Ariel Smith, Administrator (Interim)
Ariel Smith (She/Her) is an award winning nêhiyaw and Jewish filmmaker, video artist, writer, and cultural worker.
After originally joining NWIA in 2018 in the role of Artistic Producer, she was subsequently promoted to the role of Artistic and Managing Director. After six years as the artistic and administrative head of the organization Ariel stepped down form her position as Artistic and Managing Director in early 2024 due to a relocation to the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples in Vancouver B.C. and her desire to focus on her own artistic practice. Ariel is currently working remotely from Vancouver as the Interim Administrator for NWIA until a Toronto based replacement is secured. In her role as Interim Administrator Ariel is responsible for the daily business operations of the organization as well as grant writing, fundraising and financial management.
Ariel has over a decade of experience in arts administration and management. She has worked as the Technical Director of SAW Video Media Arts Centre in Ottawa Ontario from 2006 to 2014, was the Director of the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition from 2013 to 2016 and, was the Executive Director of imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival where she oversaw the 2016 and 2017 festival editions. She is currently working on completing her MFA in film production from York University.