Guest Industry Expert — All Access 2020:
COLEEN RAJOTTE
Host, Writer and Producer at Vitality Television
Coleen Rajotte is an award winning Director/Producer with a passion for telling the stories of her people. Coleen Rajotte is a former award winning CBC television reporter. She rose to national prominence quickly as a journalist who covered some of Canada's biggest stories in the 1990s. She was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal by her Majesty the Queen for her work as an Aboriginal filmmaker and journalist.
Ms. Rajotte is Cree and Métis and grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She embarked on a new career as an independent filmmaker in 2000. “Jaynelle: It’s Never Easy To Escape The Past” was Coleen’s first film as an independent producer. The highly acclaimed multiple award winning film about an Aboriginal single mother was broadcast on the Aboriginal People’s Television Network, CBC and The Saskatchewan Communications Network. The Jaynelle documentary is now used internationally as a training tool for social workers.
“Back to Pikangikum” was another documentary project produced and directed by Ms. Rajotte. It was nominated for Best Program at the 2004 Yorkton Film Festival. It won the Chris Statuette and the Bronze Plaque at the Columbus International Film Festival. The film takes an in-depth look at the very important issue of suicide among Aboriginal youth. “Back to Pikangikum” has screened around the world at festivals and on television networks around the globe.
“Confronting the Past” is the latest award winning documentary series from Coleen Rajotte. It is a three-part series about Aboriginal children being adopted to non-Aboriginal homes in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. Ms. Rajotte speaks at National events across Canada about the 60s Scoop. Ms. Rajotte’s most recent project is a web series also about the 60s scoop, and she is working on a feature film script that is loosely based on her documentary series, “Confronting the Past”.
Over the years, she has produced and hosted lifestyle television including the award winning hit series, “Vitality Gardening” about Indigenous plants and medicines. Ms. Rajotte is also the Founder/Artistic Director of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film and Video Festival that is entering its 19th year in 2020.