INDIGENOUS CINEMA ALLIANCE (ICA)
Championing Indigenous storytellers on the global stage since 2015.
About the ICA & History
Founded in 2015 as the NATIVe Indigenous Cinema Stand through an official partnership with the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale, the Indigenous Cinema Alliance (ICA) originally operated as a dedicated market platform showcasing market-ready features by Indigenous artists from around the world. Managed by imagineNATIVE, the alliance was established alongside core founding organisational partners including the International Sámi Film Institute (ISFI), Māoriland Film Festival, and the team that later established Winda Film Festival. Today, these foundational partners continue to lead the collective alongside a growing international network of film festivals, commissions, and national institutes.
Transitioning in 2024 from an annual EFM stand into a year-round alliance, the ICA functions as a dedicated international promotional agency for Indigenous-led screen content and talent worldwide. Operating globally across sovereign Indigenous nations, the ICA helps creators navigate international distribution pathways, sales opportunities, and cross-border co-productions.
Our Mandate & Core Mission
The ICA’s B2B and trade-focused mandate concentrates on securing international market access, sales pathways, and distribution opportunities for Indigenous-led projects and talent. Our work is guided by four key pillars:
Raise Awareness: Promote Indigenous cinema and elevate market-ready screen content on the global stage.
Culturally Safe Space: Facilitate business, networking, and executive decision-making environments tailored for Indigenous professionals.
Sales & Co-Productions: Foster relationships with international sales agents, buyers, and distributors, while catalysing co-production opportunities across Indigenous nations.
Advocacy & Representation: Champion Indigenous voices across major international film festivals, trade markets, industry platforms, and global talent initiatives.
The ICA Fellows Programme
Since 2018, the ICA Fellows Programme has been a core pillar of the alliance's professional development work, bringing a curated roster of international Indigenous producers to major industry markets with market-ready, Indigenous-led projects across features, episodic series, shorts, animation, and VR/immersive media. Assembling a select group of producers from the Stand Partners’ regions, the unique fellowship offers specialised training, curated business meetings, executive networking events, pitch platforms, and panel discussions designed to maximise their market presence and accelerate their project outcomes.
