The 9th Annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Ends Another Successful Year and Hands Out A Host of Awards

For Immediate Release
Presenting Sponsor
CTVglobemedia

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival came to a close last night, handing out Awards and celebrating another record-breaking year.

Hosted by Darrell Dennis, a regular on CBC Radio, last night’s closing at Revival included a busy venue filled with a cross section of the festivals filmmakers, musicians, artists, media and industry.“The ninth year was an incredible success,” says imagineNATIVE’s Festival Director Rebeka Tabobondung, “we couldn’t have imagined a better lead-up to the festival’s tenth anniversary in 2009. And the focus on the voices of Indigenous women and the increased youth initiatives, made this year especially meaningful.”

“This year imagineNATIVE received the most submissions from around the world than ever before” adds artistic director Danis Goulet, “and the works that were screened this year, made by Indigenous artists, was definitely the highest of calibre. Not to mention the festival’s opening and closing night screenings which were incredibly well-received with packed houses, many having to be turned away at the door due to sell outs, namely the special presentation of Before Tomorrow, garnering an unprecedented response from the public and industry. “

Patron Alanis Obomsawin was honoured at a special reception and women and youth took the top prizes at the festival this year. Before Tomorrow directed by Marie Hélène-Cousineau and Madelaine Piujuq Ivalu and made by a women’s collective from Igloolik took the award for Best Feature Film, and March Point, a collaborative effort that included three teens from the Swinomish reservation in Washington state took the Alanis Obomsawin Best Documentary Award.

“This year,” concludes Ms. Goulet, “was no doubt a landmark and inspiring year for the voices of Indigenous women and youth.”

Awards were presented to the following:

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE
BEFORE TOMORROW
directed by Marie Hélène-Cousineau and Madelaine Piujuq Ivalu.

BEST CANADIAN SHORT DRAMA
A SMALL THING, directed by Adam Garnet Jones

BEST SHORT DRAMA
SIKUMI (ON THE ICE), directed by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Le rêve d’une mere, directed by Cherilyn Papatie.

THE ALANIS OBOMSAWIN BEST DOCUMENTARY AWARD
MARCH POINT, a collaboration by Cody Cayou, Nick Clark, Tracy Rector, Annie Silverstein and Travis Tom.

honourable mention
CLUB NATIVE directed by Tracey Deer.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL
TSU HEIDEI SHUGAXTUTAAN PART 1, directed by Nicholas Galanin.

honourable mention
GUNPLAY 2 directed by Dana Claxton

BEST ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RADIO
Doug Bedard’s THE PLEX SHOW.

BEST DOCUMENTARY, CURRENT AFFAIRS AND TALK RADIO
Kim Ziervogel’s REVISION QUEST episode on ALCOHOL.

BEST NEW MEDIA
RABBIT AND BEARPAWS by Chad Solomon.

honourable mention
DANE WAJICH, DANE-ZAA STORIES AND SONGS: DREAMERS AND THE LAND by Gary Oker.

THE CYNTHIA-LICKERS SAGE AWARD FOR EMERGING TALENT
Janelle Wookey director of MEMERE METISSE.

honourable mention
Tom E. Lewis director of ONE RIVER, ALL RIVERS.

BEST INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE PRODUCTION AWARD
L’AMENDMENT (THE AMENDMENT) directed by Kevin Papatie.

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
WARRK WARRK (BLACK CROW), directors Tom E. Lewis and Julia Morris.

honourable mention
TANGAROA (GOD OF THE SEA), directed by Carey Carter.
CANWEST MENTORSHIP ROGRAM
Awarded to Adam Garnet Jones

DRAMA PITCH PRIZE
Awarded to Pamela Matthews for her pitch The Secret of Pellican Lake

DOCUMENTARY PITCH PRIZE
Awarded to Sarain Carson Fox for Nowacumagabo (He Who Stands at the Centre)

imagineNATIVE Sponsors 2008
Presenting Sponsor: CTVglobemedia
Gold: Astral Media Radio
Silver: Canwest, NBC Universal
Bronze: Canadian Television Fund, Casino Rama, CBC News, Deluxe, Harold Greenberg Fund, Isuma TV, Movieola, Ontario Lottery and Gaming, Women in Film and Television – Toronto
Media: Aboriginal Voices Radio, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Global, NOW Magazine, SAY Magazine
Public Funders: Canadian Heritage, Canada Council for the Arts, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training, Ontario, Ontario Arts Council, Telefilm, Toronto Arts Council
Community Partners: 7th Generation Image Makers, Beehive Design, Big Soul Productions, Charles Street Video, Goethe-Institut Toronto, Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, Miles Nadal JCC, National Gallery of Canada, Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, National Film Board of Canada, SAW Video, Vtape, Winnipeg Film Group
Friends: Frame Discreet, Niagara Custom Lab, Ontario Ministry of Culture, Vision TV

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DONATE TO THE imagineNATIVE FILM + MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL imagineNATIVE is a non-profit charitable organization that relies on public, private, and individual support. To donate, contact Kerry Potts at kpotts@imagineNATIVE.org or (416) 585-2333.
Charitable receipts will be issued for donations of $30 or more.