Blood Lines
Followed by a Q&A with Producer Paula Devonshire and Actor Derica Lyn Lafrance.
Sunday, November 16th at 1:00pm
89 mins | 2025 | Canada
Dir: Gail Maurice
Language: English, Michif
Blood Lines
The second feature from director Gail Maurice (Rosie, North Bay Film Festival 2022), Blood Lines is a tender and distinctive story of love, identity, and cultural reconnection. Set in a close-knit Métis community preparing for a local Métis Day celebration, the film centers on Beatrice (Dana Solomon), a reserved storyteller and store clerk whose life is upended when she meets Chani (Derica Lafrance), a woman searching for her biological family.
Eager to spend more time with her, Beatrice offers to help in the search — a journey that becomes as much about healing her own family ties as it is about rediscovering love. Meanwhile, “The Grannies,” a lively chorus of elders, push Beatrice to reconcile with her mother Léonore (played by Maurice herself), whose past drinking strained their relationship.
Told with warmth, humor, and authenticity, Blood Lines celebrates Métis culture and the Michif language — spoken by fewer than 1,200 people today. With a breakout performance by Solomon and heartfelt direction from Maurice, the film offers a rare and powerful portrayal of queer Indigenous love and intergenerational healing.
Q&A with Producer Paula Devonshire and Actor Derica Lyn Lafrance.
Paula Devonshire is a Toronto-based film and television producer and a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation. She has produced a wide range of projects including Indian Horse, Run Woman Run, Stellar, Rosie (previously featured at the North Bay Film Festival), and Star Trek: Short Treks, which earned an Emmy nomination. Paula’s earlier work includes the Oscar-winning short Ryan and the Ginger Snaps sequels. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, Paula continues to champion Indigenous stories through her company, Devonshire Productions, most recently producing Gail Maurice’s Blood Lines.
Derica Lyn Lafrance is an actor, singer, and songwriter of Anishinaabe and French heritage from North Bay, Ontario, and a member of Nipissing First Nation. She began performing at the age of three and discovered her love for film while working on the series Shoresy. Her screen credits include Wingman, alongside Harland Williams and Russell Peters, and Blood Lines, directed by Gail Maurice. Landing her first lead role in Blood Lines was a defining moment in her career, and she continues to build a presence in both music and film.
Screening With:
Little Orange Bandages
Student Showcase – WINNER!
An experimental short film presenting a spoken word performance by a young Indigenous person expressing their frustration with the lack of meaningful reconciliation.
4 mins 13 secs
Canada, 2024
Dir. Kile M. George
Language: English
A Home In The Grass
Canadian Showcase
Since 1970, North America has lost 3 billion birds. As grassland bird populations continue to decline, one conservationist’s act of devotion represents hope in a world where natural habitats are disappearing every day.
6 mins 13 secs
Canada, 2024
Dir. Ryan Ward
Language: English