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.
Cynthia Lickers-Sage, imagineNATIVE Co-Founder
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.
Lisa Steele, Founder and Artistic Director, Vtape

2022 AWARD WINNERS
Innovation in Storytelling Award
with support from Kent Monkman and Sobeys
$7,500
The Original Shareholder Experience
Petyr Xyst
Animated Short Award
$2,500
SEK BUY
William Cayapur Delgado
Documentary Short Award
with support from TVO
$5,000
First Time Home
Noemi Librado-Sanchez, Esmirna Librado, Esmeralda Ventura, Heriberto Ventura
Documentary Feature Award
with support from CBC
$5,000
Šaamšiǩ – Great Grandmothers Hat
Anstein Mikkelsen, Harry Johansen
Narrative Audio Award
$7,500
Stolen: The Search for Jermain
Connie Walker
New Artist in Digital + Interactive
Award
$2,000
Mikiwam
Keara & Caeleigh Lightning
Digital + Interactive Award
$2,500
This is Not a Ceremony
Colin Van Loon
Indigenous Language Production Awards
with support from Indigenous Media Initiatives and Cineplex
$7,500
Məca
Ritchie Norman Hemphill
New Voice in Storytelling Award
with support from Humber College
$2,500
Proowa (Yucca)
Stefany Mendinueta
Sun Jury Award
with support from DGC
$2,500
Night
Ahmad Saleh
Moon Jury Award
with support from DGC
$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
The August Schellenberg Award of Excellence
with support from ACTRA
$2,500
Gary Farmer
Experimental Audio Award
$2,500
Sabikeshiinh
Brydon King
Audience Choice Feature Award
with support Shutterstock
$2,500
ROSIE
Gail Maurice
Audience Choice Short Award
with support from BMO
$2,500