Year-Round Events
Don't Miss a Moment
imagineNATIVE presents Indigenous-made screen content all year round through the imagineNATIVE Tour, curated programming, co-presentations with partners and collaborators, and other special events. Check out our upcoming events and screenings below!
Upcoming Events
July 6, 2025 | Co-Presentation of Taika Waititi’s Hunt for the Wilderpeople with the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show
Event Description
The pain of growing up (or failing to) is a recurring theme for Taika Waititi, from his early independent features (Boy, Eagle vs Shark) to his recent forays into big-budget franchises (Thor: Ragnarok, The Mandalorian). Hunt for the Wilderpeople stands out among the Māori pop auteur’s oeuvre thanks to the irresistible dynamic of its odd-couple protagonists. When an overzealous Child Services agent tries to send foster kid Ricky (the irrepressible Julian Dennison) back to the orphanage, he takes off into the wild New Zealand bush, pursued by his gruff, reluctant foster uncle Hector (the legendary Sam Neill). As the two forge an alliance, a national manhunt is declared and things start to get out of hand. Striking a delicate balance between outrageously funny and earnestly heartfelt, Ricky and Hector’s mutual coming-of-age story is a surefire crowd-pleaser.
The screening includes short film Weekends, directed by Trevor Jimenez.
Filipino-Canadian director-writer-animator Trevor Jimenez’s indie short film Weekends is a lyrical hand-animated short about a boy in 1980s Toronto caught between two homes in the wake of his parents’ divorce. Jimenez (whose animation credits also include Pixar’s Soul and Turning Red) exhibits lush artwork that imbues the story with warm humour and gentle melancholy as the young protagonist makes sense of his changing family relationships.
Date + Time
July 6, 2025
6:00 PM | Eats + Treats for Sale
Sunset (approximately 9:00 PM) | Showtime
Location
Christie Pits Park
750 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 3B1
Ticket Information
FREE or pay what you can. No tickets are required; screening is open to the public. Bring your own blanket and/or chairs. Learn more about this screening!
Partners
imagineNATIVE is proud to co-present this screening with the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show.
Accessibility Information
Films are screened with captioning. Learn more about accessibility at the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show!
Content warning: This programme contains moderate violence, moderate profanity, mild sex and nudity, mild alcohol/drugs use, and scenes that may be frightening to some viewers.
July 24, 2025 | Co-Presentation of Tito Catacora + Óscar Catacora’s Yana-Wara with the Peruvian Film Festival
Event Description
Yana-Wara tells the story of a 13-year-old girl marked by fate from birth. It presents themes such as gender violence, machismo, discrimination, the condition of women in the high Andean areas, and intercultural justice in force in many places in the country, through an unusual story tinged with fantasy, mysticism, and horror.
Date + Time
July 24, 2025
9:15 PM
Location
Imagine Cinemas Carlton Cinema
20 Carlton St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2H5
Ticket Information
Learn more about the film and purchase tickets.
Partners
imagineNATIVE is proud to co-present this screening at the Peruvian Film Festival.
August 7-9, 2025 | Actin’ Rez Symposium
Event Description
Add invaluable experience to your resume and expand your knowledge base at the Actin’ Rez Symposium! Don’t miss this chance to learn from industry professionals and elevate your craft.
The Indigenous Performing Art Alliance (IPAA), imagineNATIVE, Seeing Red, and Thru the RedDoor Studio proudly present the Actin’ Rez Symposium, tailored for emerging Indigenous actors. This programming aims to empower and equip participants with essential skills and knowledge to help them break through and thrive in the entertainment industry. Taking place over three days in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, workshops include: Theatre to Screen acting, Audition Techniques and Preparation, In Front of the Camera, Hosting On Screen, and Comedic Acting. Join us for an immersive experience filled with learning, networking, and professional development from incredibly talented Indigenous artist facilitators such as Sarain Fox, Darla Contois, Sera-Lys McArthur, Leenah Robinson, and Star Slade.
This opportunity is open to adults as well as youth aged 13+.
Date + Time
August 7-9, 2025
9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Location
Thru the RedDoor Studios
1579 4th Line Rd, Ohsweken, ON
Ticket Information
Tickets are $100 (FREE for IPAA Members). To secure your spot, complete the registration form by July 11, 2025 and submit a 200-word statement. Register now!
Partners
This event is presented in partnership with the Indigenous Performing Art Alliance (IPAA), imagineNATIVE, Seeing Red, and Thru the RedDoor Studio.
August 23, 2025 | Co-Presentation of Alanis Obomsawin’s Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance for the TIFF Story in 50 Films Series
Event Description
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance provides searing images and a much-needed context for the standoff between the Kanien’kéha:ka and the forces of the Quebec police and Canadian army. Director Alanis Obomsawin was the only filmmaker to stay behind the barricades for the full length of the siege, and she has provided a compelling, comprehensive review of the cataclysmic events of the summer of 1990.
Introduction by Cameron Bailey, with a Q&A following the screening with director Alanis Obomsawin.
Date + Time
August 23, 2025
3:00 PM
Location
TIFF Lightbox
350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
Ticket Information
Learn more and get tickets.
Partners
imagineNATIVE is proud to co-present this screening as part of the TIFF Story in 50 Films series.
imagineNATIVE is proud to co-present Jeff Barnaby’s Rhymes For Young Ghouls as part of The TIFF Story in 50 Films series.
Event Description
The TIFF Story in 50 Films celebrates 50 landmark films that have defined TIFF’s legacy over the past 50 years – FREE for TIFF Members.
Date
June – August 2025
Location
TIFF Lightbox
350 King St W, Toronto, ON
Event Information
Visit tiff.net/50films for more information.
May 17, 2025 | Co-Presentation with Hot Docs for the screening of Boy
Date + Time
Saturday, May 17, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Location
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema
506 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON
Event Information
Visit hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/boy for more information.
Ticket Information
Purchase tickets at hotdocs.ca/boxoffice/ticket?evtinfo=470355.
March 29, 2025 | Co-Presentation with Hot Docs: Screening of Falls Around Her
EVENT TEMPLATE
Date + Time:
Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 3:00PM
Location:
Hot Docs, Ted Rogers Cinema – 506 Bloor St W. Toronto, ON
Event Info:
https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/falls-around-her
Ticket Information:
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
A co-presentation with Hot Docs for the screening of Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner
Date + Time:
Saturday, April 19, 2025 – 3:30PM
Location:
Hot Docs, Ted Rogers Cinema – 506 Bloor St W. Toronto, ON
Event Info:
https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/atanarjuat-the-fast-runner
Ticket Information:
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
A co-presentation with Hot Docs for the screening of Boy
Date + Time:
Saturday, May 17, 2025 – 3:00PM
Location:
Hot Docs, Ted Rogers Cinema – 506 Bloor St W. Toronto, ON
Event Info:
https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/films/boy
Ticket Information:
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets.
Event Description:
Are you an Indigenous artist eager to showcase your work atimagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festivals but unsure where to start? Join us for an ONLINE information session that will guide you through the ins and outs of submitting your projects to festivals.
In this workshop, we will cover:
- Discover key steps to take before submitting and creating a compelling festival package, including trailers and press kits.
- Navigating the submission process from festival deadlines and requirements.
- Exploring strategies to promote your film during and after the festival circuit to maximize visibility and opportunities.
- Whether you’re a first-time filmmaker or looking to refine your submission strategy, this session will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to enhance your chances of success.
In this session, attendees will also receive a waiver code to submit to the festival and a submission checklist to help guide your process!
Date + Time:
Wednesday, November 19, 2024
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
Location:
Online through Zoom
Ticket Information:
CLICK HERE to register now and secure your spot!
For more information, please reach out to submissions@imagineNATIVE.org.
Event Description: imagineNATIVE cordially invites you to the Dawn of the Deadly Fundraising Gala. Please join us for an evening of dinner, drinks, performances, silent auction prizes, dancing, and more! We are embracing the spooky season with elegance, so we invite you to dress up in your deadliest duds. Think dark masquerade, classy coven, haunting couture, and Indigenous gothic!
Date + Time:
Friday, October 18 l 6:00 PM
Location:
Courtyard Marriott Downtown, 475 Yonge St, Toronto, ON
https://www.goelevent.com/imagineNATIVE/e/imagineNATIVEGala
Event Description:
Co-Presentation with Planet in Focus for a screening of Tea Creek. Post-Screening Panel moderated by Lindsay Monture
Tea Creek
Director: Ryan David Lee Dickie | Country: Canada | Length: 01:14:40 |
Tsimshian farmer Jacob Beating is on a mission to promote healthy Indigenous communities through local food, undoing the legacy of colonization on food security by training a new generation of Indigenous farmers, while balancing the challenges and precarity of farming that threaten the future of Tea Creek Farm and its larger vision.
Jacob Beaton is an unassuming Tsimshian farmer on an extraordinary mission to promote healthy Indigenous communities centered on land-based practices and local food. Nestled in Gitxsan ancestral territory, he and his family run Tea Creek Farm and Indigenous Food Sovereignty Training Center. While Jacob has witnessed the profound effect of his farm on its Indigenous trainees, he faces the challenges and precarity of farming that threaten the future of Tea Creek and its larger vision. Featuring beautiful footage set in the striking Northern British Columbia landscape, Dene director Ryan Dickie explores how colonization impacts food security in Indigenous communities, weaving themes of sovereignty, mental health, and leadership into a film that illuminates the healing power of growing food.
Festival Programme:
https://planetinfocus.org/2024-festival-lineup/#1727124842642-b593b6a1-e281
Date + Time:
Friday, October 19, 2024 – 3:00 PM
Location:
Paradise Theatre – 1006 Bloor St W. Toronto, ON
Be sure to keep an eye out for more exciting updates to come!