imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Celebrating innovative works by Indigenous artists in film, audio, and digital media.

Catch us at the TIFF Street Festival! 🏙️🎉From now until September 13, find our booth during TIFF’s takeover of Toronto’s...
09/10/2026

Catch us at the TIFF Street Festival! 🏙️🎉

From now until September 13, find our booth during TIFF’s takeover of Toronto’s Entertainment District! Stop by, say hi, and take a shot at Plinko for a chance to win some prizes!

It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of Georgina Lightning on September 5, 2026.Georgina, a Cree film...
09/08/2026

It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the passing of Georgina Lightning on September 5, 2026.

Georgina, a Cree filmmaker and talented actor, was a true trailblazer and an important voice in the Indigenous filmmaking community. Through her remarkable work and dedication, she helped blaze a trail for greater Indigenous representation both in front of and behind the camera.

We honour Georgina for her many contributions to Indigenous storytelling and for her unwavering commitment to creating space for Indigenous voices within the industry.

Our deepest condolences go to her family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by her work and spirit.

May her legacy live on through the stories she helped bring to the world.

Kinanâskomitin Georgina

🎬 Calling all Indigenous screenwriters!Applications are now open for the 2026 imagineNATIVE Institute's Screenwriting Sh...
09/03/2026

🎬 Calling all Indigenous screenwriters!

Applications are now open for the 2026 imagineNATIVE Institute's Screenwriting Shorts Lab!

Three Indigenous screenwriters (2 Canadian-based + 1 US-based) will be selected to develop an original short film script from treatment to final draft, with guidance and feedback from Indigenous story editors and imagineNATIVE staff.

Throughout the Lab, participants will take part in individual feedback sessions and group workshops while receiving financial support through milestone-based stipends. Participants will also receive travel and accommodations to attend the 2027 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. By the end of the program, each writer will have a polished short film screenplay and materials to support the creation of a professional pitch package.

🗓️ Application Deadline: September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET

📧 Questions? Contact Rain at [email protected]

🔗 Apply today at https://forms.monday.com/forms/1932db987a0daae4703094bde98e0d3c?r=use1

The Indigenous Series Lab Pitch Showcase is the culmination of an intensive six-month writing lab supporting four emergi...
09/03/2026

The Indigenous Series Lab Pitch Showcase is the culmination of an intensive six-month writing lab supporting four emerging Indigenous writers from across Canada and the United States. This live event offers audiences and industry professionals the opportunity to discover the next generation of Indigenous storytellers as they pitch original series projects developed throughout the program. We welcome Ajuawak Kapashesit, Erin, Lau, Kristi Lane Sinclair, and The Strangling Wolf Brothers to take the stage to share their unique story and creative vision, showcasing the range and ambition of Indigenous storytelling.

The Indigenous Series Lab is a partnership between imagineNATIVE and The StoryBoard Collective, with support from the Indigenous Screen Office, Canada Media Fund, and the Schmidt Foundation.

📅 Friday, September 11, 2026
⏱️ 1:30 - 3:00 PM
📍 The Commons | 401 Richmond St W, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON

🔗 RSVP to the showcase via this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf3JvKJWJuvX1-n-Tg-8KacDtVCVan6tT5q6mHj708rWuNonA/viewform

Applications for the imagineNATIVE Originals are reopening until September 18, 2026!We’re reopening applications for ima...
08/26/2026

Applications for the imagineNATIVE Originals are reopening until September 18, 2026!

We’re reopening applications for imagineNATIVE Originals! Bring your original short film to life with mentorship, resources, and hands-on support from imagineNATIVE and our partners.

🎞️ Especially calling all Indigenous GTA filmmakers interested in shooting on 16mm! Through our partnership with the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), one selected filmmaker will have the exciting opportunity to create an original short film on 16mm film with support from LIFT.

We’re also reopening our other imagineNATIVE Originals opportunities in partnership with:

📍 GTA: Charles Street Video
📍 Calgary: CSIF - The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers
📍 Vancouver: Capilano University

Extended Deadline: September 18, 2026 at 11:59 EST.

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

🔗 Learn more and apply today at imagineNATIVE.org/mentorship.

Image Credits:
Bimaadizi/ Along in Space and Time (directed by Katia Ferderber)

imagineNATIVE is thrilled to catch new Indigenous films at TIFF this September! 🎬Check out featured works from these fil...
08/13/2026

imagineNATIVE is thrilled to catch new Indigenous films at TIFF this September! 🎬

Check out featured works from these filmmakers:

Alexandra Lazarowich
Alex Liu
Amanda Kernell
Amanda Strong
Cody Lightning
Darren Dale
Hosam Abu Dan
Justin Ducharme
Marie Clements
Nyla Innuksuk
Theja Rio
Vinnie Karetak

Tickets move fast, be sure to visit TIFF.net to secure yours before they're gone!

August 9 is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous ways of being have withstood the history...
08/09/2026

August 9 is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous ways of being have withstood the history of colonization, and the continued cultural practices, stories, teachings and language revitalization sustains our lands and territories. Today we honour Indigenous knowledge, resilience, and celebrate our communities worldwide.

Thank you for supporting us in our work for over 26 years, allowing us to uplift Indigenous-led works in film and media arts.

Please consider making a donation to imagineNATIVE today to help us continue this work. Visit imagineNATIVE.org/support to learn more and donate.

The 2026 imagineNATIVE Tour is officially open for the season! 🎞️🍿The Tour is imagineNATIVE’s largest year-round initiat...
08/07/2026

The 2026 imagineNATIVE Tour is officially open for the season! 🎞️🍿

The Tour is imagineNATIVE’s largest year-round initiative outside of our annual Festival. The imagineNATIVE Tour brings Indigenous-made film works and community engagement activities to communities across Turtle Island (Canada), curated for:

📌 Schools (including elementary, high school, and post-secondary)
📌 Workplaces
📌 Institutions
📌 Libraries
📌 Youth programs
📌 Friendship centres
📌 Community groups

📅 Bookings Available: Now - November 30, 2026

The 2026 imagineNATIVE Tour programs offer a selection of Indigenous works from across Canada that were part of the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Official Selection. This year, we are proud to present two documentary features and three short film programs suitable for three age groups; you can find more information about the program selections below.

Screenings can be booked to take place either in-person or online! imagineNATIVE will work with you to help accommodate the delivery of a screening to your community. To enhance the screenings, organizations can request an Artist Talk to accompany their booking (in-person or online) for an additional fee.

In addition to the Tour’s film programs, imagineNATIVE is excited to offer our three-day Film + Video-Making Workshop for Indigenous youth! The workshop will bring an Indigenous artist from our Festival to your community to mentor youth in creating their own short film over three days. The final projects will be showcased at a community screening on the last day. The workshop includes a screening of one of the Tour programs of your choice.

🔗 To learn more about the imagineNATIVE Tour visit imagineNATIVE.org/tour.

Calling all Indigenous Filmmakers!Are you an Indigenous storyteller with a bold, original idea for a short film? Want to...
08/06/2026

Calling all Indigenous Filmmakers!

Are you an Indigenous storyteller with a bold, original idea for a short film? Want to take your skills to the next level and showcase your work at the 2027 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto?

We’ve got exciting mentorship opportunities across Canada to help you do just that! Work with incredible partners like Charles Street Video (GTA), Capilano University (Vancouver), Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) (GTA), and CSIF - The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (Calgary) to bring your vision to life.

Applications are open NOW — don’t miss your chance to grow your filmmaking journey with hands-on support from leading industry mentors.

Deadline to apply is August 13, 2026 at 11:59 EST.

📧 Questions? Reach out to [email protected].

🔗 Learn more and apply today by visiting imagineNATIVE.org/mentorship.

Image Credits:
Bimaadizi/ Along in Space and Time (directed by Katia Ferderber)
Visitant (directed by Skylar Wesley)
Itseetamapi (directed by Adam Solway)
A Girl Like That (directed by Shae-lynn Pearson)

It is with profound sadness that imagineNATIVE acknowledges the passing of Leo Koziol. Leo of the Ngati Kahungunu and R...
08/05/2026

It is with profound sadness that imagineNATIVE acknowledges the passing of Leo Koziol. Leo of the Ngati Kahungunu and Rakaipaaka tribes, Māori of Aotearoa was a long time friend of the Festival. Notably Leo was the founder and director of the Wairoa Māori Film Festival, and the Indigenous editor for Letterboxd. In 2022 Leo served as a programmer for the 23rd edition of the festival, and this year as a mentor for the Indigenous Film Criticism program, an inaugural effort to support emerging Indigenous film criticism writers. Thank you Leo for opening doors and your contribution to the strengthening of Indigenous storytelling and cinema. This is a deep loss for our Indigenous cinema community worldwide. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all those who knew and loved Leo.

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Toronto, ON

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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+14165852333

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