List of Awards
We are excited to celebrate Indigenous achievement in film + media arts with generous support from our partners and individual donors. The imagineNATIVE Awards Presentation showcases the selection of exceptional works from each year’s Festival.
Recognizing and celebrating Indigenous works shows the world the talent our community has. It’s paramount we celebrate stories told from the First Peoples' point of view, not just stories from an outsider’s “first person” point of view.
I will never forget the first time I saw Qaggiq by Zacharias Kunuk, Norman Cohn, and Isuma in 1989. I had never seen anything like it before, never seen with such clarity what it is like to live in the North, never experienced a work that was made with a whole community’s involvement. These were unique voices and as I came to know more Indigenous works and more voices, it was clear they had to be brought into the spotlight. That is what awards do: they shine a light on artists we did not know before. Afterwards, we seek out their next work and tell others. Awards count.
2023 Awards
August Schellenberg Award of Excellence
with support from ACTRA National and Joan Karasevich
$2,500
Jennifer Podemski
Innovation in Storytelling Award
with support from Kent Monkman and the D.R. Sobey Foundation
$7,500
The Original Shareholder Experience
Petyr Xyst
Animated Short Award
$2,500
SEK BUY
William Cayapur Delgado
Documentary Short Award
with support from Blue Ant Media
$2,500
First Time Home
Noemi Librado-Sanchez, Esmirna Librado, Esmeralda Ventura, Heriberto Ventura
Documentary Feature Award
with support from TVO
$5,000
Šaamšiǩ – Great Grandmothers Hat
Anstein Mikkelsen, Harry Johansen
Experimental Audio Award
with support from Meriläinen Müsic Inc.
$1,500
Sabikeshiinh
Brydon King
Narrative Audio Award
with support from Meriläinen Müsic Inc.
$1,500
Stolen: The Search for Jermain
Connie Walker
New Artist in Digital + Interactive Award
with support from imagineNATIVE
$1,000
Stolen: The Search for Jermain
Connie Walker
Digital + Interactive Award
with support from imagineNATIVE
This is Not a Ceremony
Colin Van Loon
Indigenous Language Production Award
with support from the Indigenous Screen Office and Indigenous Media Initiatives
$7,500
Məca
Ritchie Norman Hemphill
New Voice in Storytelling Award
with support from Humber College and CJ Foundation in recognition of Jane Glassco
$5,000
Proowa (Yucca)
Stefany Mendinueta
Sun Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada
$2,500
Night
Ahmad Saleh
Moon Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada
$2,500
Kikino Kids
Barry Bilinsky
Live Action Short Award
with support from Vtape and Jason Ryle
$7,500
Rose
Roxann Karonhiarokwas Whitebean
Dramatic Feature Award
with support from Telefilm Canada
$7,500
We Are Still Here
Danielle MacLean, Beck Cole, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne, Tracey Rigney, Dena Curtis, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa
Jeff Barnaby Award
with support from imagineNATIVE
$2,500
We Are Still Here
Danielle MacLean, Beck Cole, Richard Curtis, Chantelle Burgoyne, Tracey Rigney, Dena Curtis, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa
Audience Choice Feature Award
with support from Shutterstock
$2,500
ROSIE
Gail Maurice
Audience Choice Short Award
with support from BMO
$2,500