Getting one film into TIFF is already huge, but Dana Solomon is out here casually pulling a double feature moment. The Indigenous and queer artist from Selkirk, Winnipeg (shoutout to Selkirk!) is premiering not one but two projects this year: NIIMI (She Dances), a short film she wrote, directed, and stars in, and Blood Lines, her first feature lead role in Gail Maurice’s moody Métis same-sex romance. We grabbed a minute with Dana to talk about the thrill of having two premieres, Indigenous storytelling on screen, and, of course, her game plan for surviving the TIFF chaos.
JG: This is a huge year for you! NIIMI, a short film you wrote, directed, and starred in, and your first feature lead role in Blood Lines, both premiering at TIFF. What does it mean to you personally and professionally to hit this kind of milestone so early in your filmmaking and acting journey?
Dana Solomon: It means the world to me. And, you know, I’ve been at this a long time. I’ve been auditioning. And so, to finally have a starring role at TIFF, it means the world to me to be recognized on such a big platform like that. And then to have NIIMI, something that I wrote, directed and acted in, is a dream come true of mine. I used to buy tickets to TIFF to watch the Short Cuts programme. And now, I’m having a film in Short Cuts. So
I couldn’t be more thrilled about that.
JG: NIIMI feels really deeply personal and sort of explores dance as a form of medicine and a way to reclaim autonomy. Did you pull on things from your own dance background or lived experience?
Dana Solomon: Absolutely. It is a fictional story, but a lot of it was born out of my experiences as a dancer. In my personal life, dance has been incredibly healing and was a way to express myself when I didn’t have the words to do it. I definitely drew on lots of my personal experiences as a dancer and how dance has helped me.
JG: You’ve called NIIMI a love letter to Indigenous dancers and stories rarely told on screen. What do you hope Indigenous artists and audiences take away from seeing this story at a major festival like TIFF?
Dana Solomon: I hope audiences see a new perspective. There’s a lot of Indigenous dancers out there, and navigating these spaces where maybe they are the only Indigenous dancer in their program or their company. I just wanted to highlight a new perspective and a way that dance is so healing. And it’s a different vocabulary. It’s a vocabulary on its own.
JG: Touching on that, how do you feel about the current state of Indigenous representation in the media? And your role or place in that?
Dana Solomon: I’m actually so excited that we have so many Indigenous filmmakers telling our stories. There are so many Indigenous filmmakers who have films premiering at TIFF. And we are just scratching the surface. There’s so much more to come. So I’m really, really excited about that. And within my own filmmaking career. I aim to increase representation on screen. You know, I want Indigenous people to feel seen, feel heard. And that’s my true goal in my filmmaking journey.
JG: You’ve worn all the hats: writer, director, actor, dancer. Which one makes you feel most in your element right now? And which one sort of scares you the most? In a good way.
Dana Solomon: Honestly, acting is my love. I plan to do that forever. But I do plan to create more stories. And that scares me the most because it is the biggest undertaking. You want to make sure that you’re doing it in the best way possible. I just feel like behind the scenes is such a huge undertaking. But I love it. I’m going to keep diving in. Definitely. And, trying to balance both. In this industry, I definitely plan to do both.
JG: Did you have a “Wait? Is this real?” sort of moment when you realized both NIIMI and Blood Lines would be debuting at TIFF?
Dana Solomon: Absolutely. I found out about Blood Lines first. I was jumping and screaming, so excited, and then almost a week later, I found out that NIIMI was going to be premiering at TIFF. I just had this pinch-me moment, like this is really happening. I put in so much groundwork. You know you know how they talk about the tip of the iceberg? Like you see the premieres or you see the film but then there’s so many countless hours that go in behind the scenes. The countless auditions, the rejection, the struggles of getting a film to camera and then it was just such a surreal feeling and pinch me moment when both projects are now premiering at TIFF.
JG: I did want to quickly ask about Blood Lines. You get to play a character who’s finding love while reconnecting with her roots. I won’t go super into it. I want people to go see it, but what was it like bringing a queer Indigenous love story like that to the screen?
Dana Solomon: When I was reading the script, it took me on an emotional roller coaster. The film at the center is about identity and belonging and is rooted in Métis culture. It’s a real treat when you get to play these characters that are so complex and they’re multifaceted. This is a really important story, and I think audiences of all backgrounds are going to connect with it.
JG: The word that kept coming back to me while watching was evocative. So I think it’ll really strike a chord with everyone across the board in different ways. I know TIFF can be intense. What’s in your festival survival kit to get you through it?
Dana Solomon: My survival kit. I haven’t even thought that far ahead, but whenever I’m able to, I’ll have a nap. And of course, the ideal situation is to have like a 15-hour sleep if that’s even possible. I think that will really rejuvenate me. So quick naps, whenever possible.
JG: Lastly, after this sort of double debut that’s coming up, are you manifesting more directing, more acting, maybe a full-length big indigenous queer dance musical? Just throwing the idea out there.
Dana Solomon: I’m definitely manifesting to take NIIMI into a future-length film. I think that would be an amazing thing. I grew up watching dance movies, and I want to create a dance movie, so this is going to happen. I want it to happen, so I’m manifesting that. But also as an actor, I would love to have some consistent work. It’s so tough as an actor. You audition and there’s so much rejectio,n but I’m really hoping that more opportunities come my way and I get to perform and do what I love.
You can catch NIIMI as part of TIFF’s Short Cuts 2025 Programme 06 with screenings on Sept 9th and 10th. Blood Lines premieres at TIFF on Sept 8th.
