Cree filmmaker WaaPaKe scores theater premiere for Angela’s Shadow

TORONTO, ON:  ANGELA’S SHADOW from award-winning Cree filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin (WaaPaKe) has launched in theatres across Canada after a successful festival run. The theatrical run started in Vancouver, then Winnipeg and will have its Ontario premiere at the Carlton Cinemas in Toronto on Friday, July 25th with Koostachin in attendance for a post-screening Q&A.

In ANGELA’S SHADOW, Angela and Henry, young 1930s socialites with a baby on the way, embark on a short trip north to the Cree community of KiiWeeTin to visit Angela’s beloved childhood nanny. When Angela is harassed by a menacing shadow figure, Mary moves to bless and protect her and her unborn child with illegal Cree ceremonies and medicine.

As the truth about her ancestry and the spectral figure’s identity unfold, Angela must decide whether to delve into her newfound spiritual traditions in order to protect herself from her husband’s escalating purity-obsessed racism.

ANGELA’S SHADOW is the second film in a trilogy that follows three sets of Cree characters all connected to each other in some way, across three different time periods, who use their connections to their Cree spiritual traditions to combat, and heal from settler colonialism.

The sophomore feature from Koostachin features an all star cast including: Sera-Lys McArthur (Outlander), Matthew Kevin Anderson (Never Let Go), Renae Morriseau (North of 60), Mahiigan Koostachin (MisTik) and Asivak Koostachin who stars in the HBO Max series Duster from J.J. Abrams. (Koostachin is based in BC where the film was shot, but was born in Moose Factory, Ontario; lead Sera-Lys McArthur (Outlander) is based in Toronto.)

WaaPaKe A/K/A DR. JULES KOOSTACHIN Q & A SET FOR ANGELA’S SHADOW PREMIERE

Jules Koostachin is a multi-faceted artist, writer/director, actor and academic who was named alongside her son Asivak and the film’s composer Justin Delorme as one of Variety’s 10 Canadians to watch in 2023.

Her credits include her award-winning documentary WaaPaKe (Tomorrow), which took home Best BC Film at VIFF and her latest TELUS originals doc feature NiiMisSak: Sisters In Film, which plays at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival on June 8, 2025.

She is the voice of Layla on PBS Kids/CBC Kids animated series Molly of Denali and is the writer/director of numerous films in both documentary and narrative spaces. Koostachin is dedicated to creating opportunities for Indigenous peoples, marginalized women and gender diverse folks who are interested in a career in film and television.

Angela’s Shadow is written, directed and produced by Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin (Broken Angel), co-written by Steve Neufeld (Coded), executive produced by Patti Poskitt (Monkey Beach), edited by Lara Mazur (Allegiance), composed by Justin Delorme (Deaner ‘89), costume designer is Yolonda Skelton and cinematography by Michael Bourquin (British Columbia: An Untold History). The team signed a distribution deal with Motion 58 ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Koostachin has since traveled with the film to festivals around the globe including the Māoriland Film Festival 2025, LA Skins and VIFF where it won an Audience Choice Award.

Motion 58 is on board for release into the theatrical market, distribution in Canada and international sales.

Angela’s Shadow was made possible with the support of Telefilm Canada, the Indigenous Screen Office, Hollywood Suite, William F White, the Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit, Creative BC, The Canadian Film or Video Production Services Tax Credit, the Government of Canada, UBCP ACTRA LOCAL, and the DGC BC.

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