Seeking the Taproot screening

Cineworks is proud to present 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁, a free screening of works by Siberian Indigenous filmmaker Aina Vinokurova.

𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘵𝘢𝘯 (2024, 12 minutes)
In 19th century Siberia, a young Sakha girl and her elderly grandfather are forced to host a Russian political prisoner in exchange for food.

𝘕𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘳 (2023, 40 minutes)
NIMER explores a nomadic family's resilience and tradition as they balance ancestral heritage and modern challenges, highlighting the importance of cultural preservation in a changing world.
___
𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀
Friday, August 15th, 2025, at 7 pm prompt (doors at 6:30).

The Black Box Studio at Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Society at 1131 Howe Street. Max capacity of 40. Our entrance is located in the back lane directly behind the Cinémathèque.

Here's our analog video guide to get to our space! -

Email ZWR1Y2F0aW9uIHwgY2luZXdvcmtzICEgY2E= for more info. No prior registration required.
___
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁
Aina Vinokurova is a filmmaker and screenwriter from Yakutia, now based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Deeply rooted in her Indigenous heritage, she is dedicated to telling stories that celebrate the resilience, culture, and history of Siberian Indigenous peoples.

Born in a small village on the banks of the Lena River, Aina was raised with a strong connection to her cultural identity. In her thirties, she reconnected with her grandfather after decades of separation, leading to the discovery of her Even ancestry. This deeply personal revelation—following the loss of her mother at age five—marked a turning point that continues to shape her creative path.

Aina began her career in journalism and became the first Sakha woman to appear on federal Russian television. After eight years in the media, disillusioned by censorship and systemic discrimination, she transitioned to documentary filmmaking to pursue more authentic and impactful storytelling. In 2024, she graduated from InFocus Film School in Vancouver and founded Sulus Productions, a creative studio focused on telling the stories of small businesses and local communities through a human lens.

Now pursuing her MA in Film Production at the University of Regina, Aina aims to deepen her understanding of Indigenous cinema in Canada and foster cross-cultural connections between filmmakers in Yakutia and North America.

For Aina, cinema is a tool for self-discovery and collective healing. Through her films, she explores questions of identity, memory, and the inherited silences left by colonization. She believes that for Indigenous peoples, art is not only expression—it is survival, storytelling, and a form of resistance.
___
Please note that Cineworks doesn’t have parking spots available for events. We kindly encourage anyone driving to our space to consider using metered parking in the surrounding streets or one of the parking lots located nearby. Thank you.

Cineworks would like to thank our generous funders: BC Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, the City of Vancouver, and the Province of British Columbia (Gaming) for making our services and programs supporting independent filmmakers possible.

Also check out other Arts events in Vancouver, Entertainment events in Vancouver.