Georgina Lightning facts for kids

Georgina Lightning is a talented First Nations film director, writer, and actress. She is known for telling important stories through her movies and TV shows. She was the first North American Indigenous Woman to direct a major feature film.

About Georgina Lightning

Georgina Lightning was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. She is a member of the Samson Cree Nation. This is an Indigenous community in Alberta. She grew up near the Samson community.

In 2007, a magazine called Filmmaker Magazine named her one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film." This means she was seen as a rising star in moviemaking. In 2010, she won the "White House Project- Epic-Award for Emerging Artist."

Georgina also helped start a company called Tribal Alliance Productions. She worked with Audrey Martinez to create this company. Their goal was to help Native American, First Nations, and other Indigenous filmmakers make movies.

Her Film Older Than America

In 2008, Georgina directed, wrote, and starred in a movie called Older Than America. This was a big moment because she became the first North American Indigenous Woman to direct a major movie. The film won many awards at different film festivals.

She based the movie on difficult experiences from her father's past. She also used other personal family stories. The film helped share important history and feelings.

Speaking Up for Indigenous Cultures

Georgina Lightning is a strong supporter of First Nations and Native American causes. She works to help people understand and value North American Indigenous cultures. She believes these cultures are important for everyone, not just Indigenous people.

In 2020, she spoke out about the TV show Big Sky. She felt the show did not respect the Indigenous community enough.

Her Family in Film

Georgina has three children who are also actors. They are Crystle Lightning, Cody Lightning, and William Lightning.

In 2021, Georgina was nominated for a big award. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards. This was for her role in the TV show Trickster.

Georgina Lightning's Work

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Georgina Lightning has worked on:

• Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995) as Morning Dove
• Yellow Wooden Ring (1998) as Sissy Blea
• Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) as an "additional voice"
• My Brother (1999) as Mother
• Walker, Texas Ranger (TV, 1998-1999) in two episodes
• Backroads (2000) as Mary Lou
• Johnny Greyeyes (2000) as Georgina
• Christmas in the Clouds (2001) as Louise
• Cowboy Up (2001) as Brenda
• The West Wing (TV, 2001) as Maggie Morningstar Charles
• Auf Wiedersehen, Pet (TV, 2002) as Lainie Proudfoot in four episodes
• Dreamkeeper (TV, 2003) as Crystal Heart (she was also an associate producer)
• Sawtooth (2004) as Lucy (she was also an executive producer and producer)
• Hanbleceya (2005) as co-producer
• Ghosts of the Heartland (2007) as Tani
• Older Than America (2008) as director, writer, and lead actress (playing Rain)
• Blackstone (TV series, 2011) as Tracy Bull in the first season
• Trickster (TV series, 2020)
• Pipe Nation (Canadian TV series, 2021)