Photo: Still from AKI, written, directed and produced by Darlene Naponse (NSI Features First) which opens the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Courtesy of TIFF.

The National Screen Institute is proud to celebrate alum whose work has been selected for the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, taking place June 2 to 7 in Toronto and June 8 to 14 online.

As a festival partner, the institute is pleased to support this year’s event. Executive director Christine Kleckner, operations manager Grace Bruinooge and manager of programs and development Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill will attend the festival in Toronto.

This year’s lineup includes 20 feature films, 82 shorts in a dozen curated programs, 13 digital and interactive works, 11 audio works and six exhibitions, representing 56 Indigenous Nations and 51 Indigenous languages from 20 countries. Among the selections are eight projects from National Screen Institute alum, including AKI by Darlene Naponse (NSI Features First), which opens the festival on June 2.

As we celebrate the achievements of alum at this year’s festival, we also take a moment to remember award-winning cellist and composer Cris Derksen, whose music is featured in AKI. Cris was a respected and influential voice in Indigenous arts and screen media, and their work touched countless creators and audiences. We extend our condolences to Cris’s family, friends and collaborators.

The National Screen Institute is honoured to recognize the following alum and their projects at the festival:

Features

• AKI – writer / director / producer Darlene Naponse (NSI Features First)
• Bloodlines – producer Paula Devonshire (NSI Features First, NSI Totally Television, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
• Ceremony – writer / director / producer Banchi Hanuse (NSI Art of Business Management)
• Meadowlarks – director / screenwriter Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs)
• Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising – director / screenwriter Shane Belcourt (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI Totally Television)

Reality television

• APTN Presents: REZervations for Two – writer / director Vanessa Loewen (NSI Global Marketing)

Shorts

• cadèwašteya – writer / director / producer Nadine Arpin (NSI IndigiDocs)
• Niimi – director / screenwriter / producer Dana Solomon (NSI Art of Business Management)

If you have a project or event at this year’s festival that is not listed here, we’d love to hear from you. Please email as**********@********da.ca