Arctic Indigenous Screenwriters Gather in Guovdageaidnu

GATHERED TO WRITE INDIGENOUS FEATURE FILMS

The Arctic Indigenous Screenwriting Workshop held its first in-person session in Guovdageaidnu in mid-April. Running until October 2025, the program is part of a broader effort to strengthen Indigenous storytelling on screen and support emerging voices from across the Arctic.

This workshop is a collaboration between the International Sámi Film Institute and the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund. This workshop had a significant interest in the open call, with 47 applications submitted from the Arctic Indigenous region.

The Arctic Indigenous film community is full of storytellers ready to bring their voices to life. With the support of our incredible mentors, these participants now have the opportunity to shape their stories into powerful screenplays. We are truly excited for what’s ahead, says course coordinator Liisa Holmberg, CEO of the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund.

Twelve participants

Twelve participants have been selected to participate in monthly sessions this year, guided by a team of mentors. One of the participants is Saia Stueng from Kárášjohka. She is known for her two Sámi-language young adult novels, Hamburgerprinsessa, and is currently also pursuing a PhD at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences.

It has been exciting to get to know the process of writing a screenplay compared to writing a novel. Learning to write for film is really fun. The main difference between writing a film and a novel is that you have to focus on what you see in the frame, what you see and hear, not just what you read, says Saia Stueng.

Each participant has brought their own story and screenplay idea to the workshop, which they will develop throughout the year.

My film is about children at boarding schools and how they were afraid while being there. It’s about what that fear did to Sámi children, and how it may have affected later generations. I joined this screenwriting workshop because I think it is important that we tell our own stories, and especially in our own language, and I really want to learn more about screenwriting, she says.

The workshop focuses on how Indigenous storytelling traditions can guide the screenwriting process while building a solid foundation in film narrative and character development. By the end of the program, each participant will have crafted a strong story, an extended treatment, and a first draft script. Read more here.

Mentors

The mentor team includes Liisa Holmberg (Course Coordinator), Nils Gaup (Sápmi), Jörgen Hjerdt (Sweden), Gail Maurice (Canada), Åse Katrin Vuolab (Sápmi), Kate Leys (UK), Suvi West (Sápmi) and Bird Runningwater (US).

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PARTNERS

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FUNDERS

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A part of Sami Film Initiativ / Samisk filmløft:

As part of Samfunnsløftet, SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge, the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI) has been allocated 10 million NOK in funding for a major initiative in the production of new Sámi films and TV series. This initiative is a concrete measure and a response to the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This Screenwriting Workshop is the first of many projects following the Sami Film Initiative.