Caroline Monnet won the Dramatic Feature Award for Bootlegger and Landon Dyksterhouse won the Documentary Feature Award for Warrior Spirit at the 2021 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.

The festival is the first and only Indigenous film festival in the world to be a Qualifying Festival for the Best Live Action Short category for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2019 making Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk, the 2021 winner for Best Live Action Short, eligible to submit for the Best Live Action Short category at the Oscars.

2021 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival Award Winners

Experimental Audio Award
with support from imagineNATIVE with a $2500 cash prize
The Battle Within – Janet Marie Rogers

Narrative Audio Award
with support from imagineNATIVE with a $2500 cash prize
Warrior Kids Podcast: The Boy and the Whale – Dr. Pamela Palmater

Emerging Digital + Interactive Award
with support from imagineNATIVE with a $2500 cash prize
A Drive To Top Surgery – Raven Two Feathers

Mid-Career Digital + Interactive Award
with support from imagineNATIVE with a $2500 cash prize
A Strong Fire – Wendi Sierra

Innovation in Storytelling Award
in recognition of Kent Monkman with support from Sobeys and Kent Monkman with a $7500 cash prize
Puisi – Pilutaq Lundblad

Documentary Short Award
with support from TVO with a $2500 cash prize
Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again – Courtney Montour

Documentary Feature Award
in recognition of the legacy of Alanis Obomsawin with support from CBC with a $5000 cash prize
Warrior Spirit – Landon Dyksterhouse

Live Action Short Award
in recognition of founders Cynthia Lickers-Sage and Vtape, with support from Vtape and Jason Ryle, with a $7500 cash prize
Angakusajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice – Zacharias Kunuk

Dramatic Feature Award
with support from imagineNATIVE with a $7500 cash prize
Bootlegger – Caroline Monnet

New Voice in Storytelling Award
in honour of Jane Glassco and Ellen Monague with support from CJ Foundation and Indigenous Education & Engagement at Humber College with a $2500 cash prize
Adaawk – Lorna Brown

Indigenous Language Production Award
with support from Indigenous Media Initiatives with a $2500 cash prize
Matuna, la sombra del Guerrero – Rafael Roberto Mojica Gil

August Schellenberg Award of Excellence
with support from Joan Karasevich Schellenberg and ACTRA National with a $2500 cash prize
Dr Shirley Cheechoo

Sun Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada with a $2500 cash prize
Hiama – Matasila Freshwater

Moon Jury Award
with support from the Directors Guild of Canada with a $2500 cash prize
Run Woman Run – Zoe Hopkins

APTN/Web Series Pitch Prize
with support from APTN and Bell Fund for $50,000 in cash and in-kind prizing
additional support from William F. White, Picture Shop, Formosa, Streamland Media, Innovate By Day, TIFF, and Women in Film & Television – WIFT Toronto
The Feather News by Ryan Moccasin, Shawn Cuthand and Daniel Knight

Harmonize Prize
with support from Slaight Music with a $5500 cash prize
Additional support from MBS Equipment Company, and in-kind support from Nagamo Publishing
Andrew Joseph Stevens