TIFF 2022: Director Asia Youngman dives into the making of n’x̌ax̌aitkʷ

2022 Toronto International Film Festival

Asia Youngman at TIFF 2022 | Photo: Steve Murakami / The Arts Guild.

One of the many shorts we are excited to watch and write about is Asia Youngman’s latest short film n’x̌ax̌aitkʷ.

The film follows an Indigenous teenager named Zarya (Kiawentiio) as she navigates peer pressure from her next door neighbour Amanda (Emilie Bierre) to go and explore a nearby island in search of a legendary lake monster, known by common folk as the Ogopogo.

It was an absolute pleasure to be able to sit down with Youngman earlier in the festival to really get into the weeds of how this film came about, what sparked the beginning of the creative process and how she tackled the various elements to build it up to what it is.

Youngman is a new wave of indigenous filmmakers who are firmly embracing their identities and cultures to tell authentic, relevant, and personal stories that aim to educate and inspire Canadians (and many others). Named as one of Playback’s “10 to watch”, Youngman is what you can call a very motivated creative. She has been an alumna for a variety of incubator programs such as the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, the TIFF Talent Accelerator and the Netflix-BANFF Diversity of Voices Initiative, to name a few.

She is no stranger to the Toronto International Film Festival, last premiering her documentary short This Ink Runs Deep back in 2019.

N’x̌ax̌aitkʷ is her latest work, and is the recipient of the Directors Guild of Canada BC Emerging Greenlight and has already been nominated for 5 Leo Awards ahead of its World Premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival.

If that isn’t a clear definition of hustle, then I don’t know what is.

She is the owner of Visceral Village Productions which she founded back in 2019.

I hope you enjoy watching the interview as much as I enjoyed having it. Youngman is a powerhouse talent, and I cannot wait to see what other creative projects she works on and creates for global audiences to experience.


Asia Youngman’s short film n’x̌ax̌aitkʷ plays as part of TIFF’s Short Cuts programme at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival; specifically Short Cuts Programme 5. Visit TIFF’s website HERE for all the details on screenings. 

Cover Photo: Steve Murakami / The Arts Guild