AFCOOP’s office, facilities, and equipment rentals will be closed a total of six days over the next three weeks as staff work on professional development projects.
Please arrange for equipment rentals and other business outside of the following dates:
Tuesday, May 22
Wednesday, May 23
Tuesday, May 29
Wednesday, May 30
Tuesday, June 5
Wednesday, June 6
AFCOOP will be closed to email and phone calls during these days. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
The 2012 AFCOOP AGM will be held at AFCOOP’s offices and facilities on Friday, July 13th at 6:30PM. RSVP through the Facebook Event
The AGM is a great networking opportunity for folks in the film and media arts communities. Come find out what we’ve been up to at the co-op over the past year and learn a bit about what the next year holds.
This year’s AGM will be followed by a Going Away Party for AFCOOP’s Chris Spencer-Lowe, who is leaving the co-op after fourteen years. Join us in celebration of Chris’ contributions to AFCOOP at 8:00PM, also at AFCOOP’s offices and facilities.
Full Members must send regrets to membership@afcoop.ca prior to the AGM.
——————————————-
It was a time of great change at AFCOOP when Chris Spencer-Lowe first started as a volunteer back in 1997. The board, a few committees, and a number of very dedicated volunteers were running the organization.
Soon after, with then Executive Director Tanis Rodiuk, Chris sought and received funding to create the position of Technical Coordinator. In his new position, Chris immediately set to work designing and implementing workshops and educational opportunities for filmmakers. He put measures in place to deal with AFCOOP’s aging equipment and overhauled the rental system and policies, helping to increase the accessibility of quality filmmaking tools to filmmakers in the region.
Chris’ role evolved as AFCOOP did, from Technical Coordinator into Production Coordinator, and he moved into handling matters of production, programming, and education. He was one of the architects of the original One Minute Film Program, served as Production Supervisor and Post Production Supervisor for several early FILM 5 program productions, often serving as a key crew member on many. With the support of the membership and the NFB and CBC, he instituted the AFCOOP Open Grant Program, which has awarded production funding to 215 film projects to date.
Through the years Chris helped to greatly increase the organization’s funding and assets through successful grant writing and partnerships. He also had major roles in the development and execution of many AFCOOP programs like Frameworks and Frame X, and presentations like Is Film Dead and the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival. In recent years, along, with the Production and Education Committee and the AFCOOP Board of Directors, he designed and coordinated AFCOOP’s Filmmaker In Residence Program, which is entering its fourth year in 2012. He has also been an outspoken advocate for the media arts in Canada, serving multiple years on the board of directors of the Independent Film and Video Alliance and later the Independent Media Arts Alliance, the Moving Images Group, and as a member of various provincial and Canadian media art selection committees, juries, and organizations.
“As AFCOOP and I move into this new phase, I am excited by the possibilities that the future holds for both of us. Although I see challenges ahead for the organization, I am convinced that AFCOOP has the means, community support, leadership and member and staff commitment to prosper in its vital role in the Canadian media arts sector. I also believe that AFCOOP will continue to evolve positively while maintaining its core mandate of encouraging and supporting artistry in filmmaking with equality, inclusiveness and openness. Although I will miss much of my daily life with AFCOOP, I know I will continue to be an active part of our evolving cooperative in the years to come. ”
Chris Spencer-Lowe, AFCOOP’s Production Coordinator
“Chris’ absence will leave a big hole in the heart of AFCOOP. Beyond all of his accomplishments over the years, he’s been an important resource and advice-giver to he filmmaking community – he is irreplaceable. The greater film community will miss his presence here at AFCOOP just as much as we will.”
Greg Morris-Poultney, AFCOOP’s Executive Director
It’s time to renew your AFCOOP Full Membership!
Renew before April 1st and have your name entered into a draw to win one of three passes to the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival!
Full Membership renewal is $70 for the year.
Now that AFCOOP is a charity, please consider topping-up your membership with a donation to AFCOOP. Top-ups in excess of $25 will receive a charitable gift tax receipt!
Payment: You may pay online below through a Paypal account or a credit card, over the phone with a Visa/Mastercard, or in the office with the same or cash, debit, or cheque. You may also mail a cheque (made payable to AFCOOP) directly to AFCOOP.
AFCOOP Full Membership Renewal $70
AFCOOP Full Membership Renewal $70 + $25 Donation to AFCOOP
AFCOOP Full Membership Renewal $70 + $50 Donation to AFCOOP
AFCOOP Full Membership Renewal $70 + $75 Donation to AFCOOP
AFCOOP Full Membership Renewal $70 + $100 Donation to AFCOOP
Enter to Win a Google Android Tablet from AFCOOP and The Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF)!
Tickets are $5 each or 3 for $12 and are available at the AFCOOP offices or online through Paypal.
Why not top-up your purchase with a donation to AFCOOP? Donors will be issued a charitable tax receipt for the top-up portion of their purchase.
Draw is for one tablet only, and will be held during the HIFF closing reception Saturday, April 14th, 2012.
To visit the HIFF 2012 website, please Click Here
The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP) is very pleased to present the Sixth Annual Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF), five days of film and video screenings, performances, artist talks, and live events taking place April 10-14, 2012 in Halifax.
This year’s festival includes more than 20 events and 75 films. Special guest artists include San Franciscan filmmaker Paul Clipson, who will be presenting a master class, and screening a selection of his experimental Super-8mm films. Retrospectives from filmmakers Janie Geiser and Robert Flaherty, as well as video artist Tom Sherman, are also featured in the program.
DEADLINE: May 14th 5pm
6 filmmakers paired with 6 poets to create filmed interpretations of existing poetry on 16mm film!
Application Form
Application Guidelines
AFCOOP’s Winter Workshop Series is now open for registration! Download the full WORKSHOP PDF here.
Workshops can be taken individually or as part of the requirements to obtain a position as a FILM 5 Trainee. Workshops run from January to March and cover topics from screenwriting to editing (and lots in between!).
Workshops are open to the public.
