Netflix Acquires Indigenous Documentary Ceremony
The Nuxalk Nation film about restoring ooligan fish is set to stream on Netflix in 2027.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Native American
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Netflix has acquired Ceremony, an Indigenous feature documentary directed by Bianchi Hanuse that had its world premiere at SXSW. The film will launch on Netflix in 2027.
Why it matters
The acquisition extends Netflix's recent investment in Indigenous storytelling, following its earlier acquisition of the documentary Yintah in 2024. For international viewers, it brings a Nuxalk-led account of cultural and ecological restoration to a global audience.
Ceremony took 12 years to make and was produced by Smayaykila Films, with a script by Bianchi Hanuse and Jessica Mayhew. The film has already won awards at SXSW, Hot Docs, and the Sydney Film Festival.
The players
Netflix
Netflix is a global streaming platform that has increasingly acquired and commissioned Indigenous-led content, including the Indigenous comedy North of North, produced with the CBC.
Bianchi Hanuse
Bianchi Hanuse is the director and co-writer of Ceremony, an Indigenous filmmaker whose work centers on Indigenous communities in Canada.
The details
Ceremony follows the Nuxalk Nation of British Columbia as it works to restore the local population of ooligan fish, with the nation's restoration efforts including broadcasts from the Nuxalk Radio station. The Nuxalkmc asked for the story to be told.
Timeline
2024: Netflix acquires the documentary Yintah.
2026: Ceremony is acquired by Netflix.
2027: Ceremony launches on Netflix.
Industry Dynamics
Ceremony continues a pattern begun with Netflix's 2024 acquisition of Yintah, in which the streamer has added Indigenous documentaries from Canada to its catalog. The deal also follows Netflix's streaming of the Indigenous comedy North of North, a co-production with the CBC.
Viewers will be able to watch Ceremony on Netflix when it launches in 2027. The film's streaming availability means audiences outside festival circuits can access the Nuxalk Nation's story directly.
The takeaway
Indigenous-led documentaries are reaching global streaming audiences, offering viewers firsthand accounts of community-driven environmental restoration. Watching such films is one way to engage with perspectives often underrepresented in mainstream media.
Further reading
Explore more stories in our Native American coverage for context on Indigenous storytelling in film.
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