Photo: Still from Meadowlarks, written and directed by alum Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs). Meadowlarks is the opening night screening at the 2026 Yorkton Film Festival. Courtesy of BOAF Films EFF Inc. / BOAF Films JFL Inc.

The National Screen Institute is proud to celebrate the many alum taking part in the 2026 Yorkton Film Festival, running May 21 to 25 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

This year’s festival includes National Screen Institute alum nominated across Golden Sheaf Award categories, featured in the opening night screening and participating in industry panels and networking events.

National Screen Institute staff will also take part in festival programming, with director of partner support Chris Vajcner joining YFF Industry Connect and senior programs manager Ursula Lawson attending as a Yorkton Film Festival board member and co-chair of the festival’s industry programming committee.

From documentary and fiction to children’s programming, commercial work and factual series, the nominated projects highlight the range of stories these creators are bringing to audiences.

Please join us in congratulating the following alum.

Nominees

• Anorgasmia, also known as All the Things We Do to Survive – directed and produced by Jon Gustafsson (NSI Global Marketing)
  • Best feature drama / comedy over 70 minutes

• Ceremony – directed and produced by Banchi Hanuse (NSI Art of Business Management – Indigenous Edition)
  • Best feature documentary over 70 minutes
• Conexus: Different Perspective – produced by Allan Roeher (NSI Business for Producers – Saskatchewan Edition
  • Best commercial
• Crip Trip – episode 3, “Trippin’ through the Prairies” – directed by Frederick Kroetsch (NSI Business for Producers), Daniel Ennett and Rebecca Campbell
  • Lifestyle
• daytoday – directed by Mark Wihak (NSI Drama Prize)
  • Experimental
• Game Changers – episode 111, “Bruce Horak” – directed by Chris McIvor (NSI Business for Producers)
  • Lifestyle
• HECKIN’ WEENS – produced by Simon Chan (TELUS STORYHIVE)
  • Outstanding colour grading
• History in 60 – Wheelchair Rugby – produced by Brent Kawchuk (NSI Drama Prize)
  • Kathleen Shannon Award
• Liam and Friends – directed and produced by Chad Blain (TELUS STORYHIVE)
  • Documentary science / nature / technology
• Love, Substitute – directed by John Barnard (NSI Features First)
  • Ruth Shaw Award – best of Saskatchewan
• Pencere / The Window – produced by Maytham Jbara (Access BIPOC Producers)
  • Indigenous award
• Pretty Blind – produced by Jenna MacMillan (Telefilm Talent to Watch)
  • Comedy / drama series
• Run the Marbles! – produced by Hoda Elatawi (NSI Global Marketing)
  • Children’s / youth
• SaskTel Business: Ripple Effect – produced by Allan Roeher
  • Best commercial
• SaskTel Cyber Security – produced by Allan Roeher
  • Best commercial
• Stories of the North – season 4 – directed and produced by Allia Janzen (NSI Crew Training for the Film + TV Industry – Saskatchewan), produced by Kyle Burgess (NSI Business for Producers – Saskatchewan Edition)
  • Children’s / youth
• The Assembly – directed by Heather Hawthorn Doyle (NSI Global Marketing), produced by Sean De Vries (NSI Global Marketing)
  • Factual documentary series
• The Extraordinary Caterpillar – produced by Joanne Jackson (NSI Global Marketing)
  and Merit Jensen Carr (NSI Global Marketing)
  • Documentary science / nature / technology
• The Thawing of Ice – produced by Ziad Touma (NSI Totally Television)
  • Ruth Shaw Award – best of Saskatchewan, best feature drama / comedy over 70 minutes
• There Are No Words – directed by Min Sook Lee (Telefilm Canada Spark Plug Program)
  • Director fiction, best feature documentary over 70 minutes
• Uguen-Csenge Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising – directed by Shane Belcourt (NSI Totally Television, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
  • Emerging Filmmaker Award
• #vanlife – directed by Trevor Cameron (NSI Storytellers), produced by Anand Ramayya (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Totally Television, NSI Global Marketing, Access BIPOC Producers)
  • Best feature drama / comedy over 70 minutes

Festival screenings and industry programming

• Meadowlarks
  • Opening night screening
    Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m.
    Writer / director: Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs)
• Panelist: Frederick Kroetsch
  • Crip Trip – Under the Hood of a Broken Down Van
    Friday, May 22 from 10:05 to 10:50 a.m.
• Panelist: Tasha Hubbard
  • The Full Frame: Including Wellness from Script to Screen
    Friday, May 22 from 1:45 to 2:30 p.m.
• Panelists: Adam Garnet Jones (NSI Storytellers, Diverse TV Director), Lynne Skromeda (NSI Global Marketing), Kyle Irving (NSI Global Marketing)
  • YFF Industry Connect: Make Meetings That Move Your Career or Project Forward
    Friday, May 22 from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m.
• Panelists: Kyle Irving and Lynne Skromeda
  • Interprovincial Coproduction Case Study: From Concept to Collaboration
    Saturday, May 23 from 9:50 to 10:35 a.m.
• Panelist: Sean De Vries
  • Adapting the Format: Bringing The Assembly to Canada
    Saturday, May 23 from 10:40 to 11:25 a.m.
• Panelist: Lynne Skromeda
  • Stronger Together: Cracking the Code on Interprovincial Coproduction
    Saturday, May 23 from 9 to 9:45 a.m.

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 ashna.sharma@nsi-canada.