Indigenous NFB documentary and animation featured at imagineNATIVE.Four new works from the National Film Board of Canada as the festival marks 25 years.
May 8, 2025 - Toronto - National Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Four films from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will showcase powerful Indigenous documentary and animated storytelling as the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto celebrates its milestone 25th anniversary.
Filmmakers Kim O'Bomsawin and Sinakson Trevor Solway delve into themes of Indigenous youth and masculinity in a pair of compelling feature documentaries. There's excellence and innovation in short filmmaking, too, from Amanda Strong and legendary Abenaki creator Alanis Obomsawin.
imagineNATIVE's in-person screenings will take place June 3 to 8 in Toronto, with its online festival streaming June 9 to 15. Unless indicated, all NFB films are available in-person and online.
NFB selection at imagineNATIVE
Ninan Auassat: We, the Children by Kim O'Bomsawin (93 min) | TORONTO PREMIERE
Thursday, June 5, at 11:00 a.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3
Shot over more than six years, Abenaki director Kim O'Bomsawin's Ninan Auassat celebrates the power and vitality of Indigenous youth from three different nations-Atikamekw, Eeyou Cree and Innu. Filmed from "a child's eye-view" and without adult voices, the film reveals the dreams of a new generation poised to take flight.
Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man by Sinakson Trevor Solway (77 min)
Saturday, June 7, at 2:30 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 1 (screening in-person only) | Filmmaker in attendance
Siksika filmmaker Sinakson Trevor Solway intimately portrays the lives of Blackfoot men as they navigate identity, kinship and the complex expectations of manhood. Through unfiltered moments set against the breathtaking landscape of the Prairies, Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Manreimagines what it means to be a Native man.
My Friend the Green Horse by Alanis Obomsawin (11 min 20 s) | ONTARIO PREMIERE, filmmaker in attendance
Sensory Friendly Screening: Wednesday, June 4, at 11 a.m., TIFF Lightbox 2
Short Film Program: FAMILY MATTERS | Sunday, June 8, at 1 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3
Often feeling alone in her waking life, a young Alanis Obomsawin found friendship with the Green Horse, a benevolent being she visited regularly in her dreams. In this short film combining stop-motion animation and live action, the Green Horse and other animal spirits guide Alanis to realize the immensity of the gift of life and the power of kindness.
Alanis will also take part in ReMatriate the Lens, a women's roundtable discussion on Friday, June 6, at 4:15 p.m. at The Well, presented as part of imagineNATIVE Industry Days.
Inkwo for When the Starving Return by Amanda Strong (Spotted Fawn Productions/NFB, 18 min 27 s)
Short Film Program: WITCHING HOUR | Friday, June 6, at 10 p.m. | TIFF Lightbox 3 | Filmmaker in attendance
Michif/Metis creator Amanda Strong's Inkwo is a stop-motion animated adaptation of a short story by Richard Van Camp in which a gender-shifting warrior uses their Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from a swarm of terrifying creatures. Featuring such voice talents as Paulina Alexis and Tantoo Cardinal.
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