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Arts Roundup
Sept. 10, 2026

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Georgina Lightning's legacy lives on

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Tributes poured in for groundbreaking filmmaker and actor Georgina Lightning, who died on Sept. 5 at the age of 63. A horse struck her during a relay race at Enoch Cree Nation, where she was filming a documentary. Lightning was a prolific force both behind and in front of the camera, with credits ranging from voice work on an animated series in 1995 to a role in the 2025 film Die My Love with Jennifer Lawrence. Many know her as the visionary behind the film Older Than America, a supernatural thriller set within the residential school system and starring Bradley Cooper. She and her daughter Crystle Lightning also had roles on Trickster, a TV series based on an Eden Robinson novel about a troubled Haisla teen and his encounters with the spirit world.

Lightning, who was born in Edmonton and belonged to the Samson Cree Nation, was the subject of innumerable messages of love and respect upon her passing. Among them was a post from pipikwan pêhtâkwan founder Shani Gwin, who fights for accurate and respectful representation for Indigenous people. Gwin and her Settle Down podcast co-hosts conducted an in-depth interview with Lightning in May. Gwin's subsequent elegy recounts how Lightning inspired her to join the board of Edmonton Screen to ensure meaningful voices were at the table. "Georgina was a true matriarch of our industry, using her platform as an actress, writer, and director to document Indigenous lives and struggles with honesty and heart," Gwin wrote. "She didn't just tell stories; she ensured they were told by Indigenous hands, promoting understanding and reconciliation through every frame she touched."

Lightning wanted to make Alberta the world's capital of Indigenous filmmaking, and that work remains alive after her passing — in part through her children, all three of whom have worked in screen industries. Cody Lightning is taking his new Edmonton-shot film across the film festival circuit this fall; Smudge the Blades premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival before opening the Edmonton International Film Festival on Sept. 24. The feature, his second as a director, is about an Indigenous youth hockey team called the Treaty 6 Blades. It stars Ed Helms of The Office and The Hangover fame, whose series Rutherford Falls was yet another of Georgina's acting credits. Her funeral will be held on Sept. 16 at River Cree.

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  • Metro Cinema is entering its 50th season. "I started at Metro about 12 years ago," executive director Dan Smith told CBC's Edmonton AM. "It was kind of a lucky break … We are the only (independent cinema) left in Edmonton." Smith added that Metro is a primary source for screenings of Canadian-made film.
  • Edmonton stunt performer Martin Cochingco is featured in Disney's latest Camp Rock instalment, though he had no idea what he was working on until the camera rolled. "I got a call … to see if I could do a wall-flip off a bus," Cochingco told CBC's Edmonton AM. "It wasn't until I got to set (and) I saw the Camp Rock sign that I was like 'Woah, this is cool.'" Cochingco said he took inspiration as a stunt performer from the franchise.
  • Edmonton documentarists Paula Kirman and Adam Bentley held the world premiere of their film, No Secret Monuments, at Beth Israel Synagogue. The documentary follows the pair's 2024 trip through the Baltic countries examining how national narratives address complicity in the Holocaust. A second screening is set for Sept. 16 at Robertson Wesley United Church.
  • MasterChef Canada returns for a ninth season on Sept. 22, and its lineup of 16 home cooks includes Edmonton's Jainesh "Jai" Bali, an industrial operations director whose standout dish is lamb loin with peas, roasted leeks, and potato pavé.
  • Season 10 of The Great Canadian Baking Show, which returns to CBC on Oct. 4, features Edmonton's Slavomira Blahova, an office manager.

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