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Indigenous NFB documentary and animation featured at imagineNATIVE. Four new works from the National Film Board of Canada as the festival marks 25 years.

PRESS RELEASE
08/05/2025

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/Métis 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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French version here | Version française ici.

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.