List of Awards
Celebrate Indigenous Excellence
We are always excited to celebrate Indigenous achievements in film and media arts with generous support from our partners and individual donors. Each year, the imagineNATIVE Awards Presentation showcases a selection of exceptional works from our Festival. Each recipient is selected by filmmakers and industry professionals from the Festival’s independent programming team and juries, with the exception of our two Audience Choice Awards which are voted on by attendees during the Festival.
2025 Awards
August Schellenberg Award of Excellence
with support from ACTRA National and Joan Karasevich
$2,500
The August Schellenberg Award of Excellence was launched in partnership with Joan Karasevich Schellenberg to honour her late husband, the legendary actor August (Augie) Schellenberg, and the spirit of his work. This award is presented to gifted Indigenous actors from across Turtle Island based on the longevity and impact of their careers, as well as their professionalism and involvement in mentorship and community work.
Graham Greene
Innovation in Storytelling Award in honour of Kent Monkman
with support from Kent Monkman
$7,500
The term “innovative” is often used to describe a work with an inventive and unconventional approach in terms of form, content, storytelling, and structure. All works in this category are short films which push boundaries and deliver the unexpected. This award is supported by, and named in honour of, Kent Monkman, a boundary-pushing artist and former imagineNATIVE board member who designed imagineNATIVE’s first logo.
Confluence
Charlene Moore, ODMK
Animated Short Award
$2,500
The art of animation uses frame-by-frame techniques and usually falls into one of two general fields: narrative or abstract. Animation techniques include, but are not limited to, claymation, kaleidoscopic effects created frame-by-frame, hand-drawn, computer, cutout, stop-motion, pixelation, pinscreen, camera multiple pass-imagery, as well as drawing on the film frame itself.
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
Amanda Strong
Documentary Short Award
with support from Blue Ant Media
$2,500
A nonfiction short film that artistically engages with historical, cultural, social, economic, scientific, and/or other subjects. The content can be recorded through reenactment, as it happens, animation, stock footage, stills, or other approaches. However, the film must be based on fact, not fiction.
In my hand
Marja Helander, Liselotte Wajstedt
Documentary Feature Award in honour of Alanis Obomsawin
with support from TVO
$5,000
A nonfiction feature length film that engages artistically with historical, cultural, social, economic, scientific, and/or other subjects. The content can be conveyed through reenactment, as it happens, animation, stock footage, stills, or other approaches. However, the film needs to be based on fact, not fiction. This award is named in honour and recognition of the legacy of Alanis Obomsawin.
Singing Back the Buffalo
Tasha Hubbard
New Voice in Storytelling Award in honour of Jane Glassco and Ellen Monague
with support from the CJ Foundation in recognition of Jane Glassco
$5,000
This award honours an emerging Indigenous filmmaker, regardless of their age or their work’s genre or length, who has less than three years of experience in their practice. They must have completed or be finishing at least one independent film or video work. This award is named in honour of Jane Glassco and Ellen Monague, two artists devoted to Indigenous issues and youth.
ÁHKUIN
Sunná Nousuniemi, Tuomas Kumpulainen
Experimental Audio Award
with support from imagineNATIVE
$2,500
This award recognizes excellence in works which push the boundaries of audio formats using experimental practices.
ᎭᏫᎾᏗᏢ ᎤᏪᏴᎢ (beneath the stream)
Robbie Wing
Narrative Audio Award
with support from Meriläinen Müsic Inc.
$2,500
This award recognizes the work of an exceptional artist and their contribution to audio practices through a podcast, audio drama, radio play, or other narrative audio format.
Sous les barrages (Under the Dams): Tshishe Manikuan
Jean Luc Kanapé
New Artist in
Digital + Interactive
Award
with support from Humber College – Indigenous Education & Engagement
$2,500
This award recognizes innovation and excellence in digital and interactive media developed by an early career artist.
orange pekoe
Vanessa Racine
Digital + Interactive Award
with support from imagineNATIVE
This award recognizes innovation and excellence in digital and interactive media developed by mid-career and established artists.
Wilfred Buck’s Star Stories
Lisa Jackson, The Macronauts
Live Action Short Award
with support from Vtape and Jason Ryle
$7,500
A live action film that uses narrative storytelling and imagery created primarily through practical photographic techniques used to capture physical actors, props, sets, and locations. This does not include documentaries, animated works, music videos, or experimental works. Short films, defined as being 40 minutes or less including all credits, are eligible. The winner of this award is put forward to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be considered for an Academy Award.
Rapido
Richard J Curtis
Outstanding Performance in a Short
with support from Indigenous Screen Office
$2,500
This award recognizes the outstanding performance of a lead actor in a dramatic short film.
Thin Places
Quannah Chasinghorse
Outstanding Performance in a Feature
with support from The Shine Network Institute
$2,500
This award recognizes the outstanding performance of a lead actor in a dramatic feature film.
Seeds
Kaniehtiio Horn
After Dark Award in honour of Jeff Barnaby
with support from imagineNATIVE
$2,500
Jeff Barnaby was an exceptional Indigenous storyteller in genre filmmaking, often melding horror, sci-fi, and thrillers interchangeably. A fearless auteur, Jeff’s style defied the western gaze on Indigenous Peoples, hailing them as resilient and strong survivors and heroes. As a tribute to his memory, imagineNATIVE is proud to celebrate his impact on Indigenous, genre-bending films by presenting the After Dark Award in honour of Jeff Barnaby.
Seeds
Kaniehtiio Horn
Indigenous Language Production Award
with support from Indigenous Media Initiatives
$7,500
This award is for a film of any genre or length whose sole or primary language is an Indigenous language.
The Legends of Eternal Snow (Khaar Kuyaar Nomokhtoro)
Aleksei Romanov
Sun Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada
$2,500
Recognition for an outstanding work, regardless of length or genre, determined by imagineNATIVE’s Sun Jury.
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
Amanda Strong
Moon Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada
$2,500
Recognition for an outstanding work, regardless of length or genre, determined by imagineNATIVE’s Moon Jury.
Anywhere (Nooj Goji)
Evelyn Pakinewatik
Dramatic Feature Award
with support from Telefilm Canada
$7,500
This award recognizes a feature length, live action film which uses narrative storytelling and imagery created primarily through practical photographic techniques used to capture physical actors, props, sets, and locations. Documentaries, animated works, music videos, and experimental works are not eligible for this award.
We Were Dangerous
Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu
Audience Choice Feature Award
with support from Shutterstock
$2,500
This is awarded to the most popular feature film selected through audience voting during the Festival.
Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man
Sinakson Trevor Solway
Audience Choice Short Award
with support from Air Canada
$2,500
This is awarded to the most popular short film selected through audience voting during the Festival.