Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto Community Foundation

About this organization

Mission

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an international festival in Toronto that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples at the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media. The festival's programming, panels and workshops, and social and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. The works accepted reflect the diversity of the world's Indigenous nations and illustrate the vitality and excellence of our art and culture in contemporary media. imagineNATIVE is commited to dispelling stereotypes and myths surrounding Aboriginal people by providing a platform for their unique perspectives and stories.

History of Organization

Since its inception in 1998, imagineNATIVE (known also as the Centre for Aboriginal Media, imagineNATIVE's legal entity) continues to evolve to reflect the needs of its constituencies. Founded by Cynthia Lickers-Sage with the help of Vtape and other community partners, imagineNATIVE is now regarded as one of the most important Indigenous film and media arts festivals in the world.

The five-day imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival features screenings, panels, workshops, and installations with over 12,000 guests attending from across the globe. In January of 2011, imagineNATIVE introduced the indigiFLIX Community Screening Series to offer free screenings across the city aimed at an underserved population and bridging the economic and cultural gap that Aboriginal Torontonians experience. imagineNATIVE furthers its commitment to Indigenous artists and artistic and community development by embarking on the annual Film + Video Tour, which brings programs and workshops to remote communities and reserves across Ontario.

Accolades and Accomplishments

imagineNATIVE has grown and evolved in many ways over the past decade:

• Audience attendance grown from 6,000 to 12,000 since 2005
• Established indigiFLIX Community Screening Series
• Established imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour, screening Indigenous films to Aboriginal communities and post secondary institutes and offering youth video-making workshops
• Curated and supported a number of groundbreaking exhibitions and commissioned film programs including, Shapeshifters, Time Travellers & Storytellers (ICC Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum's first exhibition), and The Embargo Collective (Travelling to international festivals including the Berlin International Film Festival)
• We offer annual mentorships and artist residencies, and continue to build commissioning programs that foster the creation of new film, video, radio and new media works by Indigenous artists
• Shortlisted for the 2009 Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts
• Awarded the 2006 Best Practices Award from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and a Vital Ideas Grant from the Toronto Community Foundation

Programs

>imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (October)
>indigiFLIX Community Screening Series
>imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an international festival in Toronto that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples at the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media.

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival (October)

imagineNATIVE focuses on new and innovative film, video, radio, and new media works. Programming includes annual retrospectives, curated programmes, and presentations of significant groundbreaking and legacy works.

imagineNATIVE plays an important role in the dissemination and exportation of Indigenous works by promoting and exhibiting artists' films, videos, radio, and new media artworks. imagineNATIVE connects these artsists and their works to Canadian and international festivals, markets, distributors, and broadcasters and by facilitating sales and acquisitions.

imagineNATIVE provides Indigenous filmmakers, media artists and curators with professional development opportunities in the form of workshops, panels, mentorships and other activities geared to enhancing creative and professional skills.

Funding and Program Partners

Funders and Sponsors of the 2011 Festival:

Bell Media, Astral Radio, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Deluxe, Slaight Music, Casino Rama, Canadian Media Fund, Global Toronto, RBC, CBC, Isuma Television, TD Financial, Thunderbird Centre, TVO, National Film Board, Edward Day Gallery, A Space Gallery, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Training & Employment, Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage Fund, Telefilm Canada and many other community, media and hostpitality partners.

Program Impact

imagineNATIVE aims to fill a void in the artistic and cultural landscapes of Toronto and beyond. Through our various and ongoing programs we give voice to Indigenous filmmakers and media artists which directly impacts the larger conversation surrounding Aboriginal issues in the city and nationwide. Audience numbers have grown steadily over the years, reaching roughly 12,000 in 2011, a testament to its impact and importance at a time when many cultural and artisitic programs are seeing lower attendance numbers due to ecenomic constraints.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

'70% of Aboriginal residents in Toronto report a growth in Aboriginal cultural vitality: In a recent survey, 39% of Aboriginal residents in Toronto responded that one of the things they like best about their city is the cultural and artistic activities available to them.' (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2010)

Participant Vignette

Lena Recollet - "imagineNATIVE had invited us, Red Slam Collective, to open for Inez Jasper and Martha Redbone for 'The Beat' at Lee's Palace and received mentorship with Martha Redbone. I was amazed and remembered when I heard Martha sing at the Harbourfront Centre some time before. Her voice is amazing and I was excited that Red Slam Collective was receiving mentorship from her. "The night of the 'The Beat' finally arrive and Martha Redbone invited us (Red Slam Collective) to share the stage with her for one of her songs 'The Vineyard.' I was nervous, but she had helped me out by asking me to do some call and response vocals with her onstage. l felt comfortable and connected to my core and so overexcited that I was no longer thinking about what I was doing. I was in the moment. I felt I had come full circle since I first moved to Toronto.

I felt confident not only as a poet but as a singer too. Now I have been in the recording studio at Notlam Productions, recording for my EP release on June 21st, which is National Aboriginal Day. I have performed as a solo artist since February 2011 at Black Lily Arts Celebration and opened for Kinnie Starr for the spring Up Spring Out concert. My first solo performance outside of Toronto was for the Anishnaabemowin Immersion Camp Benefit Concert.

imagineNATIVE has helped shaped my confidence as an artist and was a huge part of establishing where I am at today.

indigiFLIX Community Screening Series

indigiFLIX is a free community screening series which takes place year-round in partnership with local, Aboriginal community organizations. Started in 2011 as a response to the lack of year-round Indigenous content in Toronto's mainstream and independent film scene, the indigiFLIX series connects community members, youth and organizations at a grass roots level, building relationships with key community groups and connecting ppl to indigenous film content, keeping Canadian Indigenous film alive and relevant.

Funding and Program Partners

We partner with local organizations to offer this program. In the past that has included:

• Toronto Council Fire Native Canadian Centre
• Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
• TIFF Bell Lightbox

We plan to expand to other venues for 2012, such as the Harbourfront Centre, and Gabriel Dumont Housing

Program Impact

The indigiFLIX series offers a rare opportunity for residents of Toronto to connect with Indigenous content and filmmaking in a supportive, accessible community setting. in its inaugural year, indigiFLIX programmed four free screenings, and saw audience numbers grow from 30 to 80, over the course of just a few months. This program has a trememdous impact on Indigenous people living in the city, fostering a sense of belonging and appreciation.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

'A strong artistic community can stimulate economic and educational outcomes, shape and celebrate the character of neighbourhoods, and contribute to community well-being.'

imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour

The imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour exists to provide communities access to Indigenous-made film and video. The Tour provides an opportunity to the larger community to experience imagineNATIVE's youth shorts program and our opening or closing night feature presentation outside of the festival in Toronto. Bringing programming to these remote communities contributes to their artistic vibrancy by inspiring community members and sharing works that reflect Aboriginal perspectives and stories. The Tour encourages youth in particular to explore the creation of film and video via screenings, discussion and workshops.

Funding and Program Partners

The imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour funded by the Ontario Arts Council's Touring Program. The Tour partners with schools, Friendship Centres, local theatres and other community groups to present the films and workshops. Our confirmed sponsors for the 2012 Tour are: OCAD, Telus, Southern Ontarion Library Services, RPM.fm and various Media partners.

Program Impact

The imagineNATIVE Film + Video Tour provides access to video-making workshops and free screenings of films made by Aboriginal artists to Aboriginal people living in 13 remote, rural communities across Ontario. The tour reaches roughly 2,000 people and engages over 25 youth in the hands-on workshops, their final works being screened for their peers and one youth video-maker being selected to attend the festival in October.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"Canada's urban regions play a critical role in the life of the country." (Toronto's Vital Signs®, 2011) 

Participant Vignette

John Hupfield, Artist and Tour Coordinator, "The opportunity to bring some really innovative movies to communities that may otherwise never get to see them was really amazing. Hearing what some of the youth had to say and having the chance to speak to them, I really wouldn't give that up for anything. At the same time though I'd like to say that so much more work needs to be done to bring creative opportunities and outlets to these places."