Theo Cuthand will teach CIN380H1S - Indigenous Cinema in the Winter 2026 term. He is the 2025/26 Artist-in-Residence at the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies. We asked him to tell us a bit about himself.
What is your background in cinema? What are your areas of specialization, and what drew you to those areas?
I am a filmmaker/video artist, I’ve been making short films and videos since 1995. My main area is Indigenous and Queer/Trans film. I’ve been a festival programmer and led workshops for 2 Spirit/Indigiqueer youth to make videos. My interest in those areas stems from my lived experience as an Indigiqueer trans man. I am interested in film which represents my communities and is created by others with lived experience.
What are your top three favourite films of all time? Why?
Nowhere by Gregg Araki is a favourite, mainly because of the art dec in the film. It’s probably one of the most compelling of Araki’s films to watch just for the visuals.
Beans by Tracey Deer is another film which captivated me as I have not seen a lot of films about the unique experiences of Indigenous girlhood. I was also the same age as the main character when the Kanesatake Resistance was happening and watched the events unfold on television. I think Indigenous girls need more representation, especially considering the crisis of MMIWG2S.
Mulholland Drive is another favourite film of mine and I think it’s because it feels like a puzzle to watch. I feel like they’re both dead and trying to figure out what happened to them, or that is my reading of it, but I like that David Lynch doesn’t hold your hand to connect the dots.
What films are you looking forward to seeing in the future?
I’m looking forward to seeing The Voice of Hind Rajab because I think it’s an important and upsetting true story. At the same time I know it’s going to be difficult to watch. I’m also interested in seeing Zacharias Kunuk’s The Wrong Husband. He’s got a really thoughtful process when he works with his community that I admire. I’m also curious to see Meadowlarks by Tasha Hubbard because it’s based on a documentary she made about her experience finding her birth family.
Which is your favourite film festival?
I think in terms of glamour and excitement I would pick Berlinale. I’ve been there once and screened there twice and it’s an exciting place to be. For a more community oriented film festival though I do really love ImagineNATIVE here in Toronto.
Tell us about CIN380H1S – Indigenous Cinema.
It’s a look at Indigenous Cinema from all over the globe. What I find interesting is the commonalities Indigenous people have around the world when dealing with colonialism. A lot of people had places similar to residential schools, including the Sami in Sweden as seen in Sami Blood. A lot of us struggle with our relationships with our fathers, as seen in Boy by Taika Waititi. I think there are also interesting movements going on in Indigenous cinema which we will look at in class. I’m excited to engage with the University of Toronto students on Indigenous Cinema and see what knowledge they bring to this class as well.