Photo: Still from the short film Anishinaabemowin, produced by Jessie Anthony (NSI Art of Business Management) and Kaitlyn Redcrow (Telefilm Talent to Watch).
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival returns from June 3-8 in Toronto and June 9-15 online. This celebration of Indigenous storytelling showcases entertaining, thought-provoking, beautiful work by Indigenous creators through screenings, exhibitions, special events and more.
This milestone edition of the festival includes 55 Indigenous Nations, 27 Indigenous languages, 16 countries, 77 emerging artists and 26 youth artists.
The festival’s official selections showcase 20 feature films, 11 short film programs, 14 digital and interactive works and 17 audio works.
National Screen Institute executive director Christine Kleckner and manager of programs and development Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill will be at the festival. Sarah will be participating in The Importance of Rest panel on June 7. If you see either of them in Toronto, please say hello!
The National Screen Institute is pleased to be a festival partner of imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival 2025.
Join us in celebrating the work of the talented alumni with projects at the festival:
Features
- Aberdeen – directed, written and produced by Ryan Cooper (CBC New Indigenous Voices, NSI IndigiDocs), directed, written and executive produced by Eva Thomas (NSI Totally Television), executive produced by Kyle Bornais (NSI Features First)
- Endless Cookie – produced by Daniel Bekerman (NSI Features First)
- Lucky Strikes – directed and written by Darcy Waite (CBC New Indigenous Voices, NSI IndigiDocs, NSI Series Incubator, Telefilm Talent to Watch), produced by Madison Thomas (Telefilm Talent to Watch)
- Seeds – executive produced by Eva Thomas (NSI Totally Television)
- #skoden – directed, written and produced by Damien Eagle Bear (NSI IndigiDocs), executive produced by Priyanka Desai (NSI Business for Producers, Access BIPOC Producers)
- Singing Back the Buffalo – directed, written and produced by Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs) / WINNER, Documentary Feature Award in honour of Alanis Obomsawin with support from TVO
Shorts
- Amber Alert: A Fashion Statement for Truth and Healing – directed by Alex Manitopyes (TikTok Accelerator for Indigenous Creators)
- Anishinaabemowin – produced by Jessie Anthony (NSI Art of Business Management) and Kaitlyn Redcrow (Telefilm Talent to Watch)
- Anywhere (Nooj Goji) – produced by Melanie Nepinak Hadley (CBC New Indigenous Voices)
- Aviliaq (Entwined) – executive produced by Danis Goulet (NSI Drama Prize)
- Bihttoš (Rebel) – executive produced by Danis Goulet (NSI Drama Prize)
- Confluence – directed and written by ODMK (CBC New Indigenous Voices) / WINNER, Innovation in Storytelling Award in honour of Kent Monkman with support from Kent Monkman
- Graduation Day – directed by Tasha Hubbard (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program, NSI IndigiDocs)
- Inkwo for When the Starving Return – directed by Amanda Strong (NSI IndigiDocs) / WINNER, Animated Short Award with support from Blue Ant Media, Sun Jury Award with support from the Directors Guild of Canada
- Intemperance – directed, written and produced by Lisa Jackson (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program), executive produced by Danis Goulet (NSI Drama Prize)
- Mawtini (My Homeland) – story consultant Ben Kicknosway (NSI IndigiDocs)
- My Friend Saabe – produced by Laura Friedmann (Access BIPOC Producers)
- Ohskennón:ten Owí:ra (Little Deer) – produced by Jessie Anthony (NSI Art of Business Management)
- pîķîwî – directed, written and produced by Olivia Marie Golosky (NSI IndigiDocs)
- Regalia – directed, written and produced by Farrah Murdock (CBC New Indigenous Voices)
- Roberta – executive produced by Danis Goulet (NSI Drama Prize)
- Savage – directed and written by Lisa Jackson (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
- Settler – produced by Colin Van Loon (NSI Art of Business Management)
- Skyworld – directed and written by Zoe Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
- The Light Before the Sun – consulting producer Jennifer Podemski (NSI Global Marketing, Telefilm Canada Spark Plug Program), associate produced by Eva Thomas (NSI Totally Television)
- Tsi tkahéhtayen (The Garden) – directed, written and produced by Zoe Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program), produced by Laura Milliken (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program)
iNdigital Days
- Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories – Lisa Jackson (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program) / WINNER, Digital + Interactive Award with support from imagineNATIVE
Panels
- imagineNATIVE’s Journey – A Leadership Conversation – panelists Danis Goulet and Kerry Swanson (both NSI Drama Prize)
- The Importance of Rest – panelist Sarah Simpson-Yellowquill (manager of programs and development)
Share this
