Imaginative Film Festival Awards - Toronto

The 10th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Ends a Hugely Successful 10th Year With A Substantial 20% Rise In Sales At The Box Office And Honours Filmmakers With Some Esteemed Awards

(Toronto – October 19, 2009) imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival came to a close last night with an

awards reception at The Mod Club.  Hosted by Jennifer Podemski - award-winning actress, co-founder of

Big Soul Productions and founder of Red Cloud Studios – it was a packed house filled with filmmakers,

musicians, artists, media and industry.

This record-breaking 10th year ended with significant results, with increased box office attendance and well

over 70 filmmakers in attendance from Canada and around the world. The festival’s Opening Night screening

of Reel Injun sold out at The Bloor Cinema with over 800 people in attendance, and the Closing Night screening

of Barking Water also sold out at The Royal. In fact, this year’s festival included more sold out screenings than

in any previous year before. And with this comes a huge spike in sales with over a 20% jump at the box office.

“This year’s festival once again exceeded all of our expectations in terms of audience participation and enthusiasm,”

says Executive Director Kerry Swanson. “Not only is it exciting to see the festival gain momentum year after year, it

is a testament to the quality of work being produced by Indigenous artists and the hunger from audiences to access the work.”

Awards were presented to the following:

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE

BURWA DII EBO (THE WIND AND THE WATER) directed by Vero Bollow and the Igar Yala Collective

honourable mention

BARKING WATER, directed by Sterlin Harjo

BEST CANADIAN SHORT DRAMA

SHI-SHI-ETKO, produced by Marilyn Thomas

BEST SHORT DRAMA

TUNGIJUQ, Executive Produced by Zacharius Kunuk, an Igloolik Isuma Production
honourable mention

SHIMASANI directed by Blackhorse Lowe

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

HOW PEOPLE GOT FIRE, Animated by Chris Auchter

honourable mention

WELCOME directed by Daniel Gerson

THE ALANIS OBOMSAWIN BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD

CBQM directed by Dennis Allen
honourable mention

REEL INJUN directed by Neil Diamond

BEST EXPERIMENTAL

HORSE, directed by Archer Pechawis

honourable mention

INUKSHOP directed Jobie Weetaluktuk

BEST ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RADIO

Wabanakwut Kinew’s REVISION QUEST

honourable mention

THE SUSAN MUNROE SHOW, artist: Susan Munroe

BEST NEW MEDIA

“Time TravellerTM” by Skawennati Fragnito

honourable mention

WHAT THEY SPEAK WHEN THEY SPEAK TO ME by Jason Lewis

THE CYNTHIA-LICKERS SAGE AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT

NIA’S MELANCHOLY, directed by S.F. Tusa

honourable mention

Beric Manywounds, director of I HEARD A LIGHT

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE PRODUCTION AWARD

BURWA DII EBO (THE WIND AND THE WATER) directed by Vero Bollow and the Igar Yala Collective

honourable mention

SHIMASANI, directed by Blackhorse Lowe

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
TUIA (STITCHED), directed by Louise Potiki Bryant

honourable mention

ARVAS (TUNDRA OF ARVAS) directed by Liselotte Wajstedt

CANWEST MENTORSHIP ROGRAM

Awarded to Darrell Dennis

DRAMA PITCH PRIZE

Awarded to Jeff Barnhart for his pitch Reset Town

honourable mention

EMANCIPATED by Lena Recollet

DOCUMENTARY PITCH PRIZE

Awarded to Jean-François Martel and Marc-André Manseau for Land of Deepest Night

honourable mention

NOT A GOOD WAY TO DIE by Bossy Beaux Ducharme and Lance Carlson

MILESTONE AWARD

Presented by imagineNATIVE

Awarded to Zacharius Kunuk

About the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples at the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media. Each fall in Toronto, the festival presents a selection of the most compelling, Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival’s screenings, parties, panel discussions, and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. The accepted works reflect the diversity of the world’s Indigenous nations and illustrate the vitality and excellence of our art and cultures in contemporary media. http://www.imagineNATIVE.org