Submissions

We accept Film + Video, Digital + Interactive, and Audio works.

Film + Video works include:

• Cinematic features and short films
• Experimental features and short films (please note: these works may be presented as Digital + Interactive programming)
• Episodic works such as television and web series
• Music videos

Digital + Interactive works include:

• Extended Reality (XR) such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Mixed Reality (MR)
• Video games
• Projections such as immersive space and dome exhibitions
• Choose-your-own-adventure works

Audio works include:

• Soundscapes
• Sound art
• Radio plays
• Audiobooks
• Podcasts

Joint creative positions may be considered with additional clarification. Indigenous artists must be in a co-key creative role as per imagineNATIVE’s Artistic Policy guidelines, and hold a strong artistic voice in the finished project.

No problem. We accept submissions in all languages. Submissions must be provided with English subtitles or closed captioning.

Yes. Our organization is committed to accessibility. We require all content to be captioned or at least subtitled if selected to be programmed at the Festival (works may be submitted without captions or subtitles, but subtitles or captions must be added once accepted to the Festival). If your work is accepted and you need assistance with creating these files, please contact programming@imagineNATIVE.org, and we can point you in the right direction.

We accept works of all premiere statuses. We congratulate you for being successful at other festivals!

No. We encourage artists to submit their finished projects, as well as their rough cuts as long as you specify your completion date. When submissions are open, our Submissions page will include information on deadlines for final cuts.

No problem. For the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, we typically accept submissions of works created from the current and previous calendar year (e.g. the 2026 Festival will accept works from 2025 and 2026).

Yes! The Indigenous cinema community can be tight-knit. imagineNATIVE supports Indigenous artists’ work, including those who give their time, insight, and talent as board members, staff, contractors, and volunteers. The Programming Selection Committee has a responsibility to declare a conflict of interest when necessary, in which case they will be omitted from the decision-making process.

Yes. For the 2026 Festival, the regular submission period runs from October 16, 2025 to December 19, 2025 which includes a $5 CAD fee. After that, we move into our late submission period from December 20, 2025 to January 9, 2026 with a fee of $15 CAD.

We endeavour to make our Festival as accessible as possible and so, we offer a FREE early bird submission period. For the 2026 Festival, the early bird submission period runs from October 1, 2025 to October 15, 2025. Additionally, if you have been programmed at our Festival before and require accommodations regarding your submission fee, please email submissions@imagineNATIVE.org.

Visit our Submissions page to learn about upcoming Festival submission deadlines and more, and be sure to read our current Artistic Policies.

Once your submission is accepted, we will send out an invitation to be programmed at our Festival and we will ask you if you would like your work to be screened at the in-person Festival only or if you would like to also have your work screened during the online portion of the Festival. If you would like to be screened online, Film + Video works will be available through our ticketed private watch platform, while Digital + Interactive and Audio works will be available on our website’s free, non-ticketed iNdigital Space platform.

Yes, accepted submissions are considered by our awards juries who then select the winners of our many award categories. Award winners receive a sponsored cash prize, which is given directly to the Indigenous director/lead creative of the project.

Awards are determined by jury consensus. 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 in-person Festival.

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an Academy Award-qualifying film festival! Live action short films accepted into our Festival are automatically considered for our Live Action Short Award, which counts toward consideration for the Academy Awards. To be eligible for this award at the 2026 Festival, live action short films must be completed on or after October 1, 2025.

Live action short films are defined as narrative short films that are under 40 minutes in length. It does NOT include documentaries, animation, music videos or experimental works.

Yes, imagineNATIVE hosts multiple databases to connect with Indigenous creatives!

The Artist Spotlight Directory is a curated platform to highlight the legacy of prominent Indigenous artists who have played a significant role in imagineNATIVE’s history. The platform showcases select artists’ work which they have presented at imagineNATIVE. All profiles are curated by imagineNATIVE in partnership with the artists featured.

Kin Theory is an Indigenous media maker database where Indigenous artists can self-populate and manage their own profiles to connect with other artists and both Indigenous and non-Indigenous industry professionals. Indigenous artists are invited to create profiles on Kin Theory to showcase their work, and industry professionals (programmers, funders, etc) are welcome to browse the database of Indigenous creators. Please note: Kin Theory creators self-identify as Indigenous and Kin Theory and imagineNATIVE do not endorse or represent anyone on the site.