Our Story
Red Earth Blue Sky Productions Inc. is a 100% Indigenous owned and led media production company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
As many Indigenous Elders have taught, “It’s all about Relationships”. In order to grow and move forward as individuals and as nations, we need to have these relationships in order. Stories and storytelling then are necessities. From these insights was born Red Earth Blue Sky Productions.
For the past three years, Red Earth Blue Sky has been developing a variety of series and one-off documentary projects with extensive support from the Indigenous Screen Office, APTN, the Edmonton Screen Industries Office, and several philanthropic organizations committed to advancing reconciliation through storytelling.
Current projects include the series kitcikisik – Great Sky and the feature documentary manito asinî: The Story of the Creator’s Stone,which has been selected for the Banff World Media Festival’s prestigious pitching forum, as well as the Indigenous Screen Summit in June, 2025. REBS is also in production on Return to Our Mother’s Embrace: the Story of kihcihkaw askî-Sacred Land.
REBS has also been busy developing the epic, multi-episode documentary series, Carry the Bundle, on the origins of the Cardinal family, and its role in the creation of Canada through an Indigenous lens, as well as the series, The Disruptors on Indigenous change-makers.
Our Vision
Skilled and talented people working together in “Peace, Friendship & Respect” recovering forgotten and hidden stories and releasing them to freedom.
Our Mission
As a post-secondary educator and filmmaker, Lewis Cardinal, a member of the Sucker Creek Cree Nation, recognized a need to share the forgotten or hidden stories that bring deeper knowledge and wisdom to events and movements that have shaped the nature and spirit of Canada – and influenced the world. These stories, many of which have never been told, must be shared to fill in the voids and gaps, and to rebuild and renew relationships between Indigenous peoples and Canadians.
Our mission is to:
Identify, recover, and share events and activities not part of the historical discourse
Identify and share Indigenous perspectives on Canadian historical events
Identify and share Indigenous contributions to sciences and technologies
Share Indigenous knowledge not currently embraced by mainstream media and educational institutions
Create a platform for Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations to tell their story, in their voice
Create opportunities to work with new filmmakers and storytellersDevelop relationships with other Indigenous filmmakers and storytellers across North America
Explore international co-productions with Indigenous and non-Indigenous companies, governments, and partners
The Red Earth Blue Sky Team
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Lewis Cardinal
CEO, PRODUCER, CHIEF STORYTELLER
Lewis is a distinguished communicator and educator whose work focuses on fostering relationships that bridge cultural divides, both locally, nationally, and internationally. Lewis understands the power of storytelling in the transference of knowledge, acquisition of information and skills, and the personal integration of Indigenous worldviews in self-identity and creative ventures.
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Peter Findlay
LEAD DIRECTOR, CO-PRODUCER
Peter is a multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer with a commitment to social justice storytelling and a reputation for tackling complex subject matter.
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Russell Gienapp
CINEMATOGRAPHER, DIRECTOR
Russell is a Métis (Métis Nation of Ontario) cinematographer/Director based in Toronto, Ontario, with over 25 years of experience capturing story. His diverse experience ranges from social issue documentaries to projects with themes of exploration & adventure and commercials. He brings to every project a unique technological understanding with an artist’s eye and a photographer’s aesthetic.
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Sergio Olivares
DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, STORY ARCHITECT
Sergio is a veteran filmmaker and producer with credits on CBC, TSN, NOVA, PBS, and National Geographic, known for transforming local, human stories into globally resonant documentaries. His work is grounded in a deep respect for community voices and a commitment to storytelling that inspires action.
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Nicole McKechnie
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
Nicole pulls on her 25 years of television and film experience to provide line producer and business affairs expertise to film and TV creators - from feature-length theatrical documentaries to animated pre-school series and everything in between!