A film co-produced by Yukon resident Mike Code, featuring a polar bear, has won a prestigious award at the Sundance Film Festival. The documentary titled Nuisance Bear was honored with the Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Documentary competition, as revealed by the festival organizers on Friday morning.
Expressing his surprise and delight, Code shared that the award came as a pleasant shock to him and the team. The film portrays a fictionalized narrative following the journey of a lone polar bear facing various challenges in the Arctic, particularly focusing on interactions between humans and bears. Code discussed the significance of the bear in the communities of Churchill, Manitoba, and Arviat, Nunavut, emphasizing the distinct approaches each community takes in dealing with bear encounters.
Having spent his formative years in both Churchill and Arviat, Code, whose father was a teacher and wildlife cinematographer, had extensive exposure to polar bears. He met the future directors of Nuisance Bear, Jack Wiseman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, at the Hot Docs film festival in 2019. Filming for the documentary commenced in Churchill in 2023, utilizing advanced camera technology mounted on vehicles to capture unprecedented close-up shots of the bears in motion.
Code noted that the team recognized the uniqueness of their footage, which impressed festival attendees with its visual appeal and storytelling. Attending Sundance is a significant acknowledgment for filmmakers like Code, providing opportunities to network with peers and showcase their projects. Code highlighted the festival’s prestige, likening winning at Sundance to achieving an Oscar nomination.
The success of Nuisance Bear underscores the talent and dedication of the filmmakers, with Code emphasizing the importance of recognition at such esteemed events for the industry and the creative process.