Colin Ahnahktsipiitaa Van Loon – Writer Director, Producer

Award-winning Filmmaker Ahnahktsipiitaa (Colin Van Loon) is Blackfoot and Dutch. He originally hails from The Piikani Nation. He resided alongside his mother in Lethbridge and many other dusty Southern Alberta towns during his upbringing.

Recently, Ahnahktsipiitaa has worked as the Operations Manager for Emily Carr University IM4-Lab (2018-2022). IM4-Lab is a leading XR( VR/AR) project to increase Indigenous representation in emerging
XR fields.

Presently, Ahnahktsipiitaa oversees the Film, TV & XR production company he created, Blackfoot Nation Films. Ahnahktsipiitaa is an ImagineNATIVE Film Festival board member and Vancouver International Film
Festival Indigenous Advisory Council member and he sits on the Telefilm Indigenous Working Group.
Community-centred, he aims to elevate the voices and stories of Indigenous peoples, whether it is creating spaces for youth works in the Talking Stick’s Festivals REEL Reservations or through his company Blackfoot Nation Films. This community intent extends to collaborations with other Indigenous artists, including the Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Trevor Soloway and the late Taran Kootenhayoo.
Projects include The National Film Board of Canada’s award-winning immersive and experimental 360-video documentary; This Is Not A Ceremony. This Is Not A Ceremony held its World premiere at Sundance Film Festival New Frontier 2022 and later played at Tribeca Immersive 2022. Blackfoot Nation
Films also produced Kaatohkitopii: The Horse He Never Road for CBC Absolutely Canadian and CBC Gem. This feature documentary has also been screened at the ImagineNATIVE film festival 2022.
Currently, Colin is producing Tales From The Rez, a six-episode horror comedy anthology web series through his company Blackfoot Nation Films, for APTN-LUMI.
Colin graduated from NSI Art of Business Management – Indigenous program and Capilano Universities, Filmmakers in Indigenous Leadership & Management Business Affairs (FILMBA). Colin also previously attended the Simon Fraser University BFA Film Production program and VFS acting essentials program.