LIFT Digital Cinema Residency – 2026 Announcement
Photo by Renata Mohamed
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THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT)
ANNOUNCES THE 2026 DIGITAL CINEMA RESIDENCY RECIPIENT
DC DZOJA
Toronto, January 12, 2026—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that DC Dzoja is the 2026 Digital Cinema Resident this winter, a program launched for the first time in 2024. The Digital Cinema Residency both supports the production and post-production of a digital cinema work, and provides mentorship towards obtaining the necessary skills to create their projects. Artists have the opportunity to work with LIFT’s extensive roster of industry standard digital cinema cameras, accessories, and our digital post-production suites.
In addition, DC Dzoja will use the time at the LIFT facilities during the residency to animate and work on post-production of the stop motion portion of her newest short film “Sunday Nights”, an experimental horror film exploring the relationship between a young adult and a parent as they try to reconcile their past with a possible future. The film, a combination of stop motion animation and live-action, explores the monsters of childhood, growing pains, and the understanding, as one ages, that parents are just people. It has a strong focus on liminality and the transition state between past and present, asleep and awake, memory and reality. It deals in memories, dreams, and something in between.
“Because of LIFT, I’m being afforded the time, space, and resources to learn. How often does that opportunity come around? Being able to finally dedicate my energy to working on a piece of art that is meaningful to me is such a privilege, and I’m beyond excited to start filming. And my apartment can now be free from the miniature sets I’ve been building for a year!”
—DC Dzoja
DC Dzoja (she/they) is a Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker, with a primary focus on directing, producing, and editing with a special interest in the human condition, psychological thrillers, horrors, and character pieces that showcase human emotion and question morality. Having worked as an editor for over 7 years, she is now expanding her craft and exploring new mediums in stop motion animation. Her films have screened at Toronto’s Blood In The Snow (BITS) Film Festival, Final Girls Berlin, and National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY), among others. Their new film “Sunday Nights” will be produced by Kassy Gascho, a Toronto-based producer and filmmaker, and animated alongside Anna Harestad, a Toronto-based animator and filmmaker. https://www.instagram.com/dc_dzoja
The Digital Cinema Residency 2025 jury consisted of LIFT’s Executive Director Chris Kennedy and LIFT’s Special Projects Manager Robin Riad.
Chris Kennedy is an independent filmmaker, film programmer and writer based in Toronto. He programmed for the Images Festival from 2003-06, Pleasure Dome from 2000-06 and for TIFF Cinematheque’s monthly artist film and video series (The Free Screen/Wavelengths) from 2012-2019. He co-founded and co-programmed Early Monthly Segments from 2009 to 2018. His experimental films have screened at over two hundred film festivals worldwide and have been featured in solo shows at the Canadian Film Institute, Los Angeles Film Forum, Nam June Paik Art Center and the Pacific Film Archive. His film Watching the Detectives won the Ken Burns Award for the Best of the Festival at the Ann Arbor Film Festival in 2018. He has presented the work of other artists in Belgium, Egypt, Germany, the US and Canada. He holds an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.
Robin Riad is an experimental filmmaker, film programmer, and visual artist. Robin works with analogue mediums, and enjoys exploring the materiality of film in her work. She has screened in countries such as the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, India and more. When not making films, Robin spends her time teaching workshops, making potions in the darkroom, and volunteering at local arts organizations. Robin will never say no to a Coke Zero or Kinder Bueno if offered.
This residency opportunity is presented as part of the Digital Skills for Youth (DS4Y) program coordinated by the Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) and funded by the Government of Canada.
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The Independent Media Arts Alliance (IMAA) is a member-driven non-profit national organization working to advance and strengthen the media arts community in Canada. Representing over 100 independent film, video, audio, and new media production, distribution, and exhibition organizations in all parts of the country, the IMAA serves over 16,000 independent media artists and cultural workers. https://www.imaa.ca
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is Canada’s foremost artist-run production and education organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the moving image. LIFT exists to provide support and encouragement for independent filmmakers and artists through affordable access to production, post-production and exhibition equipment; professional and creative development; workshops and courses; commissioning and exhibitions; artist residencies; and a variety of other services. http://lift.ca
LIFT is supported by self-generated revenue as well as the following year-round funders: the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), Ontario Arts Foundation, the Government of Ontario and the Toronto Arts Council (TAC).
As a charitable organization, LIFT graciously accepts donations via our CanadaHelps page. If you would like to support our filmmaking community, please visit https://lift.ca/donate
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For additional information please see https://lift.ca or e-mail LIFT Executive Director Chris Kennedy at director@lift.ca
Monday 12 January 2026 – Tuesday 31 March 2026
Non-members:
Members:
Location:
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street
Toronto Ontario