Kamala Todd is a filmmaker, community planner, and curator based in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is of Métis, Cree and European descent. Her writing, films, and curatorial practice often revolves around the topic of Indigineity in Canada.
Personal life and education
Although she was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Todd’s family originates from both St. Paul, Alberta and Whitefish Lake, Alberta. Similarly to her mother, Loretta Todd, who was a prominent Indigenous filmmaker in Vancouver, she worked for the city while maintaining her career in film and video. Kamala Todd received her Bachelor of Arts in Geography in 1994, and completed her Master of Arts in Cultural Geography in 1999, both from the University of British Columbia.
Career
From 2000-2006, Todd served as the Aboriginal Social Planner at the City of Vancouver. She has been working as an Indigenous advisor/facilitator for the past twenty years, working for various cultural organizations across Vancouver, and she currently works as the Indigenous Cultural Planner for the City of Vancouver. She has also taught at Langara College, Native Education Centre, and Simon Fraser University, teaching a wide range of topics from Aboriginal Community Development to Canadian and Media Studies.
Films/projects
Some of her notable films include Indigenous Plant Diva (2008), Cedar and Bamboo, and Sharing our Stories: the Vancouver Dialogues Project. She has also curated for the Framing History Coast Salish artworks exhibit at the Roundhouse Community Centre, Indian Summer Festival, and the Drum is Calling Festival. Her video installation artwork, Known and Unknown Trails, which was produced at Kingcome Inlet to be a part of Marianne Nicholson and Althea Thauberger's exhibit, Hexsa’am: To be here Always at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.
Awards, honours and residencies
Source:
- Greater Vancouver Urban Aboriginal Award for Community Leadership, 2006.
- Aboriginal Arts Development Award, First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Council, 2006 National Film Board of Canada Filmmakers Assistance grant, 2003
- Canada Council for the Arts, Aboriginal Media Arts production grant, 2000
- Aboriginal Achievement Foundation youth scholarship, for media training, 1999
References
- Canada, National Film Board of. "NFB Films directed by Kamala Todd". National Film Board of Canada. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- "Kamala Todd". Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- Beard, William; White, Jerry; Silverman, Jason (2008). "Uncommon Visions: The Films of Loretta Todd". North of everything English-Canadian cinema since 1980. University of Alberta Press. OCLC 757513656.
- ^ "Kamala Todd joins SFU Urban Studies as an adjunct professor - Urban Studies Program - Simon Fraser University". www.sfu.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Kamala Todd". NewCities. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- "Langara. News & Events: Events Calendar: Peace & Conflict Studies Lecture Series: Transforming Culture for Social Change". langara.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- Canada, National Film Board of, Indigenous Plant Diva, retrieved 2020-03-11
- "Cedar & Bamboo". Chinese Canadian Historical Society of BC. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- Suleman, Zool (2011). Vancouver Dialogues: First Nations, Urban Aboriginal and Immigrant Communities. Social Policy: City of Vancouver. ISBN 978-1-894152-32-7.
- "Framing History: Indigenous Art at the Roundhouse". Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. 2018-04-26. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- "Kamala Todd". Indian Summer Festival. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- MyVanCity (2017-07-24). "The Drum is Calling Festival Canada 150+". My VanCity. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- Entertainment, Emilee Gilpin |; Politics; January 23rd 2019, Culture | (2019-01-23). "Dzawada'enuxw ancestors speak through time and space in new exhibition". National Observer. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - "Moving Images Distribution: Kamala Todd". movingimages.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-11.