A B.C. film focusing on Indigenous food sovereignty has received the most nominations at a social-justice film fest in Surrey. Tea Creek is a finalist for Rogers Group of Funds Best Canadian Documentary, Best Environmental Film, and Best British Columbia Feature Film at the Sundar Prize Film Festival 2025.
Ryan Dickie, a Fort Nelson resident of Dene descent, directed Tea Creek. It tells the story of an agricultural-training centre for Indigenous people in northwestern B.C. Tea Creek owner Jacob Beaton, a mixed-race member of the Tsimshian Nation, offers mentorship on his family farm in Kitwanga to aspiring Indigenous food producers.
“Jacob and his wife, Jessica, and their children are just remarkable human beings,” Dickie told Pancouver last year when his film premiered at the DOXA Documentary Film Festival. “I feel really grateful to be able to share their story.”
The Sundar Prize Film Festival 2025 will have a festival pre-launch on April 9 at the VIFF Centre with a screening of We Will Be Brave. Opening night, a networking reception, and an open mic pitch session will take place on April 10 at SFU’s Surrey campus, starting at 5:30 p.m. Sundar Prize Film Festival screenings run from April 11 to 13 at Landmark Cinemas Surrey, Guildford (15051 101 Ave., Surrey). The awards will be presented on the final evening.
In its second year, the Sundar Prize Film Festival has nominated 28 films in 12 award categories. Women helmed two-thirds of the nominated films. And 82 percent were directed by filmmakers who identify as Black, Indigenous, or racialized.
“Each nominee has been carefully chosen through a rigorous three-tier evaluation process involving diverse jurors—including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities—for their exceptional storytelling, vision, and social impact,” festival executive director and senior programmer Sidartha Murjani said in a news release.
The festival offers nearly $35,000 in cash prizes and in-kind sponsorships.
“We’re creating a platform where filmmakers from diverse backgrounds—especially those often pushed to the margins—can be celebrated and heard,” festival co-founder Alex Sangha said. “The festival uplifts our local communities while connecting us to global struggles for justice, equality, and compassion.”
Sangha produced the documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows, which has been screened at nearly 50 film festivals. It was directed by the festival’s other co-founder, Vinay Giridhar.
The Sundar nominees are…
See the full list of nominees below in alphabetical order by film title:
Best Feature Film – $2,500
Designed By Preeti (United States, 2024, Dir. Gayatri Bajpai)
Firma Aqui (Mexico, 2024, Dir. Enrique Vázquez)
Paper Flowers (United States, 2024, Dir. Mahesh Pailoor)
Best Short Film – $500
“Flight 182” (United States, 2024, Dir. Rippin Sindher)
“Mirage” (United States, 2024, Dir. Jhanvi Motla)
“The Poem We Sang” (Canada, Jordan, Palestine, 2024, Dir. Annie Sakab)
Rogers Group of Funds Best Canadian Documentary – $2,500
Leilani’s Fortune (Canada, 2024, Dir. Loveleen Kaur)
Mareya Shot Keetha Goal: Take the Shot (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Baljit Sangra, Nilesh Patel)
Tea Creek (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Ryan David Lee Dickie)
Knowledge Network Best International Documentary – $1000
Canyon Chorus (United States, 2023, Dir. Chris Cresci)
This is Who We Are (UK, 2024, Dir. Peter Lilly)
Best Animation – $1,000
Have I Swallowed Your Dream (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Clara Chan)
Holy Heaveness (Iran, 2024, Dir. Farnoosh Abedirenani)
Whispers of Color (United States, 2024, Dir. Sujin Kim)
Best Environmental Film – $1,000
HA NII TOKXW: OUR FOOD (British Columbia, 2023, Dir. Farhan Umedaly)
Tea Creek (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Ryan David Lee Dickie)
This is Who We Are (UK, 2024, Dir. Peter Lilly)
Best 2SLGBTQ+ Film – $1,000
Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot (Canada, 2024, Dir. Regan Latimer)
Jia (Australia, 2024, Dir. Vee Shi)
Leilani’s Fortune (Canada, 2024, Dir. Loveleen Kaur)
Best Youth Film (19 and under) – $500
“LOOK” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Georgia Tindle Acken)
“Velvet Secrets” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Shanthini Balasubramanian)
Best Student Film – $500
“Beyond the Reins” (Canada, 2024, Dir. Magil Moyes)
“Body Varial” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Audrey Kerridge)
“Desync” (Canada, 2023, Dir. Minerva Marie Navasca)
Best British Columbia Feature Film – $1,000
Tea Creek (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Ryan David Lee Dickie)
The Stand (British Columbia, 2023, Dir. Christopher Auchter)
Mareya Shot Keetha Goal: Make the Shot (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Baljit Sangra, Nilesh Patel)
Best British Columbia Short Film – $500 + $10,000 Gift Certificate from Sparky’s Film Rentals
“HATCH” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Alireza Kazemipour, Panta Mosleh)
“Stand In” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Hiromu Yamawaki)
“Teresa’s Choice” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Marlene Castanos)
KDocsFF Best Emerging Filmmaker Residency Award – $1,000 + $10,000 Gift Certificate from Keslow Camera
“Mirthless” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Tina Kardan)
“Velvet Secrets” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Shanthini Balasubramanian)
“Warmest Regards” (British Columbia, 2024, Dir. Tina Nowarre, Shireen Dalbey)
The Sundar Prize Film Festival runs from April 10 to 13 in Surrey. For tickets and more information, visit the website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social. Pancouver is also on Instagram @PancouverMedia. In addition, follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social.
