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Background

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Turtle Island Productions was formed in 1995 by filmmaker and Director of Photography James M. Fortier.

TIP focuses on two distinct areas of production; broadcast and corporate video, as well as Native American productions.

The former includes cable and broadcast specials and news events, corporate teleconferences, sales and training videos, marketing and promotional videos, PSAs, educational and issue advocay videos, and video production for the web, DVDs, and video games including blue and green screen productions.

The latter area of production includes dramatic, educational, and documentary videos focusing on Native American issues and stories.

James M. Fortier is Métis (pronounced “May-Tee”), of Ojibway and French Canadian descent, born in Ontario Canada. He was the producer, director, and director of photography for “Bad Sugar,” a 30-minute episode of the national PBS series “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making us Sick?” “Bad Sugar” examines the historical, social, and environmental structures that have contributed to the tragic rise of Type II Diabetes among two Arizona tribes. The series recently received the DuPont Columbia Award for Excellence in Journalism.

James also co-produced and shot “Green Green Water,” which examines the divisive issue of the so-called “green energy” of further dam development in Northern Cree communities in Manitoba.

James was the producer/director/DP and editor for “Playing Pastime,” a short documentary work-in-progress that delves into the little known world of all Indian fast-pitch softball while exploring the origins of baseball and softball, and the roots of negative Indian stereotypes and mascots in sports.

In 2007 James completed “Gathering Together,” a sequel to his 2004 documentary “Pulling Together,” featuring the Muckleshoot tribe’s cultural revival during the 2003 and 2006 Tribal Canoe Journeys in the Puget Sound area.

James was the Director, Co-Writer and Director of Photography for “Alcatraz Is Not An Island,” which screened at Sundance in 2001, earning Fortier an Emmy for directing, and aired nationally on PBS in 2002 and on Aboriginal People's Television Network in Canada in 2003. The film continues to be shown in American Indian Studies courses at universities and tribal colleges across the country.

In addition James was the Writer, Producer and Director of the Minnesota PBS environmental documentary “Voices For the Land.” He also was the Writer and Associate Producer for the five-time Emmy award-winning 6-hour Ojibway PBS documentary series “Waasa-Inaabidaa: We Look In All Directions.”

James was the Director of Photography for several Native American and First Nations productions, including “Indian Country Diaries: Spiral of Fire” for Native American Public Telecommunications/PBS, and the short drama “Looks Into the Night,” starring Tantoo Cardinal, and the CBC documentary “Today Is a Good Day: Remembering Chief Dan George.”

James recently began production on “From These Silent Ashes” which examines the untold story of the complicated relationship between Mormons and Utah's Ute people leading up to the so-called Black Hawk War in the mid to late 1800s.

Turtle Island Productions has provided video production services from grip and lighting to camera rentals and shooting, to producing and editing for over 20 years. James is an accomplished lighting director and gaffer, an award winning Director of Photography, camera operator and editor. He has worked on hundreds of productions for business communications, industrial, educational, and broadcast clients.

James maintains strong ties with his Métis and Ojibway relatives in Ontario and he has an extensive background working with Native American communities in the U.S.

As Co-Director and Co-Producer of the Alcatraz Occupation 30the Anniversary Cultural Celebration on Alcatraz Island in 1999, James worked with the late, long-time Bay Area Indian community activist Millie Ketcheshawno and a group of Bay Area Indian community volunteers to bring together many of the original Alcatraz Occupation veterans for the first time in nearly 30 years on Alcatraz. In addition, he has worked with nationally prominent American Indian activists and performers such as John Trudell, Ulali, and the late Floyd Redcrow Westerman among others.

James travels widely throughout Indian country bringing his films and message of American Indian empowerment and activism through documentary film making to reservations, tribal schools and colleges. Fortier has been a guest speaker with American Indian Studies programs at Brown University, ASU, USF, Syracuse University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley, among others.

James has donated his time working behind the scenes at the American Indian Film Festival (the longest running and largest American Indian Film festival in the country) in San Francisco, and he has taught film making workshops for Native American high school and tribal college students.

James was the recipient of two fellowships from CPB/PBS, including WGBH's Producer's Academy. He recently was the Artist in Residence with the American Indian Studies Dept. at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Campaign, where he taught a video production workshop and presented several of his films.

Short Bio PDF

Special Offers

Book with DP James Fortier for the first time and you'll receive a special introductory package price of $900 for a ten hour day. A $500/day discount.

Package Includes

Panasonic HPX370

w/17x Fuji Lens
Fuji Remote Zoom
Batteries & Charger
Cartoni Tripod
Panasonic P2 Card Reader
Marshall 7" LCD Monitor
Matte Box
Fiter Set
2x 64GB P2 Cards

2x 32GB P2 Cards
Apple 17" Laptop
Sony 8045Q Monitor

16x9/4:3
5 Light Arri Kit
Chimeras
Kino Flo Kit (2x 2 ft 4 bank)
Tungsten and Daylight
Four C-Stands
Flag Kit
6x6 Silk & Scrim
Sandbags
Apple Box & Grip Clamps
Stingers & Diffusion
2 Senneheiser Wireless Lavs
Azden Shotgun Mic
Sony Pro Headphones
Award Winning DP
Top Notch Lighting