Accessibility

The imagineNATIVE team is excited to present the 23 edition of our annual Festival! The 2022 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will take place in a hybrid format. We will welcome artists and audiences back to Tkaronto (Toronto) for in-person screenings and events from October 18-23, 2022, after which we will then move online to our virtual screening platform from October 24-30, 2022 to ensure that we can continue to connect with those who aren’t yet able to attend our in-person offerings. During our online portion of the Festival, we invite you to visit (or revisit!) select films featured the previous week as well as panels, Q&As, and special events recorded live during the in-person portion of the Festival.

OVERVIEW

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival strives to provide an accessible environment and positive festival experience for all patrons. We are committed to developing and maintaining Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) standards per the provincial Path to 2025. We require all imagineNATIVE staff and volunteers to complete AODA online training to gain greater awareness and attention for our patrons’ needs.

All of our venues are wheelchair accessible. All service animals, guide dogs, and support persons are welcome at the venues. All tickets to our 2022 Festival screenings have assigned seating, so guests are able to book the seat that is most comfortable to them without worrying about arriving early and waiting in line. Please reach out to our Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@imagineNATIVE.org if you require assistance.

ACCESSIBILE SCREENINGS

Open Captions + Subtitles

We strive to offer Open Captions on all films in cinema and Closed Captions on all films online, however there are a few films that may be presented with English Subtitles only. For the most up-to-date information on which screenings offer which type of readable text, please refer to our online listings as we continue to announce details for our Festival.

You can find information about captioning, ASL interpreters and geo-blocking here.

Sensory Friendly Screenings

These screenings allow guests with various accessibility needs to have a positive sensory friendly and inclusive environment. This means:

Theatre lights are dimmed (not completely off)
Theatre sound levels are slightly lower (though silence is not expected)
No trailers or advertisements before the screening
One can move in and out during the screening

ASL Interpretation

Selected introductions and post screening Q&As will be presented with ASL interpretation. Please look to our online listings for the most up to date offerings.

Assistive Listening Devices

Phonic Ear Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) are available at TIFF Bell Lightbox. The devices, compatible with any Festival screening, will be made available to patrons requesting them through the TIFF Box Office.

In-Person + Online Elder Support

imagineNATIVE greatly values the importance of healing and cultural safety. We understand that some content presented by imagineNATIVE may be upsetting or triggering for both direct and intergenerational survivors of trauma. For this reason support workers will be available for council during both the in-person and online portions of our Festival. Support at our in-person Festival will take place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox from October 18-23, 2022. Support via phone will be available throughout our entire Festival from October 18-30, 2022.

These services are for anyone, including non-Indigenous people, requiring emotional support or access to traditional medicines.

We will strive to provide verbal disclaimers during introductions for in person programs containing scenes of graphic violence, sexual violence, or deal with issues of Indian Residential Schools. Please check our film listings online for up to date content warnings and ratings.

TD FREE FRIDAY

imagineNATIVE is pleased to announce the return of TD Free Friday at the 2022 Festival! Thanks to TD’s generous contribution, tickets to all screenings on Friday, October 21, 2022 will be free. TD Free Friday is intended to provide a greater opportunity for a larger number of individuals to experience the Indigenous-made programming featured at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some of the questions we regularly receive about this topic. If you have another question that isn’t answered here, you can browse our comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions page.

How do I turn on closed captioning?

Go to the bottom right corner of the screen and click the button that looks like a screen with closed captioning as highlighted below.

Screen capture of video player with rotating circle around closed caption icon.

Which films will have closed captioning?

While we strive to have all films shown with Open Captions, this isn’t always possible, so some films will be shown with Full English subtitles. Please refer to our online film listings for the most up-to-date information about what films offer what kind of readable text.

Where do I find the Accessibility Beacon?

It appears as a circular button with the figure of a person in it on the upper-left corner. You can also access it by pressing CTRL+U on the keyboard.

What tools are available from the Accessibility Beacon?

It offers options for screen contrast adjustment, link highlighting, bigger texts, bigger text spacing, pause animations, dyslexia-friendly font, cursor changes, tooltips, bigger line height, and uniform text alignment.

Is the Accessibility Beacon available on the imagineNATIVE website only?

No. The Accessibility Beacon is available on ImagineNATIVE’s film-viewing (Cinesend) and industry (Eventtia) platforms as well!

How do I use the tools on the Accessibility Beacon?

Press through each of the buttons that appear on the Accessibility Beacon menu to choose the option that works best for you.

What are accessible/companion seatings, and who can use them?

Accessible seating is reserved for disabled guests and their companions only. If you or someone else require accessible seating at a venue, please email accessibility@imaginenative.org as early as possible to reserve your seating.

Where can I find out about accessibility accommodations at each festival venue?

We are happy to announce that all of our venues are wheelchair accessible and barrier free. If you or someone else wants to inquire more about the Festival venues, we’re more than happy to provide you with further information upon the request, please email accessibility@imaginenative.org.

I found the subject matter of the film to be upsetting to me. I need to talk to someone about it. Is help available?

We understand that some content presented by imagineNATIVE may be upsetting or triggering. Because of this, we will have support workers available on-site at the TIFF Bell Lightbox from October 18-23, 2022. Phone support will be available throughout our online festival from October 24-30, 2022 by calling 1-888-631- 6964 between the hours of 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM

These services are for everyone, including non-Indigenous people, who may require access to emotional support or traditional medicines.

Will imagineNATIVE provide ASL interpretation in person?

Yes. Selected introductions and post-screening Q&As will be presented with ASL interpretation. Please check out our website for the most up-to-date offerings.

If accessible seating is required, please email accessibility@imaginenative.org as early as possible, and we will ensure to reserve seating for you to be near the ASL interpreters.

we’re creating a list with information about captioning and ASL