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James M. Fortier is Métis (pronounced “May-Tee”), of Ojibway and French Canadian descent, born in Ontario Canada. He is the producer, director, and director of photography for “Bad Sugar,” a 30-minute episode of the national PBS series “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Killing Us.” “Bad Sugar” examines the historical, social, and environmental structures that have contributed to the tragic rise of Type II Diabetes among two Arizona tribes.
Fortier also recently co-produced and shot “Green Green Water,” a story that chronicles the divisive issue of so-called “green energy” of further dam development in Northern Cree communities in Manitoba.
Fortier recently completed “Playing Pastime,” a short documentary work-in-progress that delves into the little known world of all Indian fast-pitch softball while exploring the origins of baseball and softball, and the roots of negative Indian stereotypes and mascots in sports.
He is currently completing work on “Gathering Together,” a sequel to his 2004 documentary “Pulling Together,” featuring the Muckleshoot tribe’s cultural revival during the 2003 and 2006 Tribal Canoe Journeys in the Puget Sound area.
He is the Director, Co-Writer and Director of Photography for “Alcatraz Is Not An Island,” which screened at Sundance in 2001, earning Fortier an Emmy for Directing, and aired nationally on PBS in 2002.
In addition James Fortier is the Writer, Producer and Director of the Minnesota PBS environmental documentary “Voices For the Land.” He also is the Writer and Associate Producer for the five-time Emmy award-winning 6-hour Ojibway PBS documentary series “Waasa-Inaabidaa: We Look In All Directions.”
Fortier is the Director of Photography for several Native American and First Nations productions, including “Indian Country Diaries: Spiral of Fire” for Native American Public Telecommunications/PBS, and the short drama “Looks Into the Night,” starring Tantoo Cardinal, and the CBC documentary “Today Is a Good Day: Remembering Chief Dan George.”
Jim recently began production of “AIM: The American Indian Movement” with Illinois filmmaker and UIUC faculty member Jay Rosenstein.
He maintains strong ties with his Métis and Ojibway relatives in Ontario and he has an extensive background working with Native American communities in the U.S.
He was the Co-Director and Co-Producer of the Alcatraz Occupation 30th Anniversary Cultural Celebration on Alcatraz Island in 1999, and has worked with nationally prominent American Indian activists and performers such as Floyd Red Crow Westerman, John Trudell, and Ulali among others.
He travels widely throughout Indian country bringing his films and message of American Indian empowerment to reservations, tribal schools and colleges. Fortier has lectured in American Indian Studies programs at Brown University, ASU, USF, Syracuse, University of Minnesota, and UC Berkeley.
He has donated his time working behind the scenes at the American Indian Film Festival (the longest running and largest American Indian Film festival in the country) in San Francisco, and he has taught filmmaking workshops for Native American high school students.
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