The filmmakers included Inuit people in every aspect of the making of The Grizzlies. That way, the film would not only represent the Inuit experience, but it could provide a training ground for Inuit and Indigenous filmmakers who could go on to make their own films. A paid mentorship program invited Inuit actors, crew, musicians and other creative collaborators to participate, and in the end, more than 91 percent of the cast and more than 33 percent of the crew were Inuit or Indigenous.
Despite the deep challenges they faced as children and youth, the Inuit players who inspired The Grizzlies have gone on to become leaders in their own communities - in government, law enforcement, athletics, land management, education and more.
Nearly two decades after it began, the Grizzlies program is still going to this day.
Many of the leading actors had never acted before. More than 600 youth in over 25 communities across Nunavut and the Northwest Territories auditioned for spots. More than 60 Inuit youth were then invited to attend Arctic Youth Performing Arts Workshops for training in acting, filmmaking and Inuit drum dancing, throat singing and mask work. Many of the film's actors were chosen from that group, and come from communities including Kugluktuk, Iqaluit, Igloolik, Arviat, Rankin Inlet, Inuvik, Frog Lake, Gjoa Haven, Pangnirtung, Sanikiluaq and Yellowknife.
Many of the original Grizzlies players shared their stories with the filmmakers, and their experiences became the foundation of the film. So the filmmakers showed these players the film first, at the very Kugluktuk high school where the story began.