Welcome to the Skábmagovat Festival! We are happy to be able to arrange the Skábmagovat Festival in the usual way here in Inari, after two years of a web event. On the other hand, it was delightful to notice during the past few years that the online festival was watched by people in over forty countries! Thus, the Covid-19 pandemic may well have strengthened our belief in the demand for hybrid events and their ability to increase in a new way the accessibility of indigenous films around the world. Thus the festival is arranged in a hybrid form this year: both in Inari and on the web.
The Sámi Parliament’s Indigenous Film Centre Skábma is one of the organisers of the festival, and, at the same time, our Children’s Cultural Centre Mánnu and our Youth Council have actively participated in planning and realising the festival’s programme for children and young people. Furthermore, the festival engages several other partners, and indeed we can say that Skábmagovat is, year after year, a fine example of the impact of local cooperation.
This year the festival spotlights strong women, and no wonder: a number of strong women have risen to the hub of both politics and arts among the Sámi, for example. On the other hand, strength does not always require activism or putting oneself in the spotlight: for example the rise of indigenous languages and cultures is often to a great extent the achievement of numerous strong women’s work. In the Sámi community, all kinds of women have always played an influential role.
In addition to the theme of strong women, this year’s festival looks at the bright future of indigenous cinema. And the programme indeed makes one sure that such a future exists. Have a great time watching films!
Tuomas Aslak Juuso
Chair of Sámi Parliament
