows is being distributed by Elevation Pictures in Canada and Fifth Season internationally.
Bones of Crows is a CBC/Radio-Canada original production, produced with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, ISO (Indigenous Screen Office), APTN, Société Radio-Canada, Rogers Telefund, Independent Production Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, Bell Fund, Creative BC, First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Cultural Council and Indigenous Arts Program, the BC Arts Council, The Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC, Quebec Production Services Tax Credit and The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.
Bones of Crows was filmed on the traditional territories of the Esquimalt Nation, Kwikwetlem First Nation, Lekwungen Songhees Nation, Musqueam Nation, Okanagan Nation, Scia’new First Nation (Beecher Bay), Squamish Nation, Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc, Tla’amin Nation, Tsartlip Nation (North Saanich), Tseycum First Nation (Saanich), Tsleil-Waututh Nation.
