ShebaFilms is a film production company based in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We focus primarily on documentary filmmaking, but we also produce fiction, animation, commercial and educational films. The company was established in 1996 as Shebandowan Films by Kelly Saxberg and Ron Harpelle. We have filmed around the world creating documentaries focusing on history, globalization, social justice, the environment and mental health issues. ShebaFilms has built a reputation of creating strong documentary content that speaks to important issues in Canada and abroad. We produce films as both ShebaFilms and Franco Finn Films.
New Releases!
SILENT CRIES (KIAYUNIK TUHANAK), documents the work of Navalik and her colleagues as members of the NTRC’s sharing circle. As a respected Elder, Navalik shares her experience and that of the other survivors who attended the private meeting with Pope Francis in 2022. She weaves her personal story into the narrative to bring an intimate perspective to a historical event and what followed.
For almost a century, children have ridden the wooden carousel horses at Thunder Bay’s Chippewa Park. “The Carousel of Time” is a historical documentary about the restoration and preservation of a CW Parker carousel built in 1915. One of three left in North America.
“Carousel of Time” is designed to both reveal the history of the carousel and the work of the artisans responsible for its restoration. The film focuses on the techniques used by the original artisans to make the animals and build the structure. It is both a celebration of art and artists, and it is a window on the past to tell the story of this significant piece of Canadian history.
When WWI broke out in 1914, the 90th Winnipeg Rifles were one of the first regiments asked to form a battalion for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. They were nicknamed The Little Black Devils during the 1885 North-West Rebellion by the defeated Métis resistance and they brought Louis Riel to Regina where he was tried and hung for treason. So, when the troop train stopped in Fort William to pick up recruits from Northwestern Ontario, everyone was surprised to learn that one of Louis Riel’s relatives had joined the Little Black Devils. Patrick (Paddy) Riel became one of Canada’s top snipers. His story, like too many of the 60,000 other Canadians who lost their lives in the conflict, was lost in time. His descendants knew he had died a hero, but they knew little else about him. The Sniper tells the story of Patrick Riel and the family he left behind.
