FOR RELEASE     #06-141
June 15, 2006

WHITEHORSE - The Yukon International Film Festival, June 21 to 25 in Whitehorse, Yukon, is presenting the Yukon premier of Arctic Son (2006), a profound and true documentary exploring a complex father-son relationship set against a breathtaking and remote backdrop.

"Arctic Son is a deep and personal film about an old friend of mine and it provides insight into First Nations culture in the Yukon," Economic Development Minister Jim Kenyon said.

Directed by American filmmaker Andrew Walton, Arctic Son is set in Old Crow, Yukon, a remote First Nation Gwitch'in village 80 miles north of the Arctic Circle.  Amenities such as chain stores, restaurants, movie theatres and a summer road in and out of the community do not exist. It is here that a father and son, Stanley Sr. and Stanley Jr. Njootli, are reunited after almost 20 years.

"We are proud to present the Yukon premiere of this exceptional and moving film," said Yukon Film and Sound Commissioner Margarita Ramon. "Arctic Son, together with many of the other world-class films being screened at the Yukon International Film Festival, illuminates the incredible depth of our burgeoning film industry and vibrant cultural community."

Arctic Son tells the story of Stanley Sr., a hunter steeped in his First Nations traditional culture, and his son, the Seattle-raised Stanley Jr., who is immersed in the electronic staples of pop culture and battling an increasing dependence on drugs and alcohol. Together, father and son struggle to balance old and new.

Stanley Sr. draws upon what he knows best, his history and the land, hoping to guide his son. As Stanley Jr. struggles to decide where he belongs and what he values, the story presents a moving metaphor for the quests of identity, choice, redemption and the ties that bind family and place.

The Yukon International Film Festival will feature over 30 films and documentaries. Combining a variety of indigenous, environmental and independent films with films shot in Yukon provides an opportunity to highlight location opportunities within the Yukon.

-30-