Indigenous Cinema Alliance Celebrates 10-Year Milestone with Exciting New Projects and Partnerships at the 2025 European Film Market

The Indigenous Cinema Alliance will celebrate 10 years of showcasing the best in global Indigenous film and television with an exciting lineup of films and events designed to elevate and honor this work on a major international stage at the 2025 European Film Market and Berlinale.

Founded in 2015, The Indigenous Cinema Alliance (ICA), formerly the NATIVe Indigenous Cinema Stand, has been officially partnered with the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin since 2015. This market stand showcases market-ready feature films by Indigenous artists worldwide. Managed by imagineNATIVE, ICA represents international partners, including film festivals, film commissions, and film institutes.

Since 2016, the ICA Fellows Programme has been a key component, bringing a roster of international Indigenous producers to the market. This professional development opportunity allows Indigenous producers to attend the EFM with a market-ready feature film project. The program is a unique fellowship that promotes Indigenous feature film projects through the ICA Stand and offers curated activities to maximize their EFM experience. The ICA Fellows Programme assembles a select group of Indigenous producers from the Partners’ regions, providing them with specialized training, meetings, networking events, panels, and social activities to enhance their EFM and Berlinale experience.

In 2024, ICA updated its strategy to expand its work as a global promotional agency focusing on promoting, assisting, and advising on the sales and marketing of Indigenous films.

Current partner organizations include founding partners imagineNATIVE (iN) and the International Sami Film Institute (ISFI), alongside 4th World Media Lab, Film.gl, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC), Winda Film Festival, If Not US Then Who? (INUTW), Mullu, and Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA).

ICA’S EFM 2025 EVENTS

  • 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM | CinemaxX 1 (Potsdamer Str. 5, 10785) | MARKET SCREENING: ICA’S EFM 2025 PROMO REEL SCREENING | Access: Market Badge

    4:00 PM - 5:30 PM | Embassy of Canada, Timber Hall (Leipziger Pl. 17, 10117) | PANEL: THE NEXT DECADE OF GLOBAL INDIGENOUS CINEMA | Access: Public, Free (24-hour advance registration required)

    Moderators: Jason Ryle (TIFF), Themba Bhebhe (ICA)

    Panelists: Anne Lajla Utsi (ISFI), Cheryl Hirasa (PIC), David Hernández Palmar (INUTW), David Morrison (iN), Inuk Jørgensen (Film.gl), Juan Donoso (Mullu), Nikki Si'ulepa (PISA), Pauline Clague (Winda), Tracy Rector (4th World)

    Description: As the NATIVe Stand transitions into the Indigenous Cinema Alliance (ICA), this panel celebrates a decade of growth in Indigenous cinema and explores the path forward. ICA representatives will reflect on the development of Indigenous filmmaking infrastructure worldwide and discuss opportunities in global sales and representation.

    Key Topics:

    • Advancements in production and distribution

    • Evolution of storytelling

    • Strategies for preparing the industry for the next decade

  • 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Documentation Centre (Stresemannstraße 90, 10963) | EFM’S DOCSALON ROUNDTABLE: WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING NARRATIVE SOVEREIGNTY | Access: Market Badge (Pre-Registration required, limited space)

    Experts: Tracy Rector (4th World), Liisa Holmberg (Arctic Indigenous Film Fund (AIFF)), Kerry Swanson (Indigenous Screen Office), Inuk Jorgensen (Film.gl) + 6 Participants

    Description: Featuring organizations who support documentary storytelling by Indigenous film creatives on a variety of subjects such as land rights, climate change, language revitalization, preventing and reversing the effects of colonization and many other societal issues, this roundtable will give film creatives the opportunity to explore how these organizations from across the globe can support them in their quest for narrative sovereignty.

  • 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Berliner Freiheit Studio (Berliner Freiheit 2, 10785) | PITCH EVENT: BRIDGING BORDERS: INDIGENOUS CO-PRODUCTIONS | Access: Free Access

    Moderators: Ken Proulx (Telefilm Canada), Liisa Holmberg (AIFF)

    Featured Projects:

    1. Two Old Women | USA, Canada | Princess Daazhraii Johnson (Gwich’in) | Languages: Gwich’in, English

    2. Savage | Canada, Italy | Darlene Naponse (Anishinaabe) | Languages: Italian, English

    3. The Ship That Wasn’t There | Greenland, Denmark | Inuk Jørgensen (Inuk) | Languages: Kalaallisut, Danish

    4. Porslin | Sápmi, Norway, Sweden | Ann Aurebekk (Sámi) | Language: Sámi

    5. Mulheres Indígenas: Biomas / Indigenous Women: Biomes | Brazil, Ecuador | Shirley Krenak (Krenak) | Language: Portuguese

    6. War Dance | New Zealand, Germany, Canada | Hiona Henare (Māori) | Languages: English, Māori, Cree, German

    Description: Bridging Borders fosters global collaboration for Indigenous film projects, showcasing six innovative co-productions that seek partnerships and support to bring their unique stories to the international stage. These projects celebrate and promote Indigenous cultures through powerful cinematic storytelling, building bridges and forging lasting partnerships among Indigenous filmmakers worldwide.

    12:15 PM - 2:00 PM | CinemaxX 8 (Potsdamer Str. 5, 10785) | MARKET SCREENING: KA WHAWHAI TONU / STRUGGLE WITHOUT END | Access: Market Badge

    3:15 PM - 4:35 PM | Cinemobile (Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10117) | MARKET SCREENING:LUCKY STRIKES | Access: Market Badge

  • 4:30 PM - 6:02 PM | Cinemobile (Niederkirchnerstraße 7, 10117) | MARKET SCREENING: SWEET SUMMER POW WOW | Access: Market Badge

  • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM | CinemaxX 4 (Potsdamer Str. 5, 10785) | MARKET SCREENING: HEAJASTALLAN - BRYLLUPSFESTEN / HEAJASTALLAN - A SÁMI WEDDING (2 Episodes) | Access: Market Badge

    4:30 PM - 5:30 PM | Documentation Centre (Stresemannstraße 90, 10963) | EFM’S DOCSALON ROUNDTABLE: (ALTERNATIVE) DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS FOR NON-FICTION INDIGENOUS FILMS | Access: Market Badge  (Pre-Registration required, limited space)

    Experts: Cheryl Hirasa (PIC), David Morrison (iN), David Hernadez Palmar (INUTW) + 7 Participants

    Description: Whether screened at climate change conferences, via agreements with public TV broadcasters, in community screenings, at Indigenous film festivals, on online platforms or via other circuits, a wealth of alternative distribution channels exists in different areas across the world where documentary content by Indigenous and in some cases also Afro-descended film creatives can be screened. This roundtable provides the opportunity to meet with experts who facilitate the circulation of non-fiction works through this variety of networks.