Manitoba's first-ever Indigenous Film Summit happening Saturday

Filmmaking wasn't part of Roger Boyer's life plan until the fateful day his cousin came over to his house with a brand new camera.

Ten years and several films later, Boyer is holding the first ever Indigenous Film Summit in Winnipeg Saturday at Le Cercle Molière on Provencher Boulevard.

"I think the time is right," he said. "I see a lot of upcoming Indigenous filmmakers here in the city and it's just, it's something that just needs to happen."

Boyer's love of filmmaking blossomed while he was in university pursuing other studies.

"I had this epiphany, and I thought, I kept thinking about filmmaking, and I kept thinking about storytelling. And I thought 'You know what, why am I going to this class to pursue something I'm okay with, but I'm not passionate about?'"

He tried to get into film studies but found the classes were packed, so he decided to pursue filmmaking on his own. But he found it difficult to find Indigenous mentors.

That's changed quite a bit over the past decade, he said, and wants to keep that momentum going by facilitating and encouraging emerging local Indigenous filmmakers.

"I think having a summit like this will encourage the upcoming generation to say 'Hey, there's other filmmakers here, you can be mentored by, who are really encouraging,'" said Boyer.

"And I think just trying to help them blaze a trail and open that door through the industry … that's why we're doing this summit."

His stories come from personal experiences, said Boyer, and they transcend beyond Indigenous culture and are open for everyone to enjoy.

"My goal is a worldwide audience," he said. "I just enjoy filmmaking and I enjoy storytelling and hopefully my films will be in that range."

The Indigenous Film Summit includes local and international speakers, including Stephanie Brown, who is the head of the CBC Indigenous Unit. All are welcome to attend.