The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival have expanded their annual program for Canadian Indigenous digital artists.

Whereas in previous years the program involved a more straightforward proposal process (with the winning project being made for between $30K and $50K), this year’s program will feature an in-house residency at NFB’s Digital Studio Vancouver, with a $50K cash prize awarded to cover development costs, living wages and the cost of the residency.

The chosen candidate will receive mentorship throughout the residency, as well as a customized DigiLab that will focus on story development.

Upon completion of the residency, the NFB will provide additional budgets if the organization decides to go ahead with the project.

The three interactive projects to have emerged from the program in the previous years are ITWĒ Collective’s interactive installation De Nort, Tyler Hagan’s interactive audio essay Similkameen Crossroads, and Ice Fishing, an interactive installation from Jordan Bennett.