Selected Films by Carswellfilm.ca
Tribal Canoe Journey
This 5 min. film captures the K’omoks First Nation welcoming ceremony of the annual Tribal Canoe Journey. This event brings together First Nations from Bella Bella BC to Washington State. For over 20 years, the Tribal Journeys have transformed thousands of youth. It...
Filmmaking for WUSC Sri Lanka
After a successful filmmaking experience in Malawi, my partner Danielle and I are now on another assignment with World University Service of Canada (WUSC). We arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka in mid-November. My role as a "Visual and Content Creation Advisor" is to...
Learning from refugees in Malawi
There Is Hope is a Malawian NGO provides refugees of Dzaleka refugee camp, as well as their Dowa host community, with access to education, income generating activities and spiritual well-being. The Vocational Training Center across the road from the refugee camp was a...
Kus-Kus-Sum Video Production
Since 2022, I have been contracted to direct a documentary film on the Kus-kus-sum habitat restoration project coordinated by Project Watershed. This is a multi-year project of transforming an industrial site back to a vibrant natural part of the K’omoks Estuary. This...
Grandmother’s Garden
What a pleasure to create the film Coming Home to Grandmother’s Garden. Huy tseep q’u siem to Ken Elliot, Maiya Modeste, Dr. Shannon Waters and family for their willingness to share! And gratitude to Shawn Johnny Seymour for the Tzingquaw Dancer’s song! The film...
24 Hour Drum film productions
Susan Leslie was instrumental in nine important film productions for the 24 Hour Drum. As the District Principal of Indigenous Education for School District 48, Susan and I worked closely together for over a decade to document and celebrate the Indigenous youth of the...
24 Hour Drum, Back Again
24 Hour Drum. Back Again - Another adventure for the Indigenous Leadership group in the Sea to Sky region of British Columbia (Squamish Nation and Lil'wat Nation). Students from Squamish, Brackendale, Whistler, and Pemberton gather to hike, drum, sing, dance, and...
24 Hour Drum – Going Strong (32 min. 2021)
A "weird" school year with Covid didn't stop the Indigenous Leadership students from finding their voices and celebrating their culture. Six schools dance, sing, drum and speak to issues of oppression, white privilege, white fragility, and micro-aggressions. This...
Ecology Transforms Youth
Thanks to the wisdom and community connections of Wendy Kotilla, this documentary film highlighting the work of Wendy's Youth and Ecological Restoration program became a reality. Young people work with local researchers and environmental groups, while learning...
Students learn Potlatch ceremony
Conceived and built by the ‘Namgis First Nation, the T’lisalagi’lakw Elementary School holds the deep spirit of Alert Bay, BC. The students learn traditional songs and dances in anticipation of a year-end Potlatch celebration. For the Elders, teachers, and community...
Student Culture Camp – Merritt BC
Indigenous students from Merrit Secondary School experience a Culture Camp with the Coldwater Band.
Learning Kwak’wala (2020, 7 min.)
Conceived and built by the ‘Namgis First Nation, the T’lisalagi’lakw Elementary School teaches Kwak'wala. This short film is a collage of young students showing off their language skills.
The World is Watching Us
This is an overview of the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement in School District 58 - Merritt/ Princeton School District #58 (Nicola-Similkameen). This agreement will benefit students from six local Bands including the Coldwater Band, Lower Nicola Band,...
Echoes of the Sinixt
Medicine Wheel Ceremony, Drumming, Dancing by Running Wolf, Traditional Games, Parkour, and the signing of the Enhancement Agreement, School District 10
Embrace Life – 24 Hour PowWow
Aboriginal Leadership students throughout the corridor collaborated to choose the form and theme of the 24 Hour Drum. This year’s result was a Powwow with the theme Embrace Life as a statement of resilience and empowerment. Youth drummed, danced and feasted with their...
Our Language, Our Our Way of Life (7 min, 2018)
School District 48 - Sea to Sky is home of the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations. Language and culture are intertwined and the revitalization of our local languages is critical in allowing culture to thrive. The following video highlights the importance of language...
Yalis Rising
Yalis Rising - Celebrating the T'lisalagi'lakw School - 29 min. 2020 Produced by 'Namgis First Nation - A film by Ed Carswell Conceived and built by the 'Namgis First Nation, the T'lisalagi'lakw Elementary School holds the deep spirit of Alert Bay, BC. The...
Coffee dreams come true!
After many years working as a part time coordinator for World Community, I eventually realized my dream of shooting a documentary that follows the story of fair trade coffee in Nicaragua. Although I travelled alone, I was able to hire a translator and access to all...
Cooperativa – La Lucha Sigue (40 min. 2019)
Cooperativa (40 min. 2019) co-produced by Carswellfilm.ca, World Community & Cafe Etico Journey to several organic coffee farms in the jungle highlands of Nicaragua (the source of World Community Coffee and Cafe Etico). Farmers discuss how their fair trade...