Paul Rickard is an Omushkego Cree from Moose Factory in Northern Ontario. He studied radio and television production at University of Western Ontario before joining the Wawatay Native Communications Society as a television producer. At Wawatay, he shot, edited and produced a biweekly public affairs television show for 4 years.
He also created, shot, produced and edited a weekly show for young people called Video Awashishak. In 1995, he went south to work at the National Film Board in Montreal. Rickard has been a cinematographer on a number of NFB productions, including Multiple Choices, First Nation Blue, Fennario: His World on Stage and No Turning Back.
He worked on a number of independent documentaries, as well as producing the CBC North series Maamuitauui. In 1996, he shot and directed Ayouwin:Ways of Life, a documentary about his father, a trapper in Moose Factory. This was shown on TV Ontario. In 1997, he directed Challenge Yourself: Choices For a Better Future, a video about alternatives to drugs. This video produced for the Cree Health board. Aimed at native youth. That same year he directed Okimah for the National film Board, this film is about the importance of the annual Goose hunt to Cree culture. It has been released in 35mm and was recently premiered at the Vancouver Film Festival.