Dreamspeakers Festival returns to Edmonton

By Troy Dumont, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(ANNews) – The Dreamspeakers International Indigenous Film Festival returns to Edmonton this week, running April 15 to 19, 2026. One of the longest-running Indigenous film festivals in the world, Dreamspeakers has been a cornerstone of Indigenous storytelling in Canada since its founding in Edmonton in the early 1990s. This year’s festival brings together films, workshops, and an artisan market, creating a space for audiences to connect, reflect, and celebrate Indigenous voices from around the globe.

Dreamspeakers describes its mission as empowering and amplifying Indigenous storytellers. Its vision goes further, imagining a vibrant, prosperous, and sustainable Indigenous community where creativity and identity can be freely expressed through the arts. The festival’s programming draws together filmmakers, media artists, industry professionals, and community members from across the globe.

In the past, Dreamspeakers has featured Indigenous filmmakers from Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, and this year’s lineup continues its global reach. Among the featured works is ENCHUKUNOTO (The Return) by Laissa Malih. This first female Maasai filmmaker returns to her family’s village to explore how climate change and modern life are affecting Maasai traditions. Another featured film is inspired by the legend of Goddess Hina. The Source of Life (Te Puna Ora) follows three Tahitian women on the island of Mo’orea fighting to keep their beach out of private hands, determined to protect what so many other islands have already lost.

This year’s festival will feature more than 30 films, including shorts, feature films, documentaries, and animations. In-person screenings will take place at Landmark Cinemas in downtown Edmonton from April 16 to 19. The festival opens on April 15 with a free screening of Nika & Madison at Metro Cinema at the Garneau. Fresh from its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film will be presented as part of National Canadian Film Day in hopes of launching the week with energy and momentum.

The festival extends beyond film, with an Artisan Market at City Centre Mall and a series of workshops hosted at Kakio Studio Cafe, an Indigenous-owned performance space and café. The programming includes a short-form content workshop covering tools and techniques for platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, as well as a film pitching workshop led by Indigenous filmmaker Joshua Jackson, whose film Hey, Viktor! was named one of Canada’s Top Ten by TIFF and won Best Dramatic Feature at imagineNATIVE.

On the evening of April 18, the festival moves outdoors with Light Strikes: Walk of Honour, a multimedia event at Amiskwaciw Waskayhkan Ihtawin (Beaver Hills House Park) in downtown Edmonton. The experience weaves together live music, film, dance, and art to trace a journey from pre-contact through colonization, resistance, and reclamation. Musical acts, dancers, and installations will be scattered throughout the park.

For those unable to attend in person, the festival’s full film lineup will be available virtually starting April 20 on a pay-what-you-can basis. Virtual tickets include a 24-hour viewing window once playback begins.

Dreamspeakers is supported by the Edmonton Arts Council, Telefilm Canada, and the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, among others, whose backing helps sustain one of Canada’s most important Indigenous cultural events. Now in its fourth decade, the festival remains a space where Indigenous storytelling continues to find new audiences and new ground.

The Dreamspeakers International Indigenous Film Festival runs from April 15 to 19 in Edmonton. Tickets and the full program are available at dreamspeakers.org.