Call for Submissions
Submissions are officially CLOSED.
Submissions to the 23rd Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, running from October 18-30, 2022, are now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work for consideration! Submissions will open for our 24th Festival in 2023.
The upcoming 23rd annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival will take place in-person at the TIFF Bell Lightbox from October 18th-23rd, and move to our online streaming and iNdigital platforms from October 23rd - 30th, 2022.
The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous Festival of its kind. The Festival is imagineNATIVE's primary event hosted annually every October in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At our Festival, we present Artistic and Industry programming showcasing Film + Video, Digital + Interactive, and Audio media work created by Indigenous artists (directors, producers, writers, designers) at all levels of experience. Since 2020, imagineNATIVE has further moved into digital and hybrid presentations of these works.
As an Indigenous-led and Indigenous artist-centred organization, we support the artistic visions and perspectives of Indigenous artists working in film and media arts in an inclusive and professional manner. As identified in our mission statement, we are committed to a greater understanding by audiences of Indigenous peoples, cultures, and artistic expressions. Works are therefore not required to have overt Indigenous content or themes, and can be productions made at all budget levels. We strive to represent a variety of ideas, themes, and genres, in addition to a diversity of Indigenous languages, nations, and cultures.
For more information, please contact submissions@imagineNATIVE.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there a fee to submit to the Festival?
A: No. It’s completely free to submit to the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival!
Q: What if I didn’t create my project this year?
A: No problem. We are accepting submissions of works created from January 1, 2020 to now.
Q: Do I have to be Indigenous to submit?
A: Yes. In some cases an Indigenous person may not know their nation/community. With the intent to gain a better understanding of these realities, we welcome all to articulate their story.
Q: What if some members of my production team are non-Indigenous?
A: Joint creative positions may be considered with additional clarification requests.
Q: What types of work can I submit?
A: We are accepting Film + Video works (e.g. cinematic films, music videos, web series), Digital + Interactive works (e.g. non-interactive digital works, VR, video games, choose-your-own-adventure), and Audio works (e.g. soundscapes, sound art, radio plays, audiobooks, narrative podcasts, documentary podcasts).
Q: Can I submit a rough cut?
A: Yes. We encourage artists to submit their finished projects, as well as their uncompleted and ongoing projects, please indicate in your submission. The final work must be delivered by August 1, 2022.
Q: What if my submission is not in English?
A: No problem. We are accepting submissions in all languages, however the Festival presents to a primarily English-speaking audience. Non-English language works with dialogue must have English closed-captioning to be eligible. As an exception, closed-captioning is not necessary if the Artist intends to present the film or piece therein in the original language version without English subtitles for artistic or cultural reasons. If applicable, specify in the submission form.
Q: I am an imagineNATIVE volunteer. Can I still submit?
A: Yes. imagineNATIVE supports Indigenous artists' work, including those who give their time, insight, and talent as Board members, staff, contractors, and volunteers.
Q. Do I qualify as an emerging artist?
A: imagineNATIVE considers an emerging filmmaker as someone of any age who has less than three years of practice and has completed or is finishing at least one independent film or video work.
Q. Does my final work require subtitles or a closed-caption file?
A: To ensure that that we are accessible, imagineNATIVE requires a closed-captioning file. However, if you already have a version of your film with open captions embedded, you can submit that version! During the Festival we take the submitted closed-caption files and embed them, forcing them to become open-captions — all our publicly screened films with in-person screenings will have open-captions. Any films presented online will have closed-captions, meaning that the viewer has control.
We have included some additional context on captioning:
Captions are intended to provide an equivalent viewing experience for individuals who are D/deaf or hard of hearing
There are two types of captions: open and closed — open-captions are embedded into the video file and cannot be turned off, while closed-captions (CC) can be turned on or off by the user
Captions are intended for viewers who cannot hear the audio (D/deaf or hard of hearing)
Captions must include all audio sounds such as sound effects, speaker IDs, background noises, and other relevant elements translated from sound to text
Captions improve user engagement and contribute to a better watching experience
Q. How do I get accessibility assistance to submit my work?
A: Please feel free to email us at submissions@imagineNATIVE.org and we will work with you to ensure that you can submit to the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival!
Q: What happens if my work wins an Award?
A: Good things happen! Along with the Award, winners receive a sponsored cash prize.
Q: What is the process for the Festival Awards?
A: Awards are determined by jury consensus. With the exception of our Audience Choice Award, the annual imagineNATIVE Awards are adjudicated by an independent jury.
Q. What if my contact information or anything else about my submission changes?
A: You may log in to your FilmFreeway account at any time to update or revise the information included on your project page. You may also upload a new version of your film or change your video link by navigating to the “Project File” tab. We will use the contact information from the “Submitter Information” section of your project page to contact you regarding the status of your submission, including whether or not you were accepted into the Festival. Please ensure that this information is always kept up to-date! imagineNATIVE will not be held responsible for incorrect or outdated contact information included on with your submission.
Q. How can I tell whether or not my submission is complete?
A: You may check this status by logging into your FilmFreeway account and navigating to the “Submissions” tab at the top of the page. From there, please ensure that the submission status column next to “imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival” displays a circular green icon next to the words “In Consideration.” If your submission status is listed as “Incomplete,” please review your submission to ensure that all requirements and qualifications have been met and ensure that your video upload or link is in place.
Q. Why does my submission status column say “Disqualified” on FilmFreeway?
If your submission status is “Disqualified,” this means that your submission was not completed by the final day of the deadline window you selected. Projects that are not received within the selected deadline window will be disqualified by the Festival. If this happens, the main application contact will receive a notification from FilmFreeway. If you believe that your project was disqualified in error, please contact submissions@imagineNATIVE.org. If your project is not eligible for any of our Festival programs for any reason, we will contact you directly.
Q. If my film is not chosen, can you give me notes or feedback?
A: Unfortunately, no. Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to provide feedback or notes for unsuccessful applicants. The process of accepting and declining works is an emotional yet necessary experience for all involved; as artists ourselves, we understand how difficult it can be to receive such news. We appreciate feedback on our processes, and in return, are pleased to suggest alternative exhibition strategies for your work beyond our Festival. We hope to continue to receive your work and look forward to meeting you at the Festival!