Trailer – Watch the official trailer for 'THE NATION', a 2026 mockumentary comedy written and directed by Aaron James.
Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired North American VOD rights to 'THE NATION', which will be released on digital platforms from 3 July 2026.
The film follows Chief Chucky Ribbonleg of Deep Lake First Nation, who decides he will no longer comply with laws imposed by the Canadian government. Backed by casino and oil revenues, Chucky takes the idea of sovereignty to the limit and declares Deep Lake a fully independent nation.
A documentary crew captures the bureaucratic fallout as Chucky’s decision creates chaos across the nation’s administration. At the centre of the disruption is his sister Monica Leprete, the no-nonsense National Director for the Regional Education Nourishment Centre, who is forced to deal with a paperwork nightmare she never asked for.
📍 Written & Directed by: Aaron James
📍 Produced by: Aaron James, Mariah Janvier, Mia Dixon and James Blackman
📍 Distributor: Freestyle Digital Media
📍 Genre: Mockumentary Comedy / Satirical Comedy
📍 Release Date: 3 July 2026
📍 Release: Digital / VOD – North America
📍 Platforms: Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies, Cable On Demand, digital HD internet, cable, DVD and satellite platforms
📍 Featuring: Conway Kootenay, Brett Mooswa, Mia Dixon, Aaron James, Kelly Orr and Kristen Minoose
📍 Cast / Roles: Conway Kootenay as Chief Chucky Ribbonleg, Brett Mooswa as Sammy, Mia Dixon as Jill Houle, Aaron James as Sarge, Kelly Orr as Monica and Kristen Minoose as Vanessa
🎬 Synopsis: 'THE NATION' follows Chief Chucky Ribbonleg of Deep Lake First Nation as he declares Deep Lake a fully independent sovereign nation.
His decision creates a bureaucratic firestorm within his own administration, as the community attempts to navigate its new political reality.
The documentary crew follows Monica Leprete, Chucky’s sister and the National Director for the Regional Education Nourishment Centre, alongside Sarge, the town’s laid-back sheriff; Sammy, a liquor-bootlegging border guard; Jill, Monica’s energetic assistant; and Vanessa, the Chief’s stoic accountant.
'THE NATION' is a sharp mockumentary comedy about Indigenous sovereignty, bureaucratic absurdity and the complications of governing yourself.
🎞️ Watch the trailer
