NYWIFT Blog

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Tanis Parenteau

By Katie Chambers

Welcome to NYWIFT, Tanis Parenteau! Tanis Parenteau is Métis/Cree from the Métis Nation of Alberta. She is an actor, producer, and casting director. Her work focuses on uplifting Native voices telling contemporary and futuristic Native stories.

As an actor, she has appeared on Billions, House of Cards, Designated Survivor, FBI: Most Wanted, Gossip Girl, and Tribal, and she has performed at The Public Theater, Signature Theater, 59E59, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Tanis has produced eight short films, has a short form digital series in post-production, and is developing multiple Native-led features and series. She is an associate casting director at tbd casting co in NYC.

Her latest project, the short film Glenburn 12 WP, is fiscally sponsored by NYWIFT.  

Tanis spoke to us about her dedication to uplifting Native voices, how working in casting has influenced her performing, and the best advice she’s ever received.

 

NYWIFT Member Tanis Parenteau

 

Tell us about yourself – give us your elevator pitch!

I am Native American (Metis/Cree), an actor, and an emerging producer. My work focuses on decolonizing the entertainment space by uplifting Native voices, who are telling contemporary and futuristic Native stories, and working with as many Native creatives above and below the line as possible.

 

Tanis Parenteau on the set of Glenburn 12 WP

 

What has been your favorite project to date and why?

The short film I’m producing right now, Glenburn 12 WP. It started out as a play that I did at 59E59 Theater in NYC 2015. I love the play so much and have always wanted to turn it into a film and now I am!

 

Tanis Parenteau on the set of Glenburn 12 WP

 

You have said that “uplifting contemporary Indigenous stories and smashing harmful Indigenous stereotypes” is very important to you. How do you aim to accomplish that in your creative work?

I chose to focus on work written by Native writers who are telling contemporary and futuristic stories in genres I feel like we don’t see enough of when we see Native content – genres like comedy, romance, sci-fi, horror, thriller.

 

Tanis Parenteau on the set of Glenburn 12 WP

 

In addition to acting, you also do freelance work in casting. How has your work as an actor informed your work on “the other side of the table” at auditions?

I feel it’s more the other way around, my work in casting has really informed my work as an actor. Mainly, to approach auditioning as if it is my first day on set and this is my first take.

I’ve also learned to not overthink technical things and things I can’t control when self-taping at home.

Also, timely communication is imperative!

 

Tanis Parenteau on the set of Glenburn 12 WP

 

What kinds of projects excite you?

Projects that are led by the people whose story is being told.

 

 

What is the best advice you ever received?

A “no” is a redirection. It just means you have a different path.

 

 

What inspired you to join NYWIFT and how do you hope to engage with the organization?

[NYWIFT Board Member] Yvonne Russo encouraged me to join. I hope to build my network of NYC filmmakers to find awesome people to work with on my projects and theirs.

 

 

And what is next for you?

Finishing Glenburn 12 WP, which is in post right now, and looking forward to a festival run; festival runs for two other shorts, Dating Indian and The Politics; an APTN lumi short form series launching January 2024; and I’m developing a feature and a series adapted from plays written by Vickie Ramirez (writer of Glenburn 12 WP).

 

Connect with Tanis Parenteau on Instagram at @TanisParenteau and on her website tanisparenteau.com. Donate to Glenburn 12 WP on its NYWIFT fiscal sponsorship donation page.

PUBLISHED BY

Katie Chambers

Katie Chambers Katie Chambers is the Senior Director of Community & Public Relations at New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT). She is also a regular contributing writer for From Day One, an outlet focused on innovations in HR. She serves on othe Board of Directors of the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs and is a freelance writer, copyeditor, and digital marketing strategist. Follow her @KatieGChambers.

View all posts by Katie Chambers

Comments are closed

Related Posts

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Guneet K. Singh

Welcome to NYWIFT, Guneet K. Singh! Former NYWIFT intern Guneet K. Singh is a producer and writer with a passion for diverse storytelling. She was most recently the producer for the poignant play, Irreparable, which premiered at the Act One One-Act Theater Festival. She has worked in television development for NBC and Peacock, working on programs such as That’s My Jam, Password, Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy and 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. Her first producing role was as the Digital Producer for the Emmy nominated The Kids Tonight Show. She began her career as an NBC Page, working on shows like Saturday Night Live and The TODAY Show. In our interview, Guneet discusses her exciting time in NBC’s legendary Page Program, the power of networking, and finding her calling as a writer and producer.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Herrana Addisu

Welcome to NYWIFT, Herrana Addisu! Herrana Addisu is a multi-disciplinary artist and social impact strategist. Her family's journey to the United States and her personal experience growing up in Ethiopia and immigrating to the U.S. have shaped her career in human rights. She works to uplift marginalized communities through advocacy initiatives, research, and programming. She incorporates her expertise in various human rights issues into her artistry through Chucha Studios LLC, a creative production agency that aims to reduce social disparities within marginalized communities by connecting the art of visual storytelling with systemic change. NYWIFT was proud to present Herrana with the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Short Film Directing at the 2024 UrbanWorld Film Festival for her short film The River this past Fall. ​She spoke to us about her short film, upcoming projects, and what types of creative work resonate with her most.

READ MORE

NYWIFT Program Recap: “Daughters” at Hamptons Doc Fest

In December 2024, NYWIFT was proud to co-present a screening of the new documentary "Daughters" at Hamptons Doc Fest, followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Angela Patton and Natalie Rae moderated by NYWIFT CEO Cynthia Lopez. In this powerful documentary, four girls prepare to reunite with their fathers through a special dance at a DC jail in this moving documentary about the healing power of love. We offer a recap of the conversation plus a video of the Q&A to watch after you've seen the film, which is now available on Netflix.

READ MORE

Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Cecilia R. Mejia

Welcome to NYWIFT, Cecilia R. Mejia! Cecilia R. Mejia was born and raised in Brooklyn, a first-generation Filipino-American. She has worked in development for several non-profit organizations, including NGOs affiliated with the United Nations. She’s worked with several grassroots organizations focusing on underrepresented communities, which lead to her working on a short documentary about the struggles of detained undocumented families, jumpstarting her film career. Cecilia has produced a number of short films focusing on critical social impact issues like mental health and gender inequality. She’s won several awards as the lead producer for the upcoming Yellow Rose and as Social Impact Producer for the award-winning doc Call Her Ganda. She currently serves as the creative lead on several other projects working on the creative, funding and social impact components of films. Now, she is Vice President of External Affairs, American Documentary | POV. Cecilia is combining her love of film with the goal of focusing on social impact stories that inspire change, most specifically with under-resourced youth through her non-profit organization Art of Me as creative director, helping students turn their stories into high-quality short films. Get to know her in our latest interview!

READ MORE
JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER
css.php