On Thursday evening, Disney held the world premiere of the Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) version of “Star Wars: A New Hope” at Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, Canada.

In attendance at the event were the Honourable Anita Neville, Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba; the Honourable Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba; the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs; and Chief Jason Daniels, Swan Lake First Nation. Also present were voice cast stars Aandeg Jedi Muldrew (Luke Skywalker), Ajuawak Kapashesit (Han Solo), Theresa Eischen (Princess Leia), Dennis Daminos Chartrand (Darth Vader), Dustin Gerald Morrow Aagimewikamig (Obi-Wan Kenobi), Jeff Monague Myiingan Minaakwhe (Grand Moff Tarkin), and Wanda Barker Giwedinoonz (Aunt Beru). The Ojibwe dub was directed by Ellyn Stern Epcar and produced by Michael Kohn, who in addition to Lucasfilm executive, Pablo Hidalgo, were also in attendance.

Partners in the project include Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC), the University of Manitoba (UM), Disney/Lucasfilm, and APTN. Maeengan Linklater, Director of Operations (DOTC) and Cary Miller, Associate Professor, Department of Indigenous Studies (UM) served as project leads. Patricia Ningewance, Assistant Professor (UM)/Lead Translator, Dennis Daminos Chartrand, Associate Translator, Brian Cochrane with Albert Owl regional translators led the translation.

The project brought together a wide range of talent and multigenerational Anishinaabe speakers to bring this version to life. The dubbing was done over a 10-day period in early May in Winnipeg with the final mix completed at Skywalker Sound and is supported in part by the Government of Canada through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program from Canadian Heritage. Dougald Lamont helped launch this initiative in 2021 after proposing it to Pablo Hidalgo, a former Winnipegger and Lucasfilm executive as a language revitalization project in support of reconciliation.

Here are some photos from the event:

This special version of the Ojibwe dub of the original iconic 1977 sci-fi blockbuster “Star Wars: A New Hope” will be released exclusively in Cineplex theatres on August 10th, and fans can claim up to four tickets to see the movie for free when it opens exclusively for a limited run. Visit Cineplex.com for more info.

“Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading), A New Hope” will premiere on Sunday, 13th October 2024 at 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET on both the APTN and APTN Languages channel.  The film will make its debut on Disney+ on a future date.

Are you going to be checking out this version of the original “Star Wars” movie? Let me know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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