#skoden tells the story of Pernell Bad Arm, the Blackfoot man behind the infamous “Skoden” meme. What started out as a social media post to bond Indigenous people across Turtle Island over rez slang and relatable uncle material opened our eyes to something much more: a man whose life on the streets became a mockery to some and a figure of Indigenous empowerment to others but was most beloved by those who knew him personally.

A man is beckoned by the spirit of the earth in a plea to reconnect with his own spirit.

imagineNATIVE Originals are imagineNATIVE’s year-round film commissions from emerging to mid-level filmmakers across Canada, sharing a world premiere during the Festival! Thank you to LIFT, CSV, CSIF, and Capilano University for your continued partnership!

Kaniehtiio Horn’s Seeds is a sharp, unsettling thriller and black comedy that digs deep into Indigenous anxieties. Horn, pulling triple duty as writer, director, and star, crafts a taut narrative around Ziggy, a Toronto bike courier and emerging influencer drawn back to her community and into the orbit of a suspicious seed company, Nature’s Oath. The film’s strength lies in its ability to blend the familiar tropes of a thriller with the specific, often overlooked, suspicions of Indigenous communities, exploring the fraught relationship between land, reproduction, and corporate exploitation. The creeping dread is palpable, amplified by the remote setting and the growing sense of unease surrounding the increasingly strange happenings circling Ziggy’s aunt's house and the cache of seeds she’s been entrusted to protect. Horn skillfully weaves Kanienʼkehá:ka perspectives into the narrative, creating a film that is both thrilling and deeply resonant. It’s a work that lingers, built on dark humour and subversion of genre, all with a very Mohawk twist.

An Anishinaabe XR artwork that pays homage to each of the 13 Moons, sharing the teachings on the turtle’s back.