Acimow Media

04/21/2026

Hollywood North Magazine writer Owen Pham penned this insightful review of Director Barbara Hager's documentary Leaving Beringia . Rarely does a filmmaker get this kind of feedback on their creative process and the social impact of a film about Indigenous world view.

In February 2026, the Canadian documentary Leaving Beringia made its world premiere at the Victoria Film Festival, marking a significant moment for Indigenous storytelling in contemporary cinema.

02/26/2026

Acimow Media has officially started development on IMMERSED, a Mexican and Canadian limited documentary series that explores the ancient and modern history of Indigenous people in the Yucatan, and their relationship with the natural environment, through the lens of the sacred and life-giving cenotes in the Quintana Roo region of Mexico. Development for the series started in November 2025, with underwater archaeologist Octivio del Rio inviting Acimow's producer and director Barbara Todd Hager to film the recovery of an ancestor from a remote cenote. The field work, led by del Rio, along with seven Mexican scientists and cave divers, was carried out with the cooperation and approval of Mexico’s Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH). Barbara had permission to film the scientific team as they prepared for and completed the recovery of the ancestor. The series is a natural progression from her experience directing 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas (APTN, ZDF) and Leaving Beringia (TELUS Independent), which both explore the ancient history of Indigenous people in the Americas. Leaving Beringia, which has its Mexico premiere at the Puerto Aventuras International Film Festival in March, featured a segment about the discovery of the first human ancestor to be found in the cenotes - Eve of Naharon - by del Rio and his diving partners. Watch for more news about this groundbreaking series by following Acimow Media and sharing.

02/25/2026

Watch for a big documentary announcement tomorrow!

02/07/2026

The Victoria Film Festival's Springboard, industry weekend is in full swing. Acimow Media's Barbara Todd Hager took part as a moderator of the STORYHIVE session with Erin Shaw. The Victoria Film Festival runs Feb. 6 - 15.

02/06/2026

Metis/Cree director and producer Barbara Todd Hager appears on Episode 25 of Culture Ju**ie to share her journey of personal discovery in the making of her latest film Leaving Beringia, a documentary that dismantles myths and rewrites history of human arrival in the Americas.

Interviewed by Alexandra Grayson, Barbara discusses how the documentary serves as a catalyst for understanding our collective human story. Discover how diverse perspectives, community collaboration, and ancient stories challenge the conventional 12,900-year myth, pushing the boundaries of scientific and cultural understanding.

Leaving Beringia will premiere next Tuesday at the Victoria Film Festival.

Watch the episode now!

Unlock the story behind one of the most groundbreaking Indigenous documentaries ever made. Barbara Hager, a Métis and Cree filmmaker, shares her intense jour...

01/13/2026

Get your tickets now! https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/leaving-beringia/

🎬 LEAVING BERINGIA

In her search to find the stories of her ancestors' origins, Metis/Cree filmmaker Barbara Todd Hager (Acimow Media) travels to eight of the oldest Indigenous sites in the Americas to find a connection between origin stories and scientific research.

We're pleased to have Tchadas Leo of CHEK News hosting this screening and moderating a Q&A with Todd Hager, a local filmmaker.

🗓️ 19+ screening on Tuesday, February 10 at 5:00 PM
📍 The Vic Theatre
🎟️ Tickets: https://www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/leaving-beringia/

01/10/2026

EXCITING NEWS! 🎞️

We’re pleased to announce the world premiere of LEAVING BERINGIA at the Victoria Film Festival!

📅: Tuesday, February 10
⏰: 5:00 pm PST
📍: The Vic Theatre, Victoria, BC

Get your tickets now at the link here! www.victoriafilmfestival.com/product/leaving-beringia/

“In the feature documentary Leaving Beringia, Métis Cree filmmaker Barbara Todd Hager embarks on a life-changing journey to eight of the oldest Indigenous archaeological sites in North and South America, where she’ll discover that studying ancient tools is not the only way to uncover the ways of life of her ancestors. Filmed on location at sites that were once occupied tens of thousands of years ago, her ground-breaking conversations with Indigenous knowledge keepers and culturally aligned archaeologists will reveal a compelling new narrative of the first people of the Americas drawn from origin stories and Indigenous ways of knowing.”

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Barbara Todd Hager. Host and producer of CHEK’s Our Native Land Tchadas Leo will also join the screening.

12/21/2025

This holiday season, we’re giving the gift of good food!

Acimow Media is participating as a fundraising team in support of Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group’s campaign, the Gift of Good Food. All donations will be used to ensure year-long food access programs continue in 2026, including the delivery of boxes with fresh fruits and vegetables for families in Greater Victoria, weekly community meals, snacks for kids, and much more.

“I remember how much we appreciated the hampers that the Salvation Army and St. Vincent de Paul would deliver every year to our home. I know that this campaign will bring healthy food to many families in 2026.” - Barbara Todd Hager, CEO of Acimow Media.

If you want to help us reach our goal, you can donate to our fundraising team from now until December 31st!

To donate, click the DONATE button on our team’s page here: thegoodfoodbox.ca/team/acimow-media-documentary-team/

Happy holidays! ❄️🍎🥔

11/30/2025

Acimow Media has launched its third project with Canada Media Fund slate development funding (the final project in the slate along with webseries "Bird Calls" and docu-drama series "On Distant Shores"). Director Barbara Todd Hager spent the week filming in a remote jungle location. Story details and location are classified, but Acimow Media is thrilled to be working with an international documentary partner on a profoundly important story.

10/27/2025

It was an exciting day on the set of Tomson Highway Doc "Permanent Astonishment". Director Barbara Todd Hager interviewed the renowned actor, musician, and former publisher of Aboriginal Voices magazine, Gary Farmer. Some of you will know him from his role of Arnold Joseph in Smoke Signals. Uncle Brownie in Rez Dogs. Philbert Bono in Pow Wow Highway. Or Dan Twelvetrees in Resident Alien. But his first acting roles were in live theatre, including playing Zachary Jeremiah Keecheegeshik in Tomson Highway's award winning play, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing. The entire film crew were mesmerized listening to Gary share memories of performing in Tomson's plays, growing up near his cousin Graham Greene, and acting in countless iconic roles on TV, film and the theatre. Great work by today's crew - Kerriann Cardinal, Ramsay Bourquin, Mike Nichol, and Craig Hall. Special thanks to Jethro at the Firehall Theatre.