Indigenous Screen Office Announces New $500K U.S. Immersive Fund for Indigenous Creators, with Support from Agog

Press Release

Toronto (Tkaronto), April 23, 2026 – The Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) is pleased to launch its first-ever funding program for Indigenous XR creators in the United States, generously supported by Agog: The Immersive Media Institute. The ISO Immersive Fund will invest $500,000 CAD to support innovative XR projects that meaningfully incorporate interactive and/or immersive elements.

Building on the success of ISO’s Canada-based interactive and immersive funding programs, this new initiative will provide Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian storytellers with access to development and production funding for XR projects. This is ISO’s second collaboration with Agog: The Immersive Media Institute who supported ISO’s delegate participation in the WORLDING program from the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab in 2025.

“The ISO continues to pave the way and expand our international reach as a uniquely positioned Indigenous funder,” said Kerry Swanson, ISO CEO. “This program recognizes our self-determination as Indigenous peoples working across colonial borders and ensures that Indigenous voices have a leading role in the immersive space.”

Indigenous-owned production companies, collectives, and individual creators or sole proprietors may apply for up to $40,000 CAD in development funding or $80,000 CAD in production funding.

Applications open on May 30, 2026, and must be submitted via the ISO application portal by June 30, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. PST. The portal will close at the deadline, and late applications will not be accepted.

-30-

For more information:
Jean-François D. O’Bomsawin
Director of Communications & Francophone Initiatives, ISO
jfobomsawin@iso-bea.ca

ILR4