“We fell in love.”

When Candace Scott-Moore and Richard Scott-Moore got together, they not only linked their lives - they also linked the Anishinaabe People of Canada with the Yuin Nation of the South Coast of Australia.

“Candace and I have been sharing each other’s cultures for many years, and that really sparked our passion for celebrating both,” said Richard. “I’m from Nowra, and I’ve been sharing culture since I was young - and I haven’t stopped.”

“I’m from the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation in Ontario,” said Candace. “For the last 16 or 17 years, we’ve been living half the year in Australia and the other half in Canada. We’ve immersed ourselves in each other’s families, cultures, and communities. What’s been really beautiful is seeing how similar our cultures are.”

That connection has now inspired the creation of something new: to celebrate International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples the Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival organised to showcase at Huskisson Pictures short films highlighting the Anishinaabe People of the Great Lakes region.

Curated by Candace and Richard and with films directed by Marshall Leigh George, the festival will present five short films that explore the deep connection to land and water shared by Indigenous Peoples in both Canada and Australia.

Candace and Richard were moved to curate films for the festival when they realised how much their cultures had in common.

“Seeing these similarities grounds us. It reminds us who we are as Indigenous people,” said Richard. “When we see other Indigenous communities living strong, sharing and teaching, it reaffirms our purpose - to keep culture alive and pass it down. That’s why I do what I do. It’s about keeping our respectful, humble way of life alive. It’s all about connection: to the land, spirit, each other.”

“We might come from small communities,” added Candace, “but we’re part of something much bigger. We have so much in common - it’s important to recognise that.”

Richard and Candace Scott-Moore, the curators of the Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival. Photo supplied.

Film director Marshall Leigh George spoke about some of the films that will be screened and the deeper meaning behind them.

“Water Provides follows a local woman who’s studying to be a marine biologist,” said Leigh George. “She honours her fishing heritage by netting fish on the Great Lakes, preserving her family’s traditions.”

Another film focuses on wild rice. “It’s not just about food,” said Leigh George. “It’s about the ecosystem - the ducks, the replanting process - it’s all interconnected. It’s about balance, a central theme in all our films.”

There’s also a music video from a local band - born from a moment of spontaneous inspiration.

“We were sitting outside one night when a local band sent us this song called I Hold On,” said Leigh George. “And right away, me and Richard, we just… we fell into the story of it. We fell into the beauty, and we wanted to go on this journey with the music.”

“We wanted to tell a powerful story - just as powerful on screen. And probably by the end of that night, we’d planned the whole video, and then we made it happen. The actual video ended up being number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown for at least three weeks.”

Marshall Leigh George, the director of all of the films to be shown at the Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival. Photo provided.

Leigh George also shared his own inspiring path to becoming a filmmaker.

“I used to be a teacher, and I always told my students to follow their dreams. Then I realised - I wasn’t following mine,” he said. “So I went back to school for audio and ended up doing sound for Hallmark movies - most of which involved princesses!”

“But then everything changed. They started uncovering the remains of children who died in residential schools - this was hidden history in Canada. I couldn’t keep making sanitised movies while this truth was ignored. So I made a pledge to use film to tell our real stories.”

The festival will take place on Friday 9 August at 2pm, aligning with World Indigenous Peoples Day, which commemorates the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in 1982.

The 2025 theme - Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination: a pathway for food security and sovereignty - is strongly reflected in the films selected.

“These themes are central to us,” said Candace. “Food sovereignty means reclaiming traditional knowledge - hunting, fishing, tapping maple trees for syrup, using seasonal medicines. These practices aren’t just about survival - they’re our identity. They were passed down from our ancestors, and it’s our responsibility to carry them forward.”

“The rice film illustrates how harvesting affects the whole ecosystem,” added Leigh George. “Dropped rice feeds ducks, replants next year’s crop, and supports biodiversity. It’s all part of a cycle - a natural balance that keeps everything healthy.”

So why use film to share these stories?

“These films aren’t just entertainment,” said Leigh George. “They’re truth. They preserve culture, they show landscape, and they reach people in ways words alone can’t.”

“Seeing is believing,” added Richard. “Film opens doors - especially for our youth. It inspires them and helps others understand us without judgment.”

The screening will begin with a Welcome to Country by Yuin Elder Uncle Gerry Moore, OAM - Richard’s father - highlighting the connection to land and water shared by the Indigenous

Peoples of Canada and Australia.

The Shoalhaven First Nations Film Festival takes place at 2pm on Saturday 9 August at Huskisson Pictures.

Tickets: $15 adults / $40 family (2 adults, 2 children). Book via TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/DDMBI