Georgina Lightning

Georgina Lightning is a First Nations film director, screenwriter, and actress.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, she is an enrolled member of the Samson Cree Nation. She was raised off-reserve, near the Samson community in Edmonton, Alberta.

In 2007, she was featured in Filmmaker Magazine as one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film. In 2010 she was the recipient of the "White House Project- Epic-Award for Emerging Artist". She co-founded Tribal Alliance Productions, partnering with executive producer Audrey Martinez, as a means to create opportunities for Native American, First Nations, and other Indigenous filmmakers.

In 2008, Lightning directed, wrote, and starred in the supernatural thriller film Older Than America, becoming the first North American Indigenous Woman to direct a major feature film. The film won several major awards at film festivals. She based the film on her father's experience with the Canadian Indian residential school system and other personal family stories.

Lightning is an outspoken advocate for First Nations and Native American causes, working towards a greater appreciation and awareness of the intrinsic value of North American Indigenous cultures to not only Indigenous people themselves, but to society in general. In 2020, she criticised the TV show Big Sky due its lack of cultural sensitivity to the Indigenous community.

Her three children are either currently or previously working actors. They are Crystle Lightning, Cody Lightning, and William Lightning.

At the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, she received a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her performance in Trickster.