The Indigenous Peoples’ Film Centre is a regional resource centre of the film and audio-visual industry which operates within the Finnish Sámi Parliament in Inari. The centre’s operations are currently funded by the Ministry of Education and the National Council for Cinema.

The Indigenous Peoples’ Film Centre supports the Sámi language and culture and creates prerequisites for the visibility and audibility of the Sámi and other indigenous peoples’ own voice in the film and media industry – on the indigenous peoples’ own terms and from their own starting points.

The Indigenous Peoples’ Film Centre supports the planning, development and production of films and media products by cooperating to find funding channels and partners and by organising educational and film industry events in the Sámi region.

Additionally, the centre disseminates Sámi films across different events and distributes information on Sámi cinema, the Sámi region and Sámi filmmakers. In addition, Skábma organises the Skábmagovat indigenous peoples’ film festival.

PURPOSES

The purposes of the Indigenous Peoples’ Film Centre are to

1. support Sámi film and TV productions

2. organise film training and education

3. organise screening and dissemination activities: (for example, the Skábmagovat film festival)

INTERNATIONAL SECTION OF THE SÁMI CULTURAL CENTRE

In addition to the film centre, the Sámi Cultural Centre, to be founded in Inari, will include many activities related to Sámi handicrafts, music and living as well as a dedicated section for children and young people. A Sámi library will also operate in the centre.

The starting points for the operations of the Indigenous Peoples’ Film Centre are related both to livelihood and culture. The centre takes advantage of the synergy benefit, brought by the co-Nordic Sámi region, in scriptwriting, filming and, in particular, the international funding of films. Additionally, the centre utilises the worldwide film network that the Skábmagovat film festival brings with it.