Commissioning Projects

LIFT provides support to media artists through occasional commissioning projects. These range from omnibus projects with modest budgets to the creation of significant new works. Some LIFT commissions are curated and others are selected through open calls for submissions. Check back regularly for current calls for submissions.

 

LIFT announces the 2025 BAICC Resident – Juana Robles

Wednesday 1 October 2025 – Friday 31 October 2025

Photo by Renata Mohamed . THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES THE 2025 BAICC RESIDENT JUANA ROBLES Toronto, October 21, 2025—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to welcome Ireland-based Spanish filmmaker Juana Robles as the current resident in the ninth edition of the BAICC Residencias Ar”… more

LIFT and imagineNATIVE 2024 Mentorship Announcement

Thursday 29 August 2024 – Sunday 15 June 2025

2024 LIFT and imagineNATIVE Mentorship Winner Kira Doxtator Photo by Renata Mohamed . THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) AND THE IMAGINENATIVE FILM + MEDIA ARTS FESTIVAL 2024 MENTORSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT Toronto, June 6, 2025—Last fall, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto”… more

LIFT Digital Cinema Residency – 2025 Announcement


              . THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES THE 2025 LIFT DIGITAL CINEMA RESIDENCY RECIPIENTS NOOR KHAN AND KURTIS WATSON Toronto, May 20, 2025—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that Noor Khan and Kurtis Watson were the 2025 Digital”… more

Call for Applicants: LIFT and imagineNATIVE Mentorship Program 2025 – Extended

Monday 14 April 2025 – Friday 11 July 2025

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-“… more

Call for Proposals: Digital Cinema Residency 2025

Friday 18 October 2024 – Monday 4 November 2024

THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES CALL FOR PROPOSALS: DIGITAL CINEMA RESIDENCY 2025 Toronto, October 18, 2024—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is seeking applications from emerging filmmakers and artists between the age of 18 and 30 for a Digital Cinema Residency. The residency will run full-ti”… more

LIFT announces the 2024 BAICC Resident – Brenda Boyer

Tuesday 3 September 2024 – Wednesday 23 October 2024

Photo by Renata Mohamed . THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES THE 2024 BAICC RESIDENT BRENDA BOYER Toronto, October 9, 2024—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to welcome Spanish filmmaker Brenda Boyer as the current resident in the eighth edition of the BAICC Residencias Artísticas Inter”… more

Call for Applicants: LIFT and imagineNATIVE 18th annual Mentorship Program – Extended

Thursday 23 May 2024 – Tuesday 16 July 2024

May 23, 2024 Updated: July 15, 2024 LIFT and imagineNATIVE 2024 ANNUAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM All Indigenous Filmmakers in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) with an original idea for a 16mm short film! Celebrating 20 years of supporting Independent Indigenous Film, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is partnering up with Liaison of Independent Filmm”… more

Digital Cinema Residency – 2024 Announcement

Monday 12 February 2024 – Sunday 31 March 2024

Photo by Renata Mohamed THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES THE 2024 LIFT DIGITAL CINEMA RESIDENCY RECIPIENT A.C. BIRCH Toronto, February 20, 2024—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that A.C. Birch is the inaugural resident of our Digital Cinema Residency, launched for the fi”… more

Josephine Massarella Artist Award – 2022 Announcement

Thursday 30 November 2023 –

THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO ANNOUNCES THE 2022 JOSEPHINE MASSARELLA ARTIST AWARD RECIPIENT Toronto, November 30, 2023—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that Marnie Parrell is the 2022 Josephine Massarella Artist Award Recipient. After some unexpected delays, we are thrilled to welcom”… more

LIFT announces the 2023 BAICC Resident – Agnès Hayden

Monday 11 September 2023 – Sunday 5 November 2023

THE LIAISON OF INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS OF TORONTO (LIFT) ANNOUNCES THE 2023 BAICC RESIDENT AGNÈS HAYDEN Toronto, October 11, 2023—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to welcome Spanish filmmaker Agnès Hayden as the current resident in the seventh edition of the BAICC Residencias Artísticas Internacionales de Creacion C”… more