Applications open for 6-month development and training program designed to support Indigenous writers
For Immediate Release
December 18, 2025 Tkaronto – The imagineNATIVE Institute, the StoryBoard Collective, and the Indigenous Screen Office are proud to announce a new collaborative Screenwriting Series Lab. The Indigenous Series Lab is a six-month, multi-phase development and professional training program designed to support Indigenous writers in creating compelling scripted series for television and digital platforms. Applications are now open for Canadian and US-based writers looking to work with select imagineNATIVE staff and Indigenous industry leaders in story and production to to develop a pilot script and pitch deck for a 6-10 episode series.
Structured around a series of residencies, online mentorship periods, festival engagements, and industry showcases, the lab aims to provide participants with the creative tools, writing discipline, and market exposure needed to advance their projects toward commissioning, production, and international circulation.
Two Canadian-based and two US-based writers will be selected to participate in this six-month screenwriting intensive. The Lab will take place online, in-person in Toronto, Canada and during a seven-week writing retreat in Geneva, Switzerland. The lab will culminate at The Market at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2026, and also include additional travel to Berlin in February 2027 for the Berlinale Series Market. All travel and accommodations will be covered by the initiative as well as a stipend of up to $20,000 CAD per participant over the course of the Lab.
Artists must be Indigenous and over the age of 18 with a valid passport to apply. The top 16 applicants will undergo an interview process. The deadline for applications is January 30, 2026, 11:59PM EST.
The program is jointly developed and delivered by imagineNATIVE and StoryBoard Collective, with valued involvement from the Indigenous Screen Office and support from the Canada Media Fund.
Interested applicants can apply here.
-30-
About The imagineNATIVE Institute:
The imagineNATIVE Institute is a department within imagineNATIVE that hosts year-round professional development programs, events, talks and Indigenous-led professional development opportunities that address gaps within the industry and build capacity for Indigenous creatives. The institute also presents Industry Days at the annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival featuring panels, masterclasses and networking/social events.
The Institute thanks their lead partner Netflix and their generous contribution to this initiative.
About The Indigenous Screen Office:
The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is an independent national advocacy and funding organization serving First Nations, Inuit and Métis creators of screen content in Canada.
The ISO’s mandate is to foster and support narrative sovereignty and cultural revitalization by increasing Indigenous storytelling on screens and promoting Indigenous values and participation across the sector.
ISO policies and activities are grounded in and informed by Indigenous knowledge(s), which means respecting Indigenous ways of knowing, seeing, doing, acting, and listening. We acknowledge and strive to uphold the principles of respect, reciprocity, responsibility, and relevance in our working relationships.
About The StoryBoard Collective:
The StoryBoard Collective, founded in 2020, is a Geneva-based philanthropic organisation whose mission is to support transformational storytelling.
StoryBoard supports two types of projects: The development of TV series through the AuthenticA Series Lab and the Indigenous Series Lab. The development and support of Impact Campaigns in the independent documentary space.
For more information:
Ally LaMere-Shedden
Route 504 PR ally@route504pr.com
