APTN and OMNI Television today announced the second season renewal of the original series, Mohawk Girls. The half-hour series is filmed and set in Montreal and the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec. Mohawk Girls was originally commissioned for seven-episodes by APTN and OMNI Television in May 2013, and is now renewed for Season 2 with an additional six episodes. Seasons 1 and 2 are slated to premiere in fall 2014 in English on both OMNI Television and APTN, in Mandarin on OMNI Television, and in Mohawk on APTN. Full broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
Mohawk Girls follows four sexy 20-somethings as they try to figure out what it means to be a modern-day Mohawk woman. From battling family pressure, tradition, and the intoxicating freedom of the “outside world,” to finding love on a reserve where everyone has dated everybody, this fabulous foursome is on a mission to find happiness and their true selves.
“OMNI Television recognizes Mohawk Girls as a significant opportunity to share contemporary aboriginal realisms with diverse audiences and contribute to a truly Canadian viewing experience,” said Madeline Ziniak, National Vice President, OMNI Television. “We are excited to partner with APTN to bring this series to life.”
“APTN is proud to partner in this exciting project that provides the opportunity for fresh, new voices that are true to our mission of sharing the stories of Aboriginal Peoples in Canada,” said Jean La Rose, CEO of Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. “Mohawk Girls is a fitting example of a youthful perspective and fresh insight into what it means to be a young Aboriginal woman living in the 21st century.”
The dynamic cast includes Jenny Pudavick (Cashing In), Meegwun Fairbrother (Helix), Kyle Nobess (Todd And The Book Of Pure Evil), Rachelle White Wind (Moccasin Flats), Glen Gould (Da Vinci’s City Hall), Devery Jacobs (Rhymes For Young Gouls), Ashley Michaels (Snare), and newcomers Brittany LeBorgne, Heather White, and Maika Harper.
“Mohawk Girls takes a playful and audacious approach to the question of identity,” said Catherine Bainbridge, executive producer, Rezolution Pictures. “The series is about dealing with cultural obligations, social pressures, and deciding who you want to be as an adult. Those issues resonate with people from every ethnicity and background and they’re all the more fun to explore with levity and humour.”
Mohawk Girls is directed by Gemini Award-winning Tracey Deer (Club Native), who also serves as executive producer. The series is inspired by Deer’s 2005 acclaimed feature-length documentary of the same name, about the trials and tribulations of teenage girls growing up on the Mohawk reserve of Kahnawake. Cynthia Knight (Sophie) is the showrunner, and executive producers for Rezolution Pictures include Catherine Bainbridge, Christina Fon, Linda Ludwick, and Ernest Webb, all of whom were involved in producing the multiple-Gemini and Peabody Award-winning film, Reel Injun. From Rogers Media, Paritosh Mehta is the Director of Independent Production Development for OMNI Television, Hayden Mindell is Vice President of Television Programming and Content, and Madeline Ziniak is the National Vice President of OMNI Television.