Montreal, Tuesday, January 21, 2025 — FAIRY CREEK, the feature directorial debut by documentary filmmaker Jen Muranetz, will premiere in the US at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. Celebrating its 22nd edition from February 14 to 23, 2025 in Missoula, Montana, Big Sky has established itself as a premier home for non-fiction film and documentary cinema in the American West, drawing an audience of over 20,000. We are delighted to bring this powerful film to Missoula audiences as part of the festival’s official selection program.
The Fairy Creek (Ada’itsx) valley sprawls across Pacheedaht First Nation territory on southwestern Vancouver Island and its old growth forest ecosystem thrives with lush foliage, ancient tree trunks, and a variety of wildlife. However, the decimating chainsaws and tractor machinery of the Teal Jones lumber corporation disrupt this equilibrium as they ravage an environmental haven into pavement for their road-building project. Amidst the tumult, Jen Muranetz’s FAIRY CREEK captures the vast collective protests against this destructive logging operation: a movement which has spawned both the largest demonstration of civil disobedience in Canadian history and the mass arrests of 1200 people.
FAIRY CREEK is directed and produced by award-winning director Jen Muranetz, lensed and produced by Sepehr Samimi, and features a magnetic score by Amine Bouzaher. The film is produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, the National Film Board Filmmaker’s Assistance, Small Change Fund, and with the support from Kickstarter backers.
Jen Muranetz is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual storyteller residing on the unceded and stolen Coast Salish territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations. With more than twelve years’ experience creating dynamic, story-driven content, she is a director, producer, editor, cinematographer and video journalist, having been involved in the creation of hundreds of videos for broadcast, film and independent clients. Her films are character-driven and impact-focused, centred around human resiliency. Her previous works have screened in festivals such as DOXA, DOK Leipzig and Planet in Focus. Jen’s participated in a number of labs and pitch programs including ‘Voices of Canada’ at DOCNYC, 2021 Whistler Doc Lab, Story to Action impact producing mentorship, and Green Pitch at Planet in Focus.
To learn more about FAIRY CREEK, click here.
