ANAANA’S TENT A 2019 TAQQUT PRODUCTIONS INC. PRODUCTION

DIRECTORS | Roselynn Akulukjuk, Anguti Johnston, Mark Aspland, Neil Christopher, Daniel ​ Christopher

HEAD WRITER | Neil Christopher ​

WRITERS | Nadia Mike, Nadia Sammurtok, Neil Christopher, Bronwyn Szabo, Ali Hinch, Philip ​ ​ ​ Eddolls, Amelia Spedaliere ​

PRODUCERS | Monia Ittusardjuat, Neil Christopher, Danny Christopher, Nadia Mike ​

HOST | Rita Claire Mike-Murphy ​

MUSIC | Looee Arreak, Kathleen Merritt, Northern Haze ​

RUNTIME | 13 x 22 minutes ​

TECHNICAL SPECS Sony FS7 / Colour / 2018 / 16:9 / Stereo HD Master / Sony HD CAM / DIGITAL FILE ​

LOGLINE In a very special tent in the Arctic, Rita Claire and her husky Qimmiq learn new songs, words and stories with the help of some animated friends and performers.

SERIES SYNOPSIS It’s summertime in the Arctic, and host, Rita Claire, sets up camp at her mother’s tent on the land. With the help of her old husky, Qimmiq, and a cast of special friends, Rita Claire sings songs, plays games, reads stories and learns new words in . Special guests, including Kathleen Merritt, Looee Arreak, Susan Aglukark, and Northern Haze, drop by to visit. Anaana’s Tent is an entertaining and educational ​ ​ preschool TV series that prepares children for Kindergarten. The series is a mixture of live-action, puppet, and animated segments and is filled with Northern stories. Anaana’s Tent teaches Inuit values ​ ​ of kindness, friendship, patience and environmental stewardship.

EPISODE SYNOPSIS

Episode 201: Welcome Back Welcome back to Anaana's Tent! Today, host Rita Claire arrives at her mother’s tent to sing I Pi Ti Ki and ​ ​ learn about drum dancing from Emerald and Chad. We also read the book The Sled Dog. ​ ​

Episode 202: Healthy Living Rita Claire explains the importance of healthy living habits like exercising, eating properly, and getting quality rest. Nanuk and Nuka learn to share and Aasiva stops by to sing a song. Rita Claire reads the book Nilak Plays in the Snow. ​

Episode 203: Colours Rita Claire tries to decide her favourite colour but Qimmiq isn’t helping! Learn how to say different colours in Inuktitut, about reflections with Mia and the Monsters, and sing with Susan Aglukark. Rita Claire reads the book What am I? ​

Episode 204: Families Rita Claire shows us pictures of her family, Sissi gets a new sibling, and Uliaq teaches us about Arctic Hares. We read the book Grandma, How Do I Light the Qulliq? ​

Episode 205: Summertime Rita Claire talks about her favourite summertime activities. Looee Arreak stops by to sing a song, Meeka explains why it’s so important to keep your teeth healthy, Kathleen Merritt and Rita Claire perform a throat song together, and we read the book On the Arctic Shoreline. ​ ​

Episode 206: Opposites Rita Claire and Qimmiq learn all about opposites. Tuka is nervous about his first day at school, Nanuq and Nuka have some trouble waking up in the morning, and we read the book The Muskox and the ​ Caribou. ​

Episode 207: Country Food Rita Claire loves talking about Country Food, like caribou, seal, and char. But her favourite is maktaaq. Ukaliq and Kalla join in the fun and Nanuq and Nuka clean up a campsite. Rita Claire reads the book Grandma, What’s an Ulu For?

Episode 208: Sharing Rita Claire loves sharing; she thinks that berries are the best snack to share! The siksiks pop out of their home to sing a song, Chad explains how to play a Ualinirmiut drum, and we read the book Going Fishing. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​

Episode 209: Berry Picking Rita Claire talks about how she loves to go berry picking in the fall. Learn how to do an Arm Pull, about the ‘Na’ sound from Ukaliq and Kalla, we get a surprise visit from Northern Haze, and we read the book ​ A Walk on the Tundra. ​

Episode 210: Patterns Patterns are everywhere! Join Rita Claire as she looks for patterns in the tent, Nanuq and Nuka play hockey with their friends, and Uliaq tells us all about bowhead whales. We read the book Grandpa, How ​ Do I Build and Iglu?

Episode 211: Clam Digging Rita Claire talks about one of her favourite activities; clam digging! Meeka teaches her classmates how to protect themselves against germs, Ukaliq and Kalla learn words that start with the ‘Qi’ sound, and we learn the Inuit game, Back Push. We read the book A Walk on the Shoreline. ​ ​

Episode 212: Friends Rita Claire receives some special gifts from her friends back home. Kathleen Merritt drops by to sing Imakali, Nanuq and Nuka learn how to wear kamiik, and we learn how to light a qulliq. Rita Claire reads the story, Kamik Joins the Pack. ​ ​

Episode 213: Going Home, Again It’s Rita Claire’s last day in the tent, and she feels sad but there’s still time to have some fun! Listen to the traditional story of the Orphan and the Qallupilluit, learn to take care of a snowmobile, and enjoy Jennifer Soucie singing Imutamu. Rita Claire reads the book Hurry Up, Ilua! ​

SERIES CREATOR’S STATEMENT

As an educator in for over twenty years, I have worked with committed friends and colleagues to create educational opportunities and resources for Nunavummiut that reflect their language, culture, and lived realities. Northern educators have always known that the early years in a child’s life are the most important, and it is the experiences in these early years that set children on a positive path so they gain the skills and confidence to become anything they wish. Traditionally, television has had a negative influence in Nunavut. It has contributed to the loss of language and culture and the sense that the southern world is more interesting and valuable. Our hope for Anaana’s Tent was to create a series that reflected the lives and culture of Nunavut children. We ​ ​ wanted to use television as a positive force for northern children, helping them strengthen their language and their culture.Together, a group of educators, artists, musicians, and animators created this unique preschool series in a living room and a garage in ! We are eternally grateful to APTN for encouraging us and supporting us in making this important show with people from our community that reflected our community for our community.

— Neil Christopher ​

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Rita Claire Mike-Murphy - Host In her first leading television role, Rita Claire Mike-Murphy is delighting children as host of Anaana’s Tent. Rita Claire was raised in Pangnirtung, Nunavut, and is making a name for herself across the North with her unique and beautiful voice. She is part of the youth music movement in Nunavut and has shared the stage with some of the top Nunavut artists, including Twin Flames, Elisapee Isaac and The Jerry Cans.

Ippiksaut Friesen - Puppeteer for Qimmiq the Husky Ippiksaut Friesen gives a wonderful and humorous performance as Qimmiq, Rita Claire’s grumpy but lovable retired sled dog on Anaana’s Tent. Ippiksaut is from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. A talented graphic designer, artist, animator and puppeteer, Ippiksaut has a Bachelor of Art from Emily Carr University, where she majored in Animation. Since then, Ippiksaut has produced her own animations and short films, which have garnered awards at TIFF Kids International Film Festival and imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, and puppeteered for the short film The Owl and the Lemming.

Celina Kalluk - Narrator Celina Kalluk is the narrator for many of the Anaana’s Tent ​ segments, and her voice brings a beautiful and resonant sound to the series. When there is a teachable moment on the series, Celina asks characters Ukaliq and Kalla for help and guides them to the right answer, normally through call-and-response. The grounding and melodic nature of Celina’s narration stems from her work as a singer-songwriter and traditional Inuit throat singer. She has been recorded on several CDs produced in Nunavut and has performed for audiences around the world, including the Queen in London. She is also author of the best-selling children’s book Sweetest Kulu. ​ ​ Celina is from , Nunavut.

Looee Arreak - Performer Looee Arreak is a special guest performer on Anaana’s Tent. Looee ​ ​ is an award-winning Inuktitut singer-songwriter from Pangnirtung, Nunavut. Looee's songs span traditional and contemporary , as well as gospel music and choir. Looee has performed on stages across the Canadian Arctic, equally at home performing solo, in duet with James Arreak or with her band and choir. A prolific performing artist in her chosen field, Looee is passionate about Inuit language preservation and creativity. She has two albums to her name and has toured all across Nunavut and Nunavik. Her music is in constant play on Inuktitut radio and is covered by young Inuktitut musicians who look up to her as a mentor. Her songs are lyrical and full of beautiful sound, and they capture themes of hope, strength, resilience, playfulness and a love of family and land. Looee is now based in Iqaluit with her husband James Arreak and their six children.

Vinnie Karetak - Voice of Ukaliq (Ukaliq & Kalla animated segments) Vinnie is originally from but has been living in Iqaluit since 2002. He’s an avid volunteer and sits on the boards of Northern Youth Abroad and Qaggiavuut, Nunavut’s performing arts society. He enjoys hosting public events in Iqaluit, such as Toonik Tyme and Alianait, and is both a softball and hockey player. He likes to listen to great Canadian music like , the Jerry Cans and the Trade-Offs. Vinnie is a producer, writer and lead actor, playing Nipangi Huittuq on the popular Inuktitut television program Qanurli?, now in its sixth season, on APTN. ​ ​

Anguti Johnston - Voice of Kalla (Ukaliq & Kalla animated segments) Anguti grew up moving around the Baffin region of Nunavut and northern Quebec (Nunavik). He now lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with his two daughters, Amy and Leah. Anguti has been involved in the Inuit political realm, mostly with the National Inuit Youth Council and . He decided to pursue his passion of filmmaking and writing full-time in 2014 and hasn’t looked back. Anguti has received Nunavut Commissioner's award for youth development and the Diamond Jubilee award for media arts. Anguti is a producer, writer, and lead actor, playing Inuk Qablunaaq on the popular Inuktitut television program Qanurli?, now ​ ​ in its sixth season, on APTN.

KEY CREW BIOGRAPHIES

Monica Ittusardjuat - Executive Producer, Translator, Inuktitut Language Editor Monica Ittusardjuat is an Inuit Language Coordinator working on the Unification of the Inuktitut Writing System. Monica is an Inuit educator (M.Ed.), Inuktitut language expert, and Inuktitut editor. Monica worked at the Nunavut Teacher Education Program, with Neil and Louise training the next generation of Inuit teachers. Monica also worked at Nunavut Arctic College’s Inuktitut Centre of Excellence with Louise. Most recently, Monica worked with ITK to travel across working with the various Inuit groups to develop a common orthography standard.

Neil Christopher - Executive Producer, Director, Writer Over twenty years ago, Neil Christopher moved to Resolute Bay to work with the community to build a local high school. Since that time, Neil has been involved in culturally relevant education in Nunavut. In 2006, Neil was one of three people who co-founded Inhabit Media, Nunavut’s first Inuit-owned, independent publishing company. They wanted to ensure northern had a meaningful voice in Canadian literature. Inhabit Media has a mandate to ensure stories of the North are told by people who live there. In 2012, Inhabit Media produce an animated film called Amaqqut Nunaat: The Country of Wolves, based on an Inuit traditional story. This film was an international success, garnering many awards and critical acclaim. This prompted Neil to work with his business partners, Louise Flaherty and Danny Christopher, to start Taqqut Productions. Since that time, Taqqut Productions has produced award-winning short films, including The Orphan and the Polar Bear and The Owl and the Lemming, and the children’s television series Anaana’s Tent. Neil currently lives in the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit.

Daniel Christopher - Executive Producer, Writer, Art Director Daniel is co-owner, producer and art director with Taqqut Productions. He is currently working on the upcoming short animated film The Legend of Day and Night. Daniel is a former ​ ​ contributing illustrator with the New York Times, and in his role as ​ ​ Art Director of Inhabit Media, he has illustrated The Legend of the ​ Fog, A Children’s Guide to Arctic Birds, and Animals Illustrated: ​ ​ ​ ​ Polar Bear. His work on The Legend of the Fog was nominated for ​ ​ ​ the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustration Award. He is well versed with the North and , having lived and travelled throughout the Canadian Arctic as an instructor for Nunavut Arctic College.

Nadia Mike - Writer, Producer Nadia Mike believes in the power of story and the influence it can have on children and youth. She wants to contribute in a way that she hopes youth can identify with—seeing themselves in stories and believing that they can truly be anything. If Inuit children can see themselves in these roles and be proud of who they are, this can have a positive impact. Nadia has a degree in education. Although she only taught for a few years, her passion was creating resources for Nunavut. She is the author of three picture books: Leah’s Mustache ​ Party (2016), Ukaliq and Kalla Go Fishing, based on her short ​ ​ ​ animated film of the same name (2017), and The Muskox and the ​ Caribou (2018). While working for Inhabit Media, she soon got ​ involved with its sister company Taqqut Productions and began writing for Anaana’s Tent. She also took on roles as Director and Assistant Producer. Her hope is to make ​ ​ more educational programming that is in Inuktitut and relevant to the North.

Roselynn Akulukjuk - Director, Translator, Inuktitut Language Editor Roselynn was raised in Pangnirtung, Nunavut. In 2012 Roselynn moved to ​ Toronto to pursue a career in film and attended the Toronto Film School, where she fell in love with being behind the camera. After her studies, Roselynn returned home to Nunavut, where she began working with Taqqut Productions, an Inuit-owned production company located in the capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit. Part of Roselynn’s love of filmmaking is the ability to interview elders, listen to their traditional stories and share them with the world. Roselynn has garnered international success with her short puppet film, The Owl and the Lemming (2016), a retelling of a traditional ​ ​ Inuit story.

PRODUCTION NOTES

Anaana’s Tent was shot entirely in and around Iqaluit, the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.

The few crew members who do not speak Inuktitut learned so much while on set! The educational nature of the show allowed the crew to pick up some Inuktitut. After learning their syllabics from the rhyming song “I, Pi, Ti, Ki,” they learned their colours and numbers, too.

For those who don’t speak Inuktitut, “anaana” means “mother” (and sometimes “grandmother”). It’s ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ also an affectionate term that children call the women elders in their lives.

Ippiksaut Friesen, the puppeteer who plays Qimmiq the husky, did her puppeteering from under the tent stage in a reclined position for the duration of the live-action shoot. She’s very talented!

The series has Inuktitut and English versions. For the live-action shoot, host Rita Claire Mike-Murphy performed Inuktitut and English versions of each segment back-to-back, easily going from one language to the next without missing a beat.

FULL CREDITS

Executive Producers Monica Ittusardjuat Neil Christopher Danny Christopher

Producers Neil Christopher Nadia Mike

Line Producer Rebeka Herron

Production Manager Ashley Amar

Production Supervisors Champagne Brittany Choquer Ashley Amar Rebeka Herron

Production Coordinator Rachel Blais

Directors Anguti Johnston Roselynn Akulukjuk Mark Aspland Neil Christopher Danny Christopher

Assistant Directors Ashley Amar Celeste Koon

Host Rita Claire Mike-Murphy

Studio Director of Photography Mark Aspland

Head Writer Neil Christopher

Writers Nadia Mike Nadia Sammurtok Neil Christopher Ali Hinch Bronwyn Szabo Amelia Spedaliere Philip Eddolls

Story Editor Champagne Brittany Choquer

Inuktitut Language Editors & Dialect Coaches Monica Ittusardjuat Nadia Mike Roselynn Akulukjuk Andrea Flaherty Nancy Goupil

Translators Roselynn Akulukjuk Jaypeetee Arnakak Monica Ittusardjuat Nadia Mike Saa Pitsiulak Jeela Palluq-Cloutier Andrea Flaherty

Translation Coordination

Dana Hopkins

Puppet Supervisor Patrick Béland

Qimmiq Ippiksaut Friesen Patrick Béland Neil Christopher

Performers Annie Demcheson Chad Hayohok Emerald MacDonald Davidee Qaumariaq

Child Performers Annika Akulujuk Arlene Akulujuk Conor Goddard

Voice Actors Roselynn Akulukjuk Looee Arreak Solomon Awa Malaya Chapman Qaunirq Ippiksaut Friesen Johnny Issaluk Monica Ittusardjuat Anguti Johnston Elisapee Johnston Celina Kalluk Vinnie Karetak Kukik Kusugaq Lily Maniapik Ceporah Mearns Rita Claire Mike-Murphy Jimmy Qamukaq Erik Blohm-Gagné Faron Christopher Neil Christopher Leslie Pulsifer Arlene Akulujuk

Head Puppeteer Ali Eisner

Puppeteers Ippiksaut Friesen Patrick Béland Ashley Amar William Cabana-Marshall Ali Eisner Celeste Koon Bronwyn Szabo

Puppet Builders Brenda Baumgarten Steven Dawley Kevin Gorby Darren Pickering

Theme Song “We’re Headed to Anaana’s Tent” Written by Andrew Morrison Performed by The Jerry Cans

Music Susan Aglukark Looee Arreak Northern Haze Kathleen Merritt Rita Claire Mike-Murphy Colleen "Aasiva" Nakashuk Jennifer Soucie

Camera Operators Mark Aspland Benjamin Dionne Lisa Milosavljevic

Location Sound Mixer & Recordist William Cabana-Marshall

Wardrobe and Props Nancy Goupil Celeste Koon

Set Builder Davidee Qaumariaq

Production Designer Celeste Koon

Hair and Makeup Andrea Flaherty

Script Supervisor Bronwyn Szabo

PA & Assistant Director Trainee Emerald MacDonald

Office Production Assistant Melody McMullan

Art Director Danny Christopher

Animation Project Managers Luke Coleman Ali Hinch Leslie Pulsifer Cenith Ramirez

Animators Erik Blohm-Gagné Vanessa Brzozowski Luke Coleman Athena Gubbe Kody Nankissoor Tindur Peturs Justine Howard Anne-Marie Latanville Rose Smith David Hill

After Effects Animator Matthew K. Hoddy

Design Rebecca Brook Vanessa Brzozowski Luke Coleman Athena Gubbe DJ Herron Leslie Pulsifer Lisa Wang

Storyboard Artists Erik Blohm-Gagné Rebecca Brook Luke Coleman Ali Hinch Leslie Pulsifer Lisa Wang

Layout Artists Rebecca Brook Vanessa Brzozowski Athena Gubbe Emma Pedersen Leslie Pulsifer Amanda Sandland Lisa Wang

Background Paint Rebecca Brook Vanessa Brzozowski Athena Gubbe Emma Pedersen Leslie Pulsifer Amanda Sandland Lisa Wang

Rigging Erik Blohm-Gagné Luke Coleman

Illustrators Astrid Arijanto Danny Christopher Jim Nelson Amanda Sandland

Motion Graphics Matthew K. Hoddy

Post-Production Coordinator Ashley Amar

Online Editor and Colourist Marc Fourreau

Offline Editors Roselynn Akulukjuk Mark Aspland James Tracey

Audio Recording Roselynn Akulukjuk Anguti Johnston Lisa Milosavljevic

Sound Designer and Mixer Provan Sound Chris Pulsifer

Sound Editors Provan Sound Ryan Haslett

Compositors Marc Fourreau Matthew K. Hoddy

Little Storytime Authors Nadia Mike Jeanie Joanasie Darryl Baker Rebecca Hainnu Anna Ziegler Nola Helen Hicks

Little Storytime Illustrators Astrid Arijanto Tamara Campeau Ali Hinch Qin Leng Lenny Lishchenko Amanda Sandland Nola Helen Hicks

Education Consultants Neil Christopher Nadia Mike Nadia Sammurtok

Little Storytime Books Abridgement Neil Christopher Kelly Ward

Production Accountant John Logan

Bookkeeper Liz Tomkins

Post Production Accountant Thomas Walden Mike Skolnik

Legal Eric Birnberg Karla Bobadilla

Master Tapes and Described Video Post City Picture & Sound

Insurance Provided by Front Row Insurance

Music provided by Music For Productions Inc. Bedtracks

Special Thanks to Qikiqtani Inuit Association Jackrabbit Consulting Luna’s Puppets Stopmotion Silicone Conexion Creativa Red Animation Studios

Produced in association with Canada Media Fund Aboriginal Peoples Television Network

Representatives for APTN

Jean La Rose Chief Executive Officer

Sky Bridges Chief Operating Officer

Monika Ille Executive Director of Programming & Scheduling

Jean-François D. O’Bomsawin Manager of Programming, Eastern Canada

Sylvain Lévesque Programming Coordinator, Eastern Canada

Produced with the assistance of The Government of Nunavut The Nunavut Film Development Corporation The Government of Canada – The Canadian Film or Video Tax Credit and the Ontario Media Development Corporation – Film and Television Tax Credits

Produced in association with Nunavut Independent Television Network – NITV

Shot on location in Nunavut, Canada

© 2019 Arvaaq Media 2 Inc.

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anaanastent ​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/anaanastent ​ Website: http://www.anaanastent.com/ ​

ABOUT TAQQUT PRODUCTIONS Taqqut Productions Inc. is an Inuit-owned film production company located in Iqaluit, Nunavut. While primarily a film production company, Taqqut also provides other project production services, such as web design, marketing, and technical writing. The company’s first three short films—Amaqqut Nunaat: ​ The Country of Wolves (2012), The Orphan and the Polar Bear (2013), and The Amautalik (2014)—have ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ screened at festivals in eighteen countries and have won over twenty international awards. With its film and television projects, Taqqut has established itself as an innovative leader in Northern youth and children’s productions.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taqqut ​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/taqqut ​ Website: https://taqqut.com ​

PHOTOS Still photography by Mark Aspland, Frederick Kroetsch, and Lisa Milosavljevic. Still images and production photos available upon request.

CONTACTS General inquiries: [email protected] ​ Production or creative services inquiries: [email protected] ​ Film festival submissions or promotional materials: [email protected] ​