The National Film Board (NFB) has appointed Indigenous media veteran Jean-François Desmarais O’Bomsawin as Director General, Indigenous Programming and Strategy.
O’Bomsawin joins the NFB from the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), where he’s served as Director of Communications and Francophone Initiatives for the last four and a half years.
Prior to that, he spent more than a decade with APTN in Montreal, starting out in marketing and communications and then moving on to the role of Senior Manager of Programming for the Eastern Region for eight years.
At NFB, O’Bomsawin will be a member of the Executive Committee reporting to the Chairperson and Government Film Commissioner. In a release, the agency said he’ll contribute to the overall management of the organization, “with particular responsibility for championing the agency’s commitment to Indigenous narrative sovereignty and the right of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples to shape, share and safeguard their own stories on their own terms.”
He’ll also provide strategic and creative leadership across all Indigenous programming, partnerships and institutional initiatives, overseeing Indigenous-led productions and leading the design and implementation of an Indigenous greenlighting and governance framework.
“I am honoured to join the National Film Board of Canada at this important moment for Indigenous storytelling,” said O’Bomsawin in the announcement. “Throughout my career, I have witnessed the transformative power of Indigenous creators telling their stories on their own terms. I look forward to working collaboratively with colleagues, filmmakers and Indigenous communities to strengthen relationships, advance Indigenous narrative sovereignty and ensure that our shared commitments translate into meaningful and lasting institutional practices.”
“Jean-François brings exceptional experience, trusted relationships and a deep commitment to Indigenous narrative sovereignty,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, Government Film Commissioner and Chairperson of the NFB. “His leadership will help advance the goals of the NFB’s Strategic Plan—empowering First Nations, Inuit and Métis creators and communities to shape the frameworks, decisions and practices that affect their stories and their lives. I am delighted to welcome Jean-François to our organization and look forward to working with him as, together, we all continue to create a space where Indigenous stories are told by Indigenous voices.”
