About

ORIGINAL. INDIGENOUS.

imagineNATIVE is the world’s largest presenter of Indigenous screen content. The organization is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally for excellence and innovation in programming and as the global centre for Indigenous media arts. imagineNATIVE (legal entity: The Centre for Aboriginal Media) is a registered charity committed to creating a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures through the presentation of contemporary Indigenous-made media art including film, video, audio and digital media.

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival — the organization’s primary activity — launched in 2000. The Festival was founded to support the diverse contemporary work of Indigenous directors, producers, and screenwriters working in film, video, audio, and digital media. Our presence is unique within the arts landscape, and with no direct parallel in Canada or abroad, we are one of a handful of media arts presenters regarded as an “anchor” in the crowded Toronto-based film festival calendar.

imagineNATIVE presents the largest annual Indigenous media arts event in the world and our programming is presented year-round in our national Tour Program and through our Institute department’s industry-facing professional development initiatives. Our role in the local arts ecology is as an established presenter endeavouring to make a lasting impact on the screen industry.

On the national stage, imagineNATIVE continually emerges as a sector and artistic leader. We are consistently approached to partner with organizations from across Canada and we play a leadership role in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous arts communities. Our outreach extends beyond Toronto, as we do a number of screenings across Canada to promote the Festival and give Canadians access to Indigenous-made film and video which may not be readily accessible.

Internationally, imagineNATIVE continues to excel with meaningful partnerships with artists, film festivals, and other key stakeholders from across the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and has a strong relationship with the Berlinale in Germany. We are the go-to presenter for Indigenous artists seeking an invested and interested audience and for others seeking Indigenous content.

imagineNATIVE has long been committed to creating a Festival atmosphere that is inclusive, accessible, welcoming, and celebratory for artists, audiences, and delegates alike. As part of our commitment to creating the best possible presentation experiences for our audiences, we actively consider accessibility to be a central principle of our work.

imagineNATIVE serves Indigenous artists through excellence in presentations and in professional conduct. We pride ourselves on this commitment to ensuring Indigenous artists of all experience levels have a professional Festival environment that is supportive and nurturing. imagineNATIVE is committed to paying industry-standard artist fees for all of our initiatives and asks all of our co-presentation partners to ensure these fees are paid, even in circumstances where they are not requested.

For more information, contact us at info@imagineNATIVE.org