Supporting career development for Indigenous storytellers

We are thrilled to continue the 4th World Media Lab, a year-long immersive fellowship program supporting emerging and mid-career indigenous filmmakers and visual artists. 

This year marks the 11th cohort of the fellowship, a unique partnership between 4th World Media Lab (formerly called Indigenous Showcase) and three regional film festivals: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana, Seattle International Film Festival, and Camden International Film Festival. The fellowship offers participants opportunities to develop skills and networks in culturally centered spaces through festival participation, hands-on training, masterclasses, workshopping projects in development, pitch activities, and meetings with funders and other industry decision-makers.

At a moment of profound disruption within the global media landscape, the 2026 Lab centers on outreach, impact, and distribution, areas increasingly shaped by shifting power dynamics and the emergence of community-led frameworks.
The hybrid fellowship includes virtual engagements connected to Big Sky and Seattle, and culminates with an in-person week-long creative retreat and industry meetings in Camden this September.

Since its launch in 2015, the fellowship has supported over 60 filmmakers across Turtle Island (an Indigenous name for North America and Central America) and Pasifika (the Indigenous name for the Pacific Islands).