Edmonton Screen is happy to announce that Cody Lightning (Lightning Mill Inc) has been selected as one of our recipients of the Elevation Program. Cody and his team have just wrapped production of their new film, Smudge The Blades. The film was shot in and around Edmonton and has helped to build Indigenous-specific production capabilities by hiring a significant number of Indigenous cast and crew.
About the film:
SMUDGE THE BLADES is a hard-hitting, coming-of-age hockey film that tells the story of the TREATY 6 BLADES, a self-organized team from a reserve outside Edmonton. After being kicked out of the prestigious Edmonton City League in their first game, the Blades only hope to salvage their final season together is a rough-and-tumble rural league, and a degenerate zamboni driver as their coach.
About Cody:
Cody Lightning, is a celebrated actor from Alberta, Canada, with tribal affiliation with Samson Cree Nation in Maskwacis.
Since his first role at age five in the film Geronimo, Cody has been one of Hollywood’s most active Indigenous actors, known for his roles in Indigenous classic Smoke Signals, and more recently, in Marvel’s smash-hit Indigenous television show ECHO.
In recent years, Lightning has moved behind the camera, including writing, directing, and starring in his debut HEY VIKTOR!, a fictionalized version of his own life story, in which he plays a heightened version of himself producing a sequel to Smoke Signals. The film premiered at TIFF and Tribeca and was nominated for 3 Canadian Screen Awards (Best Lead Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor).
In addition to acting, he was a competitive skateboarder and snowboarder for 15 years.
Congrats to Cody! We can’t wait to see the film!
