Tasermiut Fjord in South Greenland with the SOI Foundation © Liam Brennan
Nicholas Castel is a Toronto-based producer, filmmaker, and media educator. He is passionate about stories that make us more curious, more informed, and inspired to engage with our communities. Holding an H.B.Sc. in Geological and Environmental Sciences, Nicholas combines investigative inquiry and from-the-heart storytelling with multi-day, all-weather expedition filmmaking, bringing remote stories to global audiences. He is a co-founder of Coexistence Films and co-owner of Narrative Bridge Media,
With Coexistence Films, Nicholas has produced several hopeful documentaries designed to build community and advocate for a more socially and environmentally just world. Most recently, they have started a quarterly micro-grant program for emerging impact filmmakers. Follow along their substack to learn more!
Their latest feature documentary Warrior Spirit (23), commissioned by the CBC, profiles an Indigenous land and water activist as he defends himself in court while using culture to heal from inter-generational trauma.
His previous, Coextinction (21), is an “eye-opening analysis of interdependence, conservation and social justice” (VIFF) which showcases colonial policies affecting the critical decline of orca and salmon in the Pacific Northwest. It was award-winning at Jackson Wild and nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for cinematography.
In The Footsteps Of Our Ancestors (19), his debut feature, was a cross-cultural adventure film exploring Shúhtagot’ı̨nę and American Army WW2 trails in the Mackenzie Mountains - a film described as “powerful” by Canada’s National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Nicholas provides full-suite film production services from concept to delivery. He specializes in remote, multi-day expedition filmmaking at the far clung corners of our planet. He is certified in wilderness medicine, whitewater rescue, marine navigation, and has hundreds of logged drone flight hours.
Through his co-venture Narrative Bridge Media, he crafts corporate documentaries centred on inspiring feats of engineering and technical innovation to help organizations strengthen their brand narrative and internal myth-making.
As workshop host, Nicholas is passionate about helping new audiences tell their own stories. His workshops focus on personal reflection, structuring narratives, and choosing the right tools for a documentary. He has worked with students in Ethiopia, Hudson Bay, and the Canadian Arctic among others. He is also a co-author of a paper about the use of video to disseminate research published in the African Journal of Reproductive Health.
Filmmaking challenges Nicholas’s curious and investigative mind; linking journalism, art, history, science, and community work together. When he’s not working, he can be found playing ultimate, cooking, or cloud spotting!
Contact hello@nicholascastel.ca 🇨🇦
DISTINCTIONS
2026 - Official Selection - Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema - Résonance
2024 - Hot Docs Festival For Schools - COEXTINCTION
2024 - Paddle Film Festival World Tour - Shortlist - The Coppermine River
2023 - Finalist - New York Cinematography Awards - RECONTRES FRAGMENTAIRES
2023 - Hot Docs Deal Maker - Warrior Spirit
2022 - Jury Special Mention - Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival - COEXTINCTION
2021 - People’s Choice Award - Planet In Focus - COEXTINCTION
2021 - Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award - Vancouver International Film Festival - COEXTINCTION
2021 - Our Human Planet Award - Jackson Wild - COEXTINCTION
2021 - People’s Choice, Indigenous Identity In The Outdoors Show - Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival - In The Footsteps of Our Ancestors
2019 - 613km Director Award - Ottawa Adventure Film Festival - In The Footsteps of Our Ancestors
2018 - Best Video Content Finalist - Canadian Online Publishing Awards - The Narwhal - Wuikinuxv Nation's Renewable Energy Project
2017 - Official Selection - SESQUI Vancouver Canada 150 Film Tour - In the middle of everything
2016 - Official Selection - The Explorer's Club Polar Film Festival - In the middle of everything
2016 - Best Cinematography - Focus Film Festival - Linger
2015 - Best Cinematography - Focus Film Festival - Seeing Double
2014 - Best Screenplay - Focus Film Festival - Robbed Blind
2012 - Outstanding Children’s Series (Nominated) - Daytime Emmy’s - Super Why (lead voice actor)
FEATURED
2024 - Ontario Feels The Pinch - POV Magazine
2020 - Worry In The Context of a Freelance Filmmaker - Heaps Band
2019 - Filming the Heartbeat of the Canol Trail - Above & Beyond (graphic)
2014 - Undergraduate Spotlight - Queens University Geological Sciences
PUBLISHED
2021 - Capture it on video: Implementing a novel knowledge translation strategy as part of the Safe Motherhood Project, Jimma Zone, Ethiopia - African Journal of Reproductive Health
PRESENTATIONS
2026 - Applied Storytelling for Positive Change, Interview Assignment - SOI Foundation
2025 - Alumni Summit - SOI Foundation
2024 - Youth Drone Pilot Foundations, Storytelling and Co-Creation aboard the Oqwatnukewey Eleke’wi’ji’jit - SOI Foundation
2024 - Building Community During Documentary Production - Coexistence Foundation
2024 - Indigenous Wisdoms for Sustainable Futures - Raven Trust, Toronto
2023 - Youth multimedia workshops aboard the MV Polar Prince - SOI Foundation
2022 - Youth multimedia workshops aboard the MV Polar Prince - SOI Foundation
2022 - Power of Story in the Climate Crisis - BLD Canada
2021 - Storytelling Through Film - Students On Ice Panel Discussion
2020 - Memorable Photography That Tell Meaningful Stories - SOI Alumni Summit
2019 - Introduction to Documentary Filmmaking - American Embassy Library Room, Addis Ababa Ethiopia - 2 day course
2019 - Introduction to Videography - Jimma University, Ethiopia - 2 day course
2018 - Sony ProFusion Video Presenter: Documenting a Transformational Arctic Journey - Vistek Canada
2017 - Cross-Cultural Connections In Nature - National Youth Reconciliation Conference, Winnipeg, Canada
2016 - Island Earth: Moving forward after Arctic adventure - TEDx QueensU
2014/16 - Front Man, songwriter of indie rock band Attic Kids
EXHIBITS
2017 - Winterlude Torngat Mountains National Park Exhibition Selection - Parks Canada
VOLUNTEER
2023, 2024 - Scholarship Review Board - Students On Ice Foundation
CERTIFICATIONS
2026 - VHF Radio - Restricted Operator’s Certificate (Maritime) - CanBoat
2025 - Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP) - RelyOn Nutec Canada
2025 - Ontario Hunter Education - Ontario Gov.
2024 - Working with Indigenous Peoples in the Screen Sector (P.A.C.T) - The National Screen Institute and The Shine Network Institute
2024 - Art Of Documentary - Spring Business Accelerator Alumni
2024 - Whitewater Rescue (I+II) - Boreal River Rescue
2024 - Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and CPR Level BLS - Wilderness Medical Associates
2023 - Small Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) - Advanced Operations Pilot Re-Certificate - Transport Canada
2021 - REDucation - Red Digital Cinema
2020 - PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
2016 - Firearm PAL - RCMP
2016 - H.B.Sc - Environmental Science specializing in Geology - Queens University
2011 - Bronze Cross - Lifesaving Society
2008 - Pleasure Craft Operators Card
English (fluent) | French (beginner)
AFFILIATIONS
2024 - Member, Voting - Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
2021 - present - Member, DOC Institute - Documentary Organization of Canada
2018 - Geologist In Training - Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario
Canadian and République Francaise Passport Holder
GET IN TOUCH!
Copyright 2026 © Nicholas Castel. All rights reserved. 🇨🇦
I live and work on the traditional land of the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, Haudenosaunee, and Huron-wendat (Wyandot). I recognize my responsibility to honor Indigenous sovereignty and perspectives both personally and professionally.