P.E.I. Film Series Spotlights Diverse Canadian Voices

In November 2025, filmmaker Nathan Lacroix launched a new film series in Prince Edward Island called "Beyond the Frame." The series aims to showcase Canadian stories from underrepresented communities, including films by Black, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ creators.

Lacroix, who has worked in P.E.I.'s movie industry, noticed the province's growing diversity and wanted local screens to reflect that change. He believes many talented Canadian directors and producers deserve more attention, even if their films don't have million-dollar budgets.

To kick off the series, Lacroix screened the film "Village Keeper" - the story of a Black mother and widow in Toronto trying to protect her children from neighborhood violence. Going forward, he plans to host one screening per month until August 2026, featuring a range of independent Canadian productions.

Beyond simply showing the films, Lacroix aims to connect Islanders directly with the creators through post-screening Q&A sessions. He also hopes the series will attract more funding for these underrepresented filmmakers, as potential partners can see the local community's interest in their work.

Lacroix discovered many of the films through events like the Toronto International Film Festival and the Lunenburg Doc Fest, as well as by exploring catalogs from distributors like the National Film Board. He believes these independent productions often go unnoticed because they don't receive the same marketing push as major studio releases.