*** Cinecenta Passes not accepted for VFF Films***

In Sweet Summer Pow Wow, Darrell Dennis offers a deeply personal exploration of love, identity, and tradition. 

Jinny lives on the Shuswap Reserve. Her diabetic mother Cara is the Chief and expects her daughter to get a law degree, return home. and follow in her footsteps. Jinny agrees to spend her last summer on the Pow Wow circuit with her mother. But Jinny loves contemporary dancing, not Native fancy dancing. On another nearby Reserve, lives Riley. His single dad is a drunk. Luckily for Riley, his Uncle Luke invites him to join his drum group on the Pow Wow circuit before Riley goes to live with him in Vancouver. This world premiere at the Victoria Film Festival follows this young Indigenous couple as they get a break from their troubled lives when they find each other through a summer of love on the Pow-Wow circuit.

 Director Dennis (The Great Salish Heist, 2024), known for his insightful storytelling that highlights Indigenous identity and culture, brings a unique blend of tenderness and tension to this narrative. His direction navigates the delicate balance between personal desires and the collective responsibilities of family and community. The film beautifully captures the intersection of tradition and modernity, illustrating how both can shape and challenge our most intimate relationships. –MH