ICA Full Industry Day at 2026 TIFF Inaugural Market
INDIGENOUS CINEMA ALLIANCE (ICA) ANNOUNCES FULL INDUSTRY DAY AT 2026 TIFF INAUGURAL MARKET
LINE UP INCLUDES PARTICIPANTS FROM NEW ZEALAND FILM COMMISSION, NATIONAL INDIGENOUS TELEVISION (NITV/SBS), UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT, EURIMAGES, CBC, AND MORE.
PRESS RELEASE
September 8, 2026 (Toronto, ON) – On Friday, September 11, 2026, the Indigenous Cinema Alliance (ICA)—supported by the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and ICA project lead imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival—presents a dedicated Industry Day spotlighting international sales, pitching, and co-productions for Indigenous-made screen content. Designed to champion global opportunities for Indigenous storytellers, the day highlights upcoming projects from the 2026 ICA TIFF Market Slate—including Jacqueline Olivé’s documentary/animated hybrid LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER, Brooke Collard’s psychological horror RECLAMATION, and Suvi West and Anssi Kömi’s surreal rom-com MÁTTÁRÁHKKÁ—alongside featured partner projects such as Darlene Naponse and Pauline Clague’s romantic dramedy THE LAST PROTEST. ICA Industry Day offers a premier venue for international Indigenous delegates, as well as distributors, sales agents, and strategic partners to connect, collaborate, and engage with the vital present and future of Indigenous cinema.
INDIGENOUS CINEMA ALLIANCE INDUSTRY DAY SCHEDULE
7 Deadly Sins of Film Sales & Pitching
Time: 09:15 – 10:15
Location: Canadian Pavillion (MTCC B2)
Bringing Indigenous-led stories to world markets takes strategy. Join top industry pros as they dissect 7 major pitfalls in sales and pitching—and how to build authentic, high-impact buyer relationships.
Moderated by Jing Haase (Head of Industry, Kurzfilmtage Winterthur), a short film expert, seasoned industry veteran, and go-to moderator, the panel features Anusha Duray (Bundjalung), Acquisitions Manager at NITV/SBS specializing in First Nations content; Jasmin McSweeney MNZM (Kūki Āirani), Senior Manager of Acquisitions at Umbrella Entertainment; and Jason Ryle (Lake St. Martin Anishinaabe), TIFF International Programmer for the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Global Indigenous Cinema. Together, these key market leaders share critical insights on building market-ready assets, navigating buyers, and maximizing global reach.
From Pitch to Partner: Global Co-Production Showcase
Time: 11:00 – 12:30
Location: 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Four international Indigenous projects pitch to top global funders and distributors. Designed to unlock international funding, strategic partnerships, and cross-border collaboration.
Moderated by Melanie Nepinak Hadley (Minegoziibe Anishinabe), VP of Industry, Partnerships & Growth at the ISO and seasoned former network executive, the pitches will be evaluated by a distinguished panel: Ainsley Gardiner (Ngāti Awa, Te Whānau-a-Apanui), veteran producer and Head of Funding at the NZ Film Commission; Katre Kajamäe-Gupta, Project Manager at Eurimages specializing in feature co-productions; Erica Shallow, Telefilm Canada's Deputy Director of Business Affairs; and Lucie Meynial, Telefilm’s Senior Advisor and Treaty Coproduction Analyst. Together, they bring crucial expertise spanning fund management, treaty mechanics, and business affairs.
Projects
LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER (U.S.)
Producer & Director: Jacqueline Olivé (Tongan)
Co-Producer: Cineric Creative (Japan)
After a breakup in Japan, a young woman returns home to find her Tongan father has taken in her Japanese ex on a student visa. This darkly comedic hybrid animation documentary intimately explores migration, memory, masculinity, and womanhood, questioning who we become when the land beneath us changes.
MÁTTÁRÁHKKÁ (Sápmi, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
Director: Suvi West (Sámi), Anssi Kömi
Producer: Julia Elomäki
Co-Producer: Sara Beate Eira (Sámi) / Screaming Fox Productions, Eva Åkergren & Siri Hjorton / [sic] film
Máret, a rebellious actress, tries to escape from her Arctic homeland, but when a passionate romance awakens her hidden powers, she rises to fight the patriarchy with love. If you want to survive in the world of beasts, you have to be a little bit of a beast yourself.
RECLAMATION (Australia)
Director: Gary Hamaguchi (Jaru/Noongar)
Producer: Brooke Collard (Ballardong Whadjuk Noongar)
Olive, a First Nations woman, is being haunted by a sleep paralysis demon. When she confides in her father, he takes it as a sign that she must be anointed. She undergoes trials that push her further from her faith and closer to her culture, resulting in a baptism of fire.
THE LAST PROTEST (Australia, Canada)
Director: Darlene Naponse (Atikameksheng Anishnawbek), Rima Tamou (Bulgunnwarra/NgāruahineRangi)
Producer: Pauline Clague (Yaegl), Darlene Naponse
Fifty years after Australia’s Tent Embassy tore them apart, Jack, a Yamitji man, travels to Canada seeking Shona, an Anishinaabe activist. While Jack is now at peace on Country, Shona still fights for the cause. Reunited, they must confront whether the love that bound them together can bridge the worlds that pulled them apart.
Indigenous Series Lab Pitch Showcase
Time: 13:30 – 15:00
Location: 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Featuring fresh scripted TV and digital series from the Indigenous Series Lab (ISL)—a collaborative initiative by the imagineNATIVE Institute, StoryBoard Collective, CMF, ISO, and the Schmidt Family Foundation. This six-month incubator empowers Indigenous writers to craft market-ready episodic content. Guided by Mohawk veteran producer Paula Devonshire (Clarice, Indian Horse) and Diné award-winning writer/director Blackhorse Lowe (Reservation Dogs, Outer Range), participants develop complete pitch decks and pilot scripts for 6–10 episode series. Making their industry debut at the ICA Industry Day during TIFF: The Market, the cohort will go on to showcase globally at the 2027 Berlinale Series Market
- Host: Melanie Hadley (ISO)
- Feedback panel features:
- Drew Mullin, Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Kids
- Sarah Quan, Executive in Charge of Development for CBC Comedy
- Zlatina Pacheva, Development Executive, Scripted & Animation, Blue Ant Media
Projects
SKYWORLD
Ajuawak Kapashesit (Anishinaabe/Cree)
An Indigenous man tries to drop his baggage and take a great leap forward when he starts a space program on the reservation.
THE HĀLAU
Erin Lau (Native Hawaiian)
THE HĀLAU is a one-hour family drama that follows sixteen-year-old Maile Johnson who, after her mother’s death, is forced to live with her estranged family on Oahu and enter the world of competitive hula dancing.
DÍI X̲UUX
Kristi Lane Sinclair (Haida/Cree)
Set in present-day Haida Gwaii, DÍI X̲UUX follows the X̲UUXS — a wildly lovable supernatural family band living inside an enormous old-growth cedar tree.
BLOOD & ORDER
The Strangling Wolf Brothers (Blackfoot)
An Indigenous land-back lawyer, John B. MacDonald, fights against colonial corporations in the courtroom by day, and by night against the evil vampires that control these companies. John is determined to expose the conspiracy that vampires are real.
Would You Buy This?
Time: 15:30 – 17:00
Location: 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Hosted by the format’s creator Jing Haase, four filmmakers screen a teaser and key scene for live, unedited reactions from broadcast buyers and sales agency acquisitions execs.
The feedback panel features key industry decision-makers: Anusha Duray (Bundjalung), Acquisitions Manager at NITV/SBS; Chloe Sosa-Sims, Senior Advisor of Unscripted Acquisitions at CBC; Julien Razafindranaly, Head of Sales at Films Boutique; and Karis Aldridge, Senior Director of Sales and Acquisitions at Radiant Films International. Together, they offer candid first impressions and expert insight on cinematic hook, positioning, audience appeal, and commercial sales potential.
Meet the ICA Reception
Time: 17:30 – 19:30
Location: 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto
Connect with ICA partners, delegates, and fellows over drinks and light bites.
This year's initiatives are made possible through funding from Creative Export Canada, along with the generous sponsorship of the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) and the Canada Media Fund (CMF). The ICA also extends its gratitude to supporting organizations: the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF), Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga / New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC), and Telefilm Canada for their vital contributions to our international mandate.
A preview of the full ICA programming, fellows, and event at TIFF market can be found here.
Industry Day events are invite-only. For further details and general inquiries, please email icaevents@imaginenative.org.
Members of the press requesting an invitation should contact AlphaPR at amy@wearealphapr.com.
About the Indigenous Cinema Alliance
Founded in 2015 through an official partnership with the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale, the ICA originally operated as an annual market stand showcasing market-ready work by Indigenous screen storytellers. In 2024, the ICA expanded into a year-round, B2B international trade alliance. Administered by imagineNATIVE, the ICA's 2026 organizational partners also include the International Sámi Film Institute, Winda Film Festival, Film.GL, Pacific Islanders in Communications, 4th World Media, Mullu, Māoriland Film Festival, Ngā Aho Whakaari, and the Film Institute of Greenland. Operating globally, the ICA delivers specialized market access, fellowship programs, and cross-border co-production pathways to elevate market-ready Indigenous content and ensure culturally safe business environments worldwide.
For more information about the ICA, please visit www.indigenouscinema.org.
Follow the Indigenous Cinema Alliance
Instagram: indigenous.cinema.alliance
Website: indigenouscinema.org
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Media Contact
Amy Saunders, AlphaPR
7821-321-6085
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