A Matter of Life

Elke Franke is German by birth and Mexican at heart. She studied psychology, psychodrama and Gestalt in her home country, a career that was interrupted when she moved to Mexico. She is cofounder of the NGO Vientos Culturales (Cultural Winds). Elke Franke is dedicated to promoting children’s rights, inclusion, and freedom of expression and works in vulnerable communities under adverse conditions. Kuxlejal (Life) is her first documentary film.

Kijâtai-Alexandra Veillette-Cheezo was born in Val-d’Or to a non-Indigenous mother and an Indigenous father of the Anishnabe Nation. They consider themselves an artist and activist. They have directed three short films that address Indigenous realities (Kijâtai, Kabak and Odehimin) using images and sounds in a poetic way. They are currently involved through organizations such as Puamun Meshkenu, Mikana and Wapikoni as an ambassador. This allows them to present awareness workshops and participate in the discussion on Indigenous cultures and realities while working to build bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. They also recently started internships at Ondinnok in communications and at La Converse in journalism. 

Jack Major is an LGBTQ+ documentary filmmaker and writer. He currently co-runs Mission and Theory Inc., a purpose-driven film production company that reinvests its profits into creating documentaries with a social impact. Jack’s first short documentary The Venus Project (2019) won Best Social Impact Film at the Grenada Afterglow Film Festival, as well as Best Micro Short at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival.

Inducted into the Order of Ontario, Ernest W. Matton (Athehsa Niohkwá:rita:a, Elder Little Brown Bear), is a highly respected Métis Elder, and spiritual ambassador who blends Traditional teachings with mainstream information to provide holistic healing approaches for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community members and professional disciplines.