AABIZIINGWASHI (Wide Awake)

Following the success of Aabiziingwashi (Wide Awake), a series of 1,000+ screenings that took place from 2017 to 2019 across Turtle Island and around the world, the NFB is pleased to announce that its collection of 250+ Indigenous-made works will now be permanently available for FREE community screenings!

A selection of new films are available now, including Tasha Hubbard’s feature-length documentary nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, the short docs Lake (part of the NFB’s Five Feminist Minutes 2019 series) by Alexandra Lazarowich, Three Thousand by Asinnajaq, Children of the Nomad by Evelyne Papatie, and Délia 9 to 5 by Délia Gun; as well as the five films from the Urban.Indigenous.Proud series: Full Circle by Kristi Lane Sinclair, Some Stories by Clayton Windatt, That Old Game Lacrosse by Jamie Whitecrow, Zaagi’idiwin by Tracie Louttit, and Places to Gather and Learn by Darlene Naponse.

 

Check out our Indigenous Cinema page to discover and preview a selection of Indigenous-made films that are available online.

 

To host your own FREE community screening, contact us at CommunityScreenings@nfb.ca.

How do I organize a community screening?

Find a venue or choose a virtual platform –  Will your screening be virtual or in-person? If it will be in-person, where do you want to show the film? Unless you have your own public space, we suggest that groups approach public libraries, school auditoriums, lecture halls, church facilities, and community centres as host venues. These spaces can often be made available “free of charge” if the venue can be an event “sponsor.” You should find out if they have projection equipment — a projector, laptop or DVD player, and some type of screen and speaker system is usually all you need to show one of our films. If you would like to have a virtual screening, you will need to decide on the platform best suited for your audience.

Plan your publicity strategy – How will people find out about the screening? Will you create a Facebook page? Print postcards or put up posters? Phone people? E-mail them? Getting people out to an event is a big job, so you need to have a plan.

Contact the NFB to request your screening – We need to know the details of your screening in order to provide you with the film (or films) for your event. Contact us at CommunityScreenings@nfb.ca to book your screening or for help in finding the right film or planning a program.

Track your screening’s attendance numbers – Please make note of the number of people who attend each in-person or virtual screening. This assists us in recognizing the outreach of NFB films. You may estimate the number of attendees if you can’t give us an exact figure.

What will the NFB do?

We send you the film: usually either a downloadable digital file or streaming link (which we e-mail to you), or a physical DVD or Blu-ray (which we ship to you). For many of our recent titles, we can also send you the Electronic Press Kit, which contains the film synopsis, biography of the filmmaker, downloadable images, background information on the film, and a poster file that you can use for online promotion, or print yourself. We can also promote your screening on our Events page, which you may link to from your website or social media pages. 

What films are available for community screenings?

Our collection of 250+ Indigenous-made works consist mostly of animated films and documentaries. Most are either short (less than 5 minutes) or feature-length (usually 90 minutes or so). Some fall somewhere in between.

The films cover a range of issues and themes, including identity, home, justice and nationhood. There are films for kids and films for all ages, while others are geared towards adult audiences and deal with mature themes.

Browse our Indigenous Cinema page to discover and preview a selection of Indigenous-made films that are available online.

Contact us at CommunityScreenings@nfb.ca for help in finding a film or planning a program. Visit our Events page to browse upcoming events and to see what other groups are doing.

Can I have a virtual screening?

Gathering for in-person screenings may not be possible in many communities right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t come together online for a virtual screening! Many groups have been hosting virtual screening events using web-based platforms in order to stay connected and engaged within their communities. For more information about organizing a virtual screening, e-mail us at CommunityScreenings@nfb.ca.

Have questions?
Contact us at CommunityScreenings@nfb.ca or see answers to our Frequently Asked Questions below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What film formats are available?
We want audiences to have the best audiovisual experience possible. Whether your screening is virtual or in-person, we can supply a wide array of formats. We can e-mail electronic files (.mp4 or .mov), provide time-sensitive streaming links, or ship physical copies (projection quality DVDs or Blu-rays). In the latter case, we cover the cost of shipping the film to you. You would cover the cost of returning it to us after your event.
Does the NFB provide promotional material?
For most of our recent titles, we can provide an Electronic Press Kit, which includes graphics for the film as well as additional information that could be helpful in your promotion or in a post-screening discussion, such as the trailer, synopsis, director biography, credits, etc.

*Please remember to acknowledge the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) in your promotion. Events Page: We will promote your screening on our Events page, which you can use to promote your screening directly, or provide a link to it from your website or social media pages. Social Media: If you create a Facebook event page for your screening, simply include the NFB as a co-host; this will allow us to share your event among our social media followers too. You can populate your event page with the graphics, clips, and descriptions found in the Electronic Press Kit.

Is there a cost?
Free Admission: If you have a free screening that’s open to the public, then we are usually able to waive the rental fee and lend you the film free-of-charge. Yes, groups can accept donations as a means to cover costs; however, admission cannot be a barrier to entry. Charging Admission: You may charge admission if you wish; however, this makes your screening a “theatrical” screening with respect to the rights of the film. In this case, we would need to charge a rental fee. The rental fee can either be a flat rate (which varies, depending on the film length, year of production, etc.), or a percentage of the door admissions. If you decide to charge admission, we would have a contract prepared and signed prior to the screening. You would then be sent an invoice and payment instructions from our Finance Department.
How far in advance do I need to book my screening?
Contact us as soon as possible to discuss your request. In addition to the time needed by the NFB team to provide you with the requested film format, you will also need time to promote your screening and test the film using your equipment. If there are any technical issues, this will give us time to resolve them.

Contact us

Community Screenings
communityscreenings@nfb.ca
Tamara Ivis, Community and Public Screenings Agent
Caroline Coutts, Networking Agent
Melissa Haughton, Networking Agent
The NFB is committed to respecting your privacy

We use cookies to ensure that our site works efficiently, as well as for advertising purposes.

If you do not wish to have your information used in this way, you can modify your browser settings before continuing your visit.

Learn more