Moccasin Flats

Moccasin Flats is a Canadian drama series that ran for three full seasons. This series, which has been aired on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and Showcase Television since 2004, is a co-produced by Big Soul Productions Inc. (Toronto) and Stephen Onda Productions inc. (Regina). It takes place in Moccasin Flats, Regina, Saskatchewan, an urban reserve where the inhabitants struggle to maintain their cultural identity while overcoming poverty, gangs, violence, and racism. The series features award nominated actor Andrea Menard and original music by Donald Quan.

Moccasin Flats
Created byLaura Milliken and Jennifer Podemski
Theme music composerJonathan Garlow
Composer(s)Donald Quan
Country of originCanada
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes22
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s)Big Soul Productions
Stephen Onda Productions
Release
Original networkAboriginal Peoples Television Network, Showcase Television
Original releaseNovember 10, 2003 (2003-11-10) –
March 28, 2006 (2006-03-28)

The original incarnation of Moccasin Flats was as a 2002 short of the same title. This movie was the product of an Aboriginal youth media empowerment workshop called repREZentin', which teamed Aboriginal youth with industry professionals in an effort to create short films and videos that told their stories. The short film told the story of Justin, a young Native man who has just found that he has been accepted to university. While he is grateful for the opportunity, he is afraid to leave his friends and family (particularly his younger brother) behind in the harsh neighbourhood of Moccasin Flats. His fears are compounded when his arch-rival who is also the former pimp of his now ex-prostitute girlfriend is released from jail and back into the Flats.

The popularity of the short film led to the creation of the Moccasin Flats television series that starred many of the youth from the original film.

The third season of Moccasin Flats was nominated for three Gemini Awards. [1] It is the first Aboriginal created, produced and controlled dramatic series in North America.[2]

Cast

The cast includes:

Season synopses

Season 1 (2003)

In the inner city community of Moccasin Flats, Dillon Redsky has to survive one last summer before he gets out of the ghetto and goes to university to pursue his dreams of becoming a basketball star. Unfortunately for Dillon, some people don't want to see him succeed. Dillon's childhood friend, Jonathan, a local gangster and pimp, tries to make Dillon's life a nightmare when he falls for one of his prostitutes and tries to get her off the streets.

Season 2 (2004)

Jonathan has given up his life of pimping and drug dealing in order to be reunited with his girlfriend and son. He is working hard to turn his life around and be a good father and boyfriend, but when debt starts piling up around him the temptations of ghetto life get the better of him. He decides to use his home-based vitamin company as a cover for a crystal meth operation and run the other drug dealers out of the neighbourhood.

Season 3 (2006)

Now that Jonathan has cleaned up his act, a new pimp has taken over and there is an influx of very young girls working the streets of Moccasin Flats. When the cops continually turning a blind eye to these dead or beaten youngsters, Candy, a local social worker launches her own investigation – risking her own life as she tries to find the pimp and get him put behind bars.

Streaming

In 2017 the series has been released online on the Canada Media Fund's Encore+ YouTube channel.

Moccasin Flats: Redemption

In 2008, a made for TV movie based on the television series aired, entitled Moccasin Flats: Redemption.

References
  1. "Aboriginal Peoples Television Network - APTN.ca - APTN ANNOUNCES GEMINI NOMINATIONS". Archived from the original on 2008-01-13. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  2. TurtleIsland.org :: View topic - Moccasin Flats - Six Part Dramatic TV Series
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