Film Producer Kelvin Redvers Embraces His Indigenous Culture
Filmmakers bring visions, dreams, and hopes to life. They can help educate you and broaden your horizons–they can have a tremendous influence on you. Kelvin Redvers is one of those creative individuals.
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Redvers is an Indigenuous Canadian film producer that got his start at an early age. At just 15 years old, he started his own production company called Crosscurrent Productions. Throughout high school, he continued on his filmmaking journey and by making short films. These short films that he made, with the help of some of his classmates, went on to win awards at nation and international film festivals–an impressive accomplishment for anyone, especially someone just in high school. At 16 years old, he won a Golden Starfish Award at the Hamptons International Film Festival in New York for a movie he created called Sheep.
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He continued making films and winning awards throughout college while he was working on his BFA in Film Production. Then after he graduated, he took a job as a producer and director on First Story, an Indigenous current affairs show. In the three seasons he worked on the show, he was awarded five journalism awards. Redvers' plentiful awards demonstrate just how talented he is.
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Redvers made his debut into the world of major film festivals with The Dancing Cop, a narrative short film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He then created the television concept of “High Arctic Haulers,” a documentary series that aired on CBC primetime. Kelvin Redvers is also an activist. He co-created the We Matter Campaign that raises awareness and provides support for Indigenous youth that struggle with mental health issues. Individuals that put their talent to good use, like Redvers, must be ambitious and compassionate.
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While Redvers has an impressive repertoire of awards and accolades, he has most recently been changing the industry for the better with his style. Redvers attended the Cannes Film Festival in France as a delegate for the Indigenous Screen Office and wanted to use his time on the red carpet to honor his heritage. While in line to attend the premiere of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s Les Amandiers, he was turned away for his choice of footwear. Redvers wore a beautiful pair of traditional moccasins that were hand beaded by his sister. He wanted to showcase what formal wear meant to different people and different cultures–formal doesn’t have to have one meaning or one look. Before he made it onto the carpet, security stopped him from entering and requested that he change into “regular” dress shoes. The Cannes dress code is rather strict, and has caused women to be turned away who chose to wear flats rather than heels. However, high profile protests by Kristen Stewart and Julia Roberts have made the festival fairly lax on that rule. But those strict dress rules apparently still apply to other traditional cultural wear. It’s disappointing that something like this could still happen today, but Redvers and the Indigenous Screen Office was able to turn this negative situation into a positive learning experience for everyone involved and helped educate people that formal has different meanings around the world.