We are happy to announce that the annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will once again take place online from October 19 – 24, 2021. Building off the success of last year’s virtual Festival, we will offer six days of online programming and events.
“We, like everyone else, are eager to see a return to a physical and live event, but our main priority is and has always been the health and well being of the artists, festival goers, our staff and community,” said Naomi Johnson, Executive Director of imagineNATIVE. “We hope that those who have supported imagineNATIVE will return to this online presentation to engage and enjoy in Indigenous creative works with our digital offering at the Festival in October.”
The decision to mount a digital presentation resulted from a series of discussions that included imagineNATIVE leadership, the board of directors, and other stakeholders. The 2020 online festival allowed for a broader outreach with over 29,576 viewing across Canada, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia and select European countries.
Our Call for Submissions for the 2021 Festival is open! We are accepting Film + Video, Digital + Interactive, and Audio works for our Festival. Please review the updated 2021 Festival Artistic Policy and the Year-Round Artistic Policy.
Submissions are due by Monday, May 31, 2021 at 11:59 ET.2021 Festival DetailsCall for Submissions
Upcoming Events
Futurisms | FREE | Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 4:00 PM ET
Futurisms brings together Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, and Black artists in conversation around disruptive recountings, future tellings to witness current intersections of Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurisms. This panel features moderator Jessie Ray Short in conversation with Zainab Amadahy, Syrus Marcus Ware, Nisi Shawl, and Asinnajaq. A live Q&A will follow the event and a playlist of work curated by imagineNATIVE’s Teineisha Richards will be available to view after the panel.
RSVP to Futurisms | Pre-Register for the Playlist ScreeningFuturisms: Skawennati | FREE | Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET
In partnership with REEL Canada’s National Canadian Film Day, we are proud to present this community screening of an epic sci-fi double bill: She Falls For Ages (2017) and The Peacemaker Returns (2017). Our artist talk, moderated by Andrea Carlson, is a deep dive into the worlds of Kanienkeha:ka artist, Skawennati whose practice seamlessly passes through the past and future unbound by time.
RSVP to Futurisms: Skawennati | Pre-Register for the ScreeningLIFT Retrospective | FREE | Thursday, April 22, 2021 at 2:00 PM ET
Join us and our friends at the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) and the Harbour Collective for a look back at the films produced as part of the LIFT/imagineNATIVE Mentorship, a program supporting Indigenous filmmakers in the Greater Toronto Area as they develop their practice through creatively diverse projects. The screening will be followed by a conversation with artists Tim Myles, Jamie Whitecrow, Jaene F. Castrillon, and Jani Lauzon, moderated by Liz Barron of the Harbour Collective.
Register for the RetrospectiveRememory, A Practice: A Film Premiere | FREE | Friday, April 23, 2021 at 5:00 PM ET
imagineNATIVE and TakingITGlobal invite you to join us for the dual premiere screenings of an inspirational film, The Strength of My Spirit, and an empowering documentary confronting racism and shadeism, Two Beating Drums, both of which were written and directed by Dana Jeffrey-Khan! This event will also feature a panel, moderated by Adriana Chartrand (imagineNATIVE) and including panelists Dana Jeffrey-Khan (The Strength of My Spirit, Two Beating Drums), Michael Solomon(The Strength of My Spirit), and Tasha Toulouse (Two Beating Drums).
RSVP to the Premiere Screenings + Panel
CSIF Mentorship
Calling all Treaty 7 Indigenous filmmakers with a nearly complete short!
Applications for our mentorship in partnership with the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) and Telus STORYHIVE are now open! This mentorship has been re-imagined this year to accommodate the uncertainties of production during COVID. This is an opportunity for a filmmaker with an already-shot short film to complete it in post and have it premiere at the 22nd annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in October 2021.
Applications are due Monday, April 19, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET!Learn More + Apply Now
2021 imagineNATIVE Tour
The imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour is one of imagineNATIVE’s largest initiatives outside of our annual Festival. The 2021 imagineNATIVE Tour brings Indigenous-made film and video works, as well as community engagement activities to communities across Turtle Island (Canada).
Curated by imagineNATIVE’s Artistic Director, Niki Little, the 2021 imagineNATIVE Tour Programs are a selection of Canadian works from the 2020 Festival. This year encompasses a Short Films Focus, a Documentary Film Focus, and a Dramatic Film Focus.
Are you participating in a 2021 imagineNATIVE Tour screening? Try out our new clapper and film reel AR filters on Facebook and Instagram! Make sure to tag us so we can all celebrate the incredible Indigenous films touring with imagineNATIVE together!Learn More + Book NowBanff World Media Festival
Join imagineNATIVE at Banff World Media Festival, taking place June 14, 2021 through July 16, 2021!
Just because we are not physically together doesn’t mean we can’t make meaningful industry connections. Meet face to face from the comfort of your office or home, listen and ask questions in intimate sessions with showrunners and directors, enjoy a beverage with executives and buyers, or even pitch your project. It’s all possible with Banff World Media Festival. These networking opportunities are available exclusively with their MARKETPLACE PASS.
Use your exclusive imagineNATIVE promo code imagineNATIVEBANFF21 to save $300 off on your MARKETPLACE
PASS.Learn More + Register Now
imagineNATIVE Store
The imagineNATIVE Store will have delays in delivery of orders due to the Ontario wide stay at home order. Our first priority is the continued safety of our employees. We appreciate your continued support and understanding during this time. Shop Now
