The National Film Board of Canada’s Hothouse program for emerging animators has helped kick-start the careers of a new generation of acclaimed Canadian animators. For its 12th edition, the NFB has teamed up with imagineNATIVE and associate producers Amanda Strong and Amanda Roy to help address underrepresentation of Indigenous creators in film animation. Three emerging filmmakers from across Turtle Island — Kassia Ward, Meky Ottawa and Chris Grant — participated in the 22-week paid apprenticeship, an intensive program that combines training with the opportunity to create their own auteur-driven project.