REGINA, Sask. — For Bee Bird, filmmaking is about more than developing scripts, securing funding and putting a production together. It is about creating opportunities for Indigenous artists, entrepreneurs, young people and emerging filmmakers, while making sure the stories and voices of Indigenous communities have the space and respect they deserve.
Based in Regina, Bird is now moving closer to his most ambitious project yet, a six-episode Indigenous romantic drama called "Where the City Divides". At the same time, he is expanding his business, building industry connections and learning the many moving parts of bringing a production to life.
And he knows he did not get here alone.
A story rooted in connection
"Where the City Divides" follows a Métis visual artist and a Cree hip-hop poet who fall in love without realizing how closely their families are connected. Their relationship faces a devastating test, forcing the artist to make a difficult decision about her future.
Bird said he wanted to bring the story home and explore the connections between people, families and the choices that shape their lives.
"It's a six-episode Indigenous indie romantic drama," he said. "It's about an artist who falls in love with the poet. And neither of them realize how close they are in their family or how close their families are connected, until something devastating happens."
The project remains in development, but Bird is working toward a March 2027 development-funding deadline. He has completed his pitch deck and is putting together the materials needed to move forward, while speaking with a potential director and searching for a development executive.
His recent acceptance into the Independent Production Fund's pre-application training program for Prairie producers and ScreenSask's Feature Film Accelerator in Regina is helping him prepare for that next step.
Bird said the programs have taught him to look at a project from angles he had not fully considered before, including its audience, feasibility, rights and distribution.
"Sometimes one lesson opens up a possibility I hadn't seen," he said. "And I'm seeing how it all connects to the whole project, though, and how you need to be prepared before production does come."
Making room for Indigenous talent
One of Bird's biggest priorities is ensuring "Where the City Divides" can benefit more people than those whose names appear on the screen.
Film productions depend on a wide network of businesses and creative professionals, from catering and transportation to photography, artwork and set construction. Bird wants Indigenous-owned businesses to have a meaningful opportunity to be part of that network.
He has reached out to entrepreneurs he met through Pow Wow Pitch, including people based in Alberta and Manitoba, to explore ways they could contribute to the production. He is also encouraging some of those entrepreneurs to create short video business cards that could introduce their services to potential funders and collaborators.
Bird said the connections made through Pow Wow Pitch left him thinking about how he could help other business owners keep building momentum, even if they did not advance in the competition.
He hopes the relationships will lead to paid work, valuable experience and connections that continue long after the series is finished.
That commitment comes from his own experience of being welcomed into the industry. Bird remembers the mentors who invited him onto film sets, took time to teach him and helped him understand what was possible.
"My mentors have done so much for me and I know what that can mean when you're starting out," he said. "And that's what I want to do is pay forward."
For Bird, the greatest measure of success would be seeing people take pride in the work they helped create.
"I want people to come on set and be like, 'Hey, man, I created that,'" he said. "I helped build that as a team with something."
A community behind the filmmaker
Bird's journey has included important recognition and opportunities of its own. He founded Bee Productions Incorporated, an Indigenous-owned creative business in Regina, and has built experience across filmmaking, photography, editing and community storytelling.
His work includes "Everything Is Connected", a documentary project led jointly by the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Saskatchewan and Iskwewuk-E-wichiwitochik, the "Community Portraits" photography series and editing work on "Fear the Indian".
In 2024, he served as the City of Regina's Indigenous Artist in Residence. His work during that time explored urban Indigenous experiences through community engagement, artist talks and collaborations with Indigenous creators. Four poetry films developed through the residency became part of the Regina Civic Art Collection.
He has also participated in Pow Wow Pitch, advanced as a national quarter-finalist in the Entrepreneur of Impact Competition and received the RBC Rock My Business Emerging Indigenous Entrepreneur Award, which came with $10,000 to support the growth of his business. He has also established a self-funded scholarship program to help young Indigenous storytellers pursue opportunities in media.
Bird is quick to recognize the people and programs that helped make those steps possible. During the interview, he gave a special shoutout to all the staff at Pow Wow Pitch and the Filmmakers in Indigenous Leadership & Management Business Affairs (FILMBA) program, and specifically thanked Shaelyn Johnston for the support and belief shown to him.
He also praised the Indigenous Digital Accelerator and offered heartfelt thanks to the leadership back home in his community, saying they have been a tremendous source of help as he learns to take on the responsibilities of producing.
"It's been a tough one to be, to try to be a producer and learning at the same time as we go," he said.
Those acknowledgements are more than a list of thank-yous. They reflect the network of Indigenous mentorship, leadership and encouragement that Bird hopes to strengthen for others.
Learning, growing and looking ahead
Bird is also developing Bee Photography after completing the Side Hustle program. Photography has long been part of his creative work, including an early behind-the-scenes opportunity with filmmaker Doug Cuthand, whom he credited with helping him gain valuable experience.
He sees photography and filmmaking as connected art forms, both requiring patience, timing and an ability to recognize the moments that tell a story. He hopes to continue developing that business while applying those skills to documenting the people and creative work involved in future productions.
There are still considerable challenges ahead for "Where the City Divides", but he is approaching the uncertainty with the same determination that has carried him this far.
"Failure is your best tool," he said, explaining how setbacks can become opportunities to learn and improve.
He also credited his community for helping him get back up when things have been difficult, emphasizing that pursuing a dream does not mean having to do everything alone.
"If you got a dream, go for it," Bird said. "If you think that it's not reachable, you gotta believe in yourself and you gotta take that next step forward."
His message is especially important for Indigenous creators who may be nervous about putting their work in front of new audiences or taking their first steps into the industry.
Bird knows that building something new can be intimidating, but he also knows the power of having people who believe in you.
As he works to bring "Where the City Divides" closer to production, he is carrying that support forward, hoping to create a project where Indigenous stories are told with care, Indigenous businesses have a place at the table and emerging talent can see a future for themselves.
