National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Congratulations to the National Screen Institute alum whose work has been selected for the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. Eight projects by alum are featured this year, including AKI by Darlene Naponse (NSI Features First), which opens the festival on June 2.

From features and shorts to reality television, these selections showcase the incredible work Indigenous storytellers are bringing to audiences across Canada and beyond.

🔗Read more:

Alum at 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival | National Screen Institute National Screen Institute alum featured in the 2026 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

National Screen Institute alum are heading to Yorkton Film Festival.

This year’s festival runs from May 21 to 25 and includes alum nominated across Golden Sheaf Award categories, featured in the opening night screening and taking part in industry panels and networking events.

We’re proud to celebrate their work at this year’s festival.

🔗Click here to learn more:

Alum at Yorkton film festival 2026 | National Screen Institute Celebrating alum recognized across screenings, awards and industry programming.

Dix créateur·rice·s émergent·e·s ont recement amorcé leur formation dans le cadre de NSI Intro to Production – Édition francophone du Manitoba, un programme hybride conçu pour initier les participant·e·s à la scénarisation, à la narration et à la production sur plateau en français.

Joignez-vous à nous pour accueillir les participant·e·s de la cohorte 2026 :

Houda Belaid
Noel Coulibaly
Harold Kouton
Jed Kuetche
Loïc Matabishi
Prudence Mouafo
Bedier Pangnyere
Ousmane Sambou
Daniela Smith-Fernandez
Ive Archil Tchinda

Développé à la suite de conversations amorcées lors de l’événement All Access 365 d’On Screen Manitoba axé sur la francophonie, le programme crée un espace permettant aux conteur·euse·s francophones de développer leurs compétences, leurs liens avec l’industrie et leur confiance au sein du secteur de l’écran en pleine croissance au Manitoba.

🔗 Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus : https://nsi-canada.ca/media_release/les-participant·e·s-debutent-la-formation/

NSI Intro to Production – Édition francophone du Manitoba est financé par Téléfilm Canada, partenaire principal; Manitoba Film & Music, partenaire provincial; On Screen Manitoba et RACCORD, partenaires de l’industrie; IATSE 856 et Wookey Films, organismes de soutien de l’industrie; Blue Bridge, donateur de soutien. Les principaux bailleurs de fonds du National Screen Institute sont le ministère du Sport, de la Culture, du Patrimoine et du Tourisme du Manitoba, la Ville de Winnipeg par l’intermédiaire du Winnipeg Arts Council et Rogers. D’autres commanditaires seront ajoutés dès confirmation.

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Ten emerging creators recently began training through NSI Intro to Production – Manitoba Francophone Edition, a hybrid program designed to introduce participants to screenwriting, storytelling and hands-on production experience in French.

Please join us in welcoming the 2026 participants:

Houda Belaid
Noel Coulibaly
Harold Kouton
Jed Kuetche
Loïc Matabishi
Prudence Mouafo
Bedier Pangnyere
Ousmane Sambou
Daniela Smith-Fernandez
Ive Archil Tchinda

Developed following conversations sparked through On Screen Manitoba’s Francophone-focused All Access 365 event, the program creates space for Francophone storytellers to build skills, industry connections and confidence in Manitoba’s growing screen sector.

🔗 Click here to learn more: https://nsi-canada.ca/media_release/les-participant·e·s-debutent-la-formation/

NSI Intro to Production – Manitoba Francophone Edition is funded by Patron Telefilm Canada; Provincial Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Industry Partners On Screen Manitoba and RACCORD; Industry Supporters IATSE 856, Wookey Films; Supporting Donor Blue Bridge. National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council and Rogers. More sponsors will be added as confirmed.

new chapter begins this week as the 2026 cohort of CBC New Indigenous Voices start training. ✨

Please join us in welcoming the 2026 participants:

Cole Clark
Kim Coltman
Canaan Kejick
Lindsay Larocque
Cyrus Maytwayashing
Roni McGillivary
Tyrell Rowan
Lisa Rueckert
Everett Sokol
Chey Wright

Over 14 weeks, participants will develop original creative work, gain hands-on production experience and build connections across the screen industry through mentorship, training and internships.

This year marks CBC’s 10th year as title sponsor of CBC New Indigenous Voices, which has supported Indigenous storytellers as they step into careers in film, television and digital media for more than two decades.

🔗 Click here to learn more: https://nsi-canada.ca/media_release/cbc-new-indigenous-voices-2026-participants/

CBC New Indigenous Voices 2026 is funded by Title, Presenting and Tuition Sponsor CBC Manitoba; Program Partners Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Neeginan Education, Training and Employment Services, Inc. (NETES), Telefilm Canada; Strategic Sponsors BC Film Foundation, Creative BC, The Winnipeg Foundation; Director / Production Sponsor The Directors Guild of Canada - Manitoba District Council (DGC); Provincial/Territorial Sponsors Manitoba Film and Music, Creative Saskatchewan, ScreenSask Apprenticeship Stream Training Program; Industry Partners Final Draft, Eagle Vision, Talon Production Services; Industry Supporters IATSE 856 Manitoba, On Screen Manitoba, Wookey Films Inc., Big Sky Studios; Service Sponsor Line 21 Media Services Ltd.. National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council, Rogers. More sponsors will be added as confirmed.

CBC New Indigenous Voices 2026 participants begin training | National Screen Institute Participants will spend 14 weeks learning the essential elements of working in the film, TV and digital media industries.

New to Canada and ready to bring your stories to the screen?Navigating a new industry can feel like a maze, but we’ve got the map! Join CBC, CAVCO, and CMPA for the 9th season of the One Stop Business Workshop: The Media Map. 🗺️

This free 3-day virtual series is specifically designed for newcomer creators to help you master the business of TV, film, and digital content.

Details: Virtual, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET

ASL, Closed Captioning, and French translation provided.

Can’t make it live? Register anyway to get the recordings sent straight to your inbox! 📩

Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/one-stop-business-workshop-the-media-map-a-one-stop-guide-for-newcomers-tickets-1988319060835

Earlier this month, the NSI Intro to Virtual Production - Manitoba Indigenous Lab wrapped at StudioLab xR.

Over three days, participants explored how virtual production supports storytelling, starting with ideas and gradually moving into hands-on work.

By day three, they were on set at StudioLab xR, shooting a scene with the support of a director of photography and a lighting and grip specialist.

The lab focused on learning by doing, with space to experiment, collaborate and build confidence with the tools.

Special thank you to Curtis Pilon for these images.

Over 112,000 Manitobans are French speakers, but for francophone and francophile creators, opportunities in the screen industry are still limited.

At National Screen Institute, we build programs based on where support is needed.

NSI Intro to Production – Manitoba Francophone Edition was created with that in mind.

This entry-level training program introduces participants to storytelling, screenwriting and on-set production through a mix of virtual sessions and hands-on training in Winnipeg.

Applications close today! Apply here: https://nsi-canada.ca/programs/intro-to-production/

Source: Ethnicity, Language and Immigration Thematic Series, Statistics Canada, 2023.

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Plus de 112 000 personnes au Manitoba parlent français, mais pour les créateur·rice·s francophones et francophiles, les occasions dans l’industrie de l’écran demeurent limitées.

Au National Screen Institute, nous concevons des programmes en fonction des besoins en matière de soutien.

Initiation à la réalisation du NSI – Édition francophone du Manitoba a été créé dans cette optique.

Ce programme de formation d’initiation permet aux participant·e·s de découvrir la narration, l’écriture scénaristique et la production sur plateau grâce à une combinaison de sessions virtuelles et de formation pratique à Winnipeg.

Les candidatures ferment aujourd'hui! Postulez ici : https://nsi-canada.ca/programs/intro-to-production/

Source: Série thématique sur l'ethnicité, la langue et l'immigration, Statistique Canada, 2023

Happy National Canadian Film Day!

We’re marking the day by looking back at NSI Features First, a program that supported filmmakers developing their first or second feature films.

The films featured here are currently being highlighted by CanFilmDay as part of the National Screen Institute's 40th anniversary. It’s a reminder of the stories that have come through the program and the filmmakers behind them.

🔗 Explore the films here: https://canfilmday.ca/national-screen-institute-40th-anniversary/

Thank you to the National Canadian Film Day team for including us.

National Screen Institute 40th Anniversary - National Canadian Film Day Since 1986, the National Screen Institute has been one of Canada’s most established national training organizations for storytellers across film, television and digital media. The institute supports creators from Indigenous and equity-deserving communities and responds to evolving industry needs t...

What does five days on set look like for emerging to mid-level storytellers? Last week, six Manitoba-based creators found out.

The National Screen Institute, in partnership with On Screen Manitoba, brought together six Manitoba-based storytellers for the Manitoba Directors Lab, a five-day intensive focused on scripted production.

Led by director Karen Lam, participants worked through scene breakdown, shot listing and blocking while collaborating across key departments including casting, cinematography and visual effects.

They also connected with local industry professionals, including visual effects specialist Liam Karp, and spent time at Big Sky Studios building relationships across Manitoba’s screen sector.

The lab offers hands-on training that strengthens both creative and technical skills, supporting storytellers as they step into larger, more complex productions.

This year’s participants are Ethan Billard Dooley, Ande Brown, Taryn Edgeworth, Coby Friesen, Sarah Luby and Matthew Van Ginkel.

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Manitoba Directors Lab is funded by Presenting Partner On Screen Manitoba, Program Partner Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada; Industry Partner Canada Media Fund (CMF). National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council and Rogers.

Ten Manitoba Indigenous creators are kicking off three days of hands-on virtual production training today at New Media Manitoba’s StudioLab xR in Winnipeg.

We’re pleased to welcome the participants of NSI Intro to Virtual Production – Manitoba Indigenous Lab:

Kyle Bergen
Katy Haynes
Sean Johnston-Stevenson
Peshaanakwut Kinew
Roni McGillivary
Justina Neepin
Viola Ruin
Sharol Stewart
Celeste Trudzik
Zoon

Through practical, on-set exercises and guided learning, participants are exploring virtual production tools and techniques used in film and television, including Unreal Engine and real-time digital environments. Faculty includes Jonathan Phu Son Lê, Matt McMahon and Deco Dawson.

Learn more about the participants here: https://nsi-canada.ca/media_release/participants-manitoba-virtual-production-lab/

NSI Intro to Virtual Production – Manitoba Indigenous Lab is funded by Program Partners Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Telefilm Canada; Industry Supporters IATSE 856, On Screen Manitoba; National Screen Institute Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Rogers and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

Indigenous creators begin training in Winnipeg virtual production lab | National Screen Institute Ten participants begin training today at New Media Manitoba's StudioLab xR.