Call for Applicants: LIFT and imagineNATIVE Mentorship Program 2025 – Extended
April 14, 2025
Updated: July 7, 2025
Attention Indigenous filmmakers in the GTA with an original idea for a 16mm short film!
Celebrating 20 years of supporting independent Indigenous film, the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is once again partnering with imagineNATIVE to give the selected participant a minimum of $10,000 and in-kind services to create a short film to premiere at the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto!
We are in search of an Indigenous creator (emerging or established) who is a deadline-driven self-starter looking to expand their filmmaking experience and familiarity with 16mm filmmaking with LIFT. The selected participant will receive a LIFT membership from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, $750 in-kind worth of training workshops offered during LIFT’s summer and fall 2025 calendar, and a mentor. Candidates must commit to attending the LIFT training workshops that they register for from July 2025 to December 2025.
Expand your filmmaking experience and shoot and edit your 5 to 10 minute short film with the guidance of LIFT and imagineNATIVE!
The successful applicant will be provided with:
– A LIFT Production Membership from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
– Eligibility to enrol in up to $750 worth of training workshops offered during LIFT’s summer and fall 2025 calendar
– Mentorship from LIFT staff and mentors, pending their availability
– Support, mentorship, and the use of 16mm production equipment from LIFT
Please note: Projects must be realistic in scope and subject matter as they must be completed and transferred as a digital file with closed captioning to imagineNATIVE for our theatre venue by April 2026. Print-quality film stills and a final synopsis will be required by March 2026 for publication in the imagineNATIVE catalogue and online.
Eligibility Criteria:
– This call is open to Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) candidates living in or near the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) only
– Open to applicants aged 18+
– Candidates must commit to attending the LIFT training workshops
– You must live in Toronto or within commuting distance from the city in order to access LIFT workshops and equipment; travel subsidy and cost of living are not covered by this mentorship
Additional Application Materials:
– ½ to 1-page film treatment
– A production schedule to meet the required final deliverables deadlines
– A budget that shows your film can be completed within the scope of the mentorship and delivered to imagineNATIVE by March 2026 to be included in the annual imagineNATIVE Originals programming at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
For any questions, please contact imagineNATIVE’s Institute Coordinator Cheyanne Jacko-Sawe at cheyanne@imagineNATIVE.org
Deadline: Friday, July 11, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET
Application Form online at https://imaginenative.org/institute/mentorship
Monday 14 April 2025 – Friday 11 July 2025
Non-members: Free to apply
Members: Free to apply
Location:
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street
Toronto Ontario