TORONTO — A prominent Indigenous film and media arts festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary a year late.
Organizers of the ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival say they are delaying this year's event until 2025.
The shift effectively scraps the 2024 edition but organizers say it allows for "more time to support" the festival's growth.
ImagineNative executive director Naomi Johnson says that includes developing new programming ideas and themes.
Organizers say they are also permanently shifting the normally fall-based event to June to coincide with Indigenous Peoples' Month.
In the lead-up to next year's fest, ImagineNative says it will host numerous events "to strengthen the organization." Programming will be announced later this year.
Next year's festival will take place June 3 to 8 in Toronto. An online version will run June 9 to 15.
The ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival launched in 2000 and is billed as "the largest annual Indigenous media arts event in the world."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 29, 2024.
The Canadian Press