Born in Moose Factory Ontario, Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin was raised by her Cree speaking grandparents in Moosonee, and with her mother in Ottawa, a warrior/survivor of the Canadian Residential school system. Jules is a member of Attawapiskat First Nation, the Ancestral lands of the MoshKek AsKi InNiNeWak. In 2010, she completed her masters at Ryerson University in Documentary Media where she was awarded the Award of Distinction for her thesis work, as well as the Graduate Ryerson Gold Medal for highest academic achievement. While in graduate school, she produced her first feature documentary Remembering Inninimowin regarding her journey of remembering InNiNiMoWin (Swampy Cree). After graduation, Jules was one of six women selected for the Women in the Directors Chair program at the Banff Center, where she directed a scene from her feature script Broken Angel, a dramatic thriller. Broken Angel was selected by the Toronto International Film Festival Filmmakers Lab in 2018 and the Whistler Screenwriting Lab (aka Praxis) in 2019. Broken Angel commenced production in the fall of 2021, and has now been released into the world. In 2023, the National Film Board of Canada released her documentary feature film WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) about intergenerational resiliency, healing and hope. She has also released her documentary feature “Chubby Cree” produced by Soapbox Productions. She is in post-production with her second Telefilm funded feature “Angela’s Shadow” to be released in 2024. Jules’ popular television series AskiBOYZ (2016) co-produced with Big Soul Production is available on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network in both English and Cree. She was selected for the Directors Program for Women (2021/22) with the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Jules’ company VisJuelles Productions Inc. has a number of films and other media works in development. In 2017, she released her award winning documentary NiiSoTeWak: Two Bodies, One Heart and later, her second CBC documentary OshKiKiShiKaw: A New Day in 2019. Her third acclaimed CBC documentary KaYaMenTa: Truth Sharing about Menopause was released in 2020.
In 2017, she released a documentary Butterfly Monument about her relation, the late Shannen Koostachin with co-director/producer Rick Miller. In the fall of 2018, Jules’ narrative film OChiSkwaCho premiered at ImagineNATIVE, and went on to win several awards. She is in development with two (2) television series Truth in Toronto and OChiSkwaCho: The Series, based on her short film. Jules was the Aboriginal Storyteller in Residence with the Vancouver Public Library where she further developed her poetry. Her first book of poetry Unearthing Secrets, Gathering Truths (2018) was published with Kegedonce Press and she will be releasing her first novel Moccasin Souls very soon.
Jules has recently delved back into the world of performance art, and is currently represented by The Characters Talent Agency in Vancouver. Jules is the voice of Layla, one of the leads on a CBC/PBS on the award winning animation series Molly of Denali. Jules is represented by Anna Archer, Lucas Talent (Directing/Literary Agent).
Jules was part of the Blackmagic Collective Breakthrough Initiative, and is working on several scripts and creations. During her participation with the Tricksters and Writers program, she wrote a feature script KaTaWaSiSin: It is beautiful. She also wrote an Indigenized romantic romantic comedy entitled SaKiiHiiWeeTin (Love) through the BIPOC ROM-COM Bootcamp with Inner Vision Productions Inc. In 2023, Jules released two documentary feature films Chubby Cree (Soapbox Productions) and WaaPaKe (NFB).
Jules carries extensive knowledge working in Indigenous community in several different capacities and these community experiences continue to feed her advocacy and her arts practice.
