ShebaFilms was established in 1996 as Shebandowan Films. Our production company seeks to ensure the representation of Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian film industry. ShebaFilms is the leading film and video production company in our region and we are happy to say we have helped support many local filmmakers over the years.
We work in English, Spanish and French and produce programming in formats ranging from film to high definition video. Our films have been broadcast across Canada and elsewhere in the world. We have also shown our films internationally at festivals and in classrooms.
A good example of our creative work is Citoyens du Monde – 6 x 54 min. documentaries about research for development shot in 16 countries around the world. Airing on TFO. The English version Citizens of the World is also available from Les Productions Rivard. As an extension to Citoyens du Monde, we produced a series of 52 video clips on development issues for the International Development Research Centre. Here is a sample with Vandana Shiva.
Now you can watch most of our films on our Vimeo site. On this site you can watch individual productions or watch one of our dedicated channels.
Click on the links below to see what we can do
In Security This is one of our latest documentary films. Released in October 2010, this film explores the history of barbed wire, from its introduction on the Great Plains in the 1870s to control animals, to its use today to control people.
Northern Grown This is 30 min. film about food security in Northwestern Ontario and research by Lakehead University’s Food Security Research Network.
Seeking Bimaadiziiwin a 30 minute drama that tackles depression and suicide among First Nations youth. It has garnered many awards including Best Live Action Short at the American Indian Film Festival.
Life is But a Dream… This is a short film Kelly Saxberg directed as part of the 2010 International Doc Challenge. It was the only Canadian entry out of 12 finalists from around the world to be selected for screening at Hot Docs.
Banana Split, (2002) winner of the 2004 Deborah Fletcher Award for Excellence in International Development Filmmaking and in 2005 at the Latin American Environmental Media Festival in New Orleans.
The Hoito Project See Finnish guitar legend Jukka Tolonen and his band, Cool Train, back up the best talent in Northwestern Ontario.
Perogy Nation This is a little something we put together as a comedy food show that takes a light hearted look at perogies of the world and the people who make them. This film stars Ivanka, the polyester princess, who is played by singer/actor/playwright Jo-Ann Waytowich.
Dorothea Mitchell: A Reel Pioneer, (2006) a documentary film about Canada’s first female amateur filmmaker. In addition to our documentaries, Shebandowan Films also developed The Fatal Flower Project which resulted in, among other things, The Fatal Flower, winner of the 2003 Burrit/Thompson Award. All three screening on our Lady Lumberjack Channel.
Turning Points , a 14 part video series for young women about physical and emotional well-being. All 14 screening now our Turning Points Channel.
Kelly Saxberg is our award-winning resident director and editor of the Gemini nomimated documentary, Letters From Karelia, (NFB 2004). and was also the director of Rosies of the North (NFB 1999). She has also distinguished herself as a film editor on series like Pioneer Quest, a hit television series for the History Channel and For Angela (NFB 1994) which won a Gemini “Canada Award” in 1995.
Kelly has directed several films for Les Productions Rivard, Among them are Le printemps des voyageurs: La genèse (produced in English as Voyageur Legacy: Our Story) and Hinge of an Empire (in HD). Her editing credits with Les Productions Rivard include L’Ange de Budapest a one hour documentary directed by Marcel Collet, and Le printemps des voyageurs, two, one hour Docu-dramas in HD directed by Jean Bourbonnais. This experience guarantees the quality of our productions and makes Shebafilms the first choice in filmmaking in Northwestern Ontario.
Under the Red Star crew photo 2010
