About Linda Joy Awards
The Linda Joy Media Arts Society was founded in 1986 to commemorate the contributions and legacy of Nova Scotia filmmaker and former AFCOOP Coordinator, Linda Joy Busby, who died of breast cancer at the age of 34. The film, “Linda Joy,” which was started by Linda Joy Busby to share her experience during a period of remission, was later completed by friend and fellow filmmaker Bill MacGillivray. Proceeds from the sale of this film comprised the foundation of the initial society.
Linda Joy Awards
Since 2018, AFCOOP has taken over the administration of the Linda Joy Awards, which are given out once a year, typically during the Atlantic International Film Festival in September.
The Linda Joy Award and the Linda Joy Post Award consist of cash and in-kind services designed to help filmmakers in the Atlantic region produce a new piece of film or media art.
Awards are given out through a peer-jury process. Please click the button below to learn more about the peer-jury process.
The deadline for submission in 2024 is Aug. 20 at 11:59pm. Applications will be accepted online only.
APPLICATIONS WILL OPEN SOON
Pleas fill out the application form and include:
1. Artistic Statement/Letter of intent
2. Script (max 10 pages) or Project Description (1 – 2 pages)
3. CV or Filmography
4. Budget (indicating any additional funding and whether or not it is confirmed)
5. Links to previous work (1 – 3 links)
6. Other support material (drawings, storyboards etc. max 5 pages)
You can apply by clicking the button below.
Linda Joy Award Package
- $2,000 cash
- 2 x workshops of your choice
- Associate Membership
- Ability to be covered under AFCOOP’s General Liability and Production insurance if required.
- In-kind camera package from AFCOOP
- $5,000 in-kind lighting and grip package courtesy of Sunbelt Rentals Halifax*
*The Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (NIFCO) will provide $3,000 in-kind gear if a filmmaker from Newfoundland receives the award.
*The New Brunswick Film Co-operative will provide $3,000 in-kind gear for the Linda Joy Award, as well as cash top up from the Jane LeBlanc Legacy Fund if a filmmaker from New Brunswick receives the award.
*FilmPEI will provide $5,000 in-kind gear for the Linda Joy Award if a filmmaker from Prince Edward Island receives the award.
Linda Joy Post Award Package
- $1,000 cash
- $2,000 (valued at regular rates) in-kind access to AFCOOP’s Media Suite*
*NIFCO will provide $3,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from Newfoundland receives the award.
*NB Film Co-op will provide $2,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from New Brunswick receives the award.
*FilmPEI will provide $2,000 in-kind for post-production for the Linda Joy Post Award if a filmmaker from Prince Edward Island receives the award.
Eligibility
Applicants must be residents of Atlantic Canada. Note that sponsorship services are located in Nova Scotia. Past recipients can apply again at least 12 months after receiving their past award as long as their past Award project is completed, and required reports and material have been received by AFCOOP. Requests for retroactive financing are ineligible. The project for which funding is applied must be targeted for completion by September 2024. Those applying to the Linda Joy Post Award must restrict their project length to no longer than a 15 minute short film. The applicant must retain full creative control and ownership of the project throughout the production process.
Please note students are ineligible.
Adjudication
Applications will be judged by a peer jury of filmmakers and media artists. Projects will be evaluated based on the innovation and creativity of the proposed project. Consideration will be given to the applicant’s demonstrated ability to complete the project as planned and budgeted.
Apply
About Linda Joy Media Arts Society
The Linda Joy Media Arts Society (LJMAS) was founded in 1986 to commemorate the contributions and legacy of Nova Scotia filmmaker and former AFCOOP Coordinator, Linda Joy Busby, who died of breast cancer at the age of 34. The film, “Linda Joy,” which was started by Linda Joy Busby to share her experience during a period of remission, was later completed by friend and fellow filmmaker Bill MacGillivray. Proceeds from the sale of this film comprised the foundation of the initial society.
Over the past 30 years, the LJMAS has grown from awarding a single grant of $500 to supporting over 150 filmmakers in this region through cash and in kind services totalling over $1 million. Previous award winners have gone on to national and international acclaim, and are now successful, established artists, including: Andrea Dorfman, Shandi Mitchell, Rodrigue Jean, Ashley McKenzie, Mike Clattenburg, Cory Bowles, Becka Barker, Amanda Dawn Christie, Jordan Canning, Bretten Hannam and Tim Tracey.
Following a two year hiatus, the Linda Joy Media Arts Society was reinvigorated under the management of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, guided by a committee composed of founding LJMAS and film community members including: Lulu Keating, David Hopper, Chuck Clark, Jim MacSwain, Cat LeBlanc, Rose Zack and Martha Cooley.
Past Recipients
2018
Michael Fuller & Josh Dunn for Our Hearts Aren’t Disabled, Joy Award
Josh Owen for Ghoulish Galactic Grievances, Joy Post Award
2014
Leah Johnston for My Younger Older Sister, Joy Award
Nelson MacDonald & Jeff Wheaton for Safe, 902 Post Joy Award
Fonya Irvine for Adrift Without An Anchor, NB Joy Award
Martine Blue for Perfect Family, NL Joy Award
Michael Fuller for Myrtle Beach, Technicolor Post Joy Award
2013
Brittany Amos for Gun Shy, Joy Award
Chris Spencer Lowe for Transfer, 902 Post Joy Award
Shawn Henry for il Sol, NB Joy Award
Roger Maunder for Between Two Walls, NL Joy Award
Becka Barker for Evolution of Max, Helen Hill Animated Joy Award
Tim Tracey for Canadian Ninja, Technicolor Post Joy Award
2012
Lorna Kirk for36 Hitchin Road, Joy Award
Martha Stiegman for Honour Your Word, Joy Post Award
Pierre Huard for Bully, NB Joy Award
Ruth Lawrence for Talus & Scree, NL Joy Award
Susan Wolf for Bushsnake, Helen Hill Animated Joy Award
2011
Roberto Santaguida for Gerrish Lane, Joy Award
Amanda Dawn Christie for Spectres of Shortwave, Joy Post Award
Britany Sparrow for Earth & Fire, NB Joy Award
Liz Solo for The Machine, NL Joy Award
Tim Tracey for Kreb’s Tale, Helen Hill Animated Joy Award
2010
Luckas Cardona for Mr. Happy, Joy Award
Tarek Abouamin for 29 Rue d’Armant, Joy Post
Christian Sparkes for Little Things, NL Joy Award
Seana Kozar for A Life Writ On Water, Helen Hill Animated Award
Lex Gigeroff for Gillian & Giles, NB Joy Award
Ashley MacKenzie and Nelson MacDonald for Stray, CBC Script Award
2009
Connie Littlefield for Ann & Sasha, winner 2009 Joy Award
Jennifer Tilley for Freaks of Tatamagouche, winner CBC Script Award
Jordan Canning for Not Over Easy, winner NL Joy Award
Joel Thompson for Box Face, NB Joy Award
Cory Bowles for Righteous, Joy Post Award
Colleen MacIssac for Collectables, Helen Hill Animated Award
2008
Stephen Arnold for Dust , winner of the 2008 Joy Award.
Joanne Kerrigan for Gigantic Piledriver!, winner of the 2008 Joy Post Award.
Mark Hoffe for Snarbuckled , winner of the 2008 Newfoundland Joy Award.
Luckas Cardona for Mr. Happy , winner of the 2008 CBC TV Broadcast Script Development Award.
Tim Rayne for Songbird, winner of the 2008 New Brunswick Joy Award.
Chantal Tardiff for Hair Comes Trouble, winner of the 2008 Helen Hill Animated Joy Award.
2007
Heather Harkins won the inaugural Helen Hill Animated Award for She’s
A Lady Filmmaker.
Rebbecca Sharratt, X-Plosion!, CBC TV Script Development Award
Marina Shepeta, Home Out Of Nothing, Joy Award
Angela Mombourquette,Vet Bill, Joy Post
Chris Giles, Birth Of A Nicola, New Brunswick Joy Award
Matthew Kelly, Ruins, Newfoundland Joy Award
2006
Jason Buxton, No Man’s Land, Joy AwardAriela Pahlke, Joy Post
Linda Rae Dornan, New Brunswick Joy
Jordan Canning, Christian Sparkes, Newfoundland Joy
Lois Brown, Justin Simms, CBC TV Script Award
Jim McSwain, Colin Barnhill Community Service Award
2005
Ellie Yonova, In Memoriam, Joy Award
Anne Verrall, The Wait, Joy Post
Richard LeBlanc, Cubers, New Brunswick Joy
Sabah Hadi, Furs, Newfoundland Joy
Jason Buxton, Denial, CBC TV Script Award
2004
Gillian Matheson, Out of the Flesh, Joy Award
Tarek Abouamin, Colours of Exile, Joy Post
Rachael Bower, Time Apart, New Brunswick Joy
Justin Simms, Heartless Disappearance Into Labrador Seas, Newfoundland Joy
Shandi Mitchell, Touch The Moon, CBC TV Script Award
2003
Chris Darlington, Chimera, CBC TV Script Award
Marc Almon, Recollection, Joy Award
Eva Madden, Move On, Joy Post
Glendon McKinney, 29, New Brunswick Joy
Adriana Maggs, I Dare Not Go, Newfoundland Joy
Graeme Patterson, Donât Ride Shopping Carts, DGC
2002
Jennifer Tilley, Worth, CBC TV Script Award
Seana Kozar, The Well Within, Joy Award
Siloen Daley, Olive Prepares, Joy Post
Angela Thibodeau, are you done-, New Brunswick Joy
Jay Dahl, Wedding Video, DGC
2001
Wanda Graham, Wall of Silence, CBC TV Script Award
Jason Buxton, The Drawing, Joy Award
Evan Kelly/Dougal McLaren, Quality Viewing, Joy Post
Paul Emile d’Entremont, Seuls Ensemble, DGC
2000
Joanne Kerrigan, Slug, Joy Award
John Hopkins, Man Mountain, CBC TV Script Award
Deanne Foley/Amy Burt, This Boy, Joy Post
Becka Barker, Assembled
Anne Troake, My Ancestors Were Rogues and Murderers, Telefilm
Helen Hill, M. Winger Makes a Film
Lisa Morse, Pustulations
Sharon Cavanagh, How Chet Baker Lost His Teeth
Kathryn Jennex, Making Fish
Rebecca Lake, Hard Row
David Middleton, The Perfect Cup
Matthew Welsh, Breakaway
1999
Ariella Pahlke, CBC Television Award for Script Development, Home: Accounts of Fabrication and Destructio
Lois Brown, Barry Newhook and Dana Warren, Linda Joy Media Arts Jury’s Choice Award, The Bingo Robbers
Daun Windover and Margaret Harrison, Linda Joy Media Arts Grand Prize Award, In Between
Jennifer Tilley, Salter Street Digital Award
Juanita Peters, National Film Board of Canada Award, Never No More
Steven Krizsan, Kodak Canada Award, The Misconstructed Adventures of Little Johny Rainbow
Glynis Humphrey, Boyne Clarke Award, Tea Lake Project
Walter Forsyth, Medallion Award, June Bug Symphony
Darliea Dorey, Casablanca Award, Springhill: Aboriginal Voices
1998
Chris Woods, The Tent The Woman The Dog, Telefilm
Andrea Dorfman, Nine
Neal Livingston, Suetes
JoDee Samuelson, Mabel’s Saga
Helen Bredin, Unrequited
Richard Cumyn, Penumbra
Ann Verrall, Invoking Nina
Sean Kelly, Cachet and Catsup
Michael Greer, works in progress
1997
Mary Lewis, From Here
Helen Hill, Mouseholes
Ann Verrall, Rain
Ariella Pahlke, Charlie’s Prospect
1996
Derrick Powers, Silent Faces
Shirley de Silva, Tintamarre
Beverly Lewis, My Bubba
Ken Furlong, “David Adams Richards”
Rodrigue Jean, La memoire de l’eau
1995
Marie Koehler, Salome
Kim Smith, The Present
Tara Donovan, Farmer Fred’s Weird Idea
Laraine Isa, Gone Fishin’
Tina Young, Untitled
1994
Ann Verrall, The Water’s Tale
Lisa Cochrane, Emotional Logic: William Douglas Transformed
Rodrigue Jean, La Voix des Rivieres
Thomas Love, Orange
Pamela Hall, Under the Knife: Personal Hystories
Nathaniel Rounds, Micromegalopolis
John Scott, The King of Spices
John Brett, One Man’s Paradise
1993
Michael Clattenburg, Bernie: The Inner Voice
Liz MacDougall, The MPD Experience
Glenn Walton, Love and Oysters
Ken Furlong, Under the Influence
Shandi Mitchell, The Hope Chest
David Middleton, The Snare
O’Leary/Warren, Sisters of Influence
1992
Linda Rosborough, Dreams by Design
Nancy Winsor, Short History of Manners
JoDee Samuelson, The Bath
Jennifer Tilley, The Lace
Shandi Mitchell, Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe
David Coole, American Wander
Renee Penney, Name Calling
1991
Barbara Badessi, Controlled Voices Cinemarevie, work in progress
Claire Henry, The FairMakers
Shandi Mitchell, Gasoline Puddles
Rosemary House, When Women Are Crazy
Andrew Ellis, 14 Courses of the Cross
1990
JoDee Samuelson, The Bath
Errol Williams, A Darker Side
Chris Woods, Nager, Nager
1989
David Coole, Long Line
1988
Debbie McGee, Multiple Choice
1987
Pamela Gallant, Player’s Light
1986
Glenn Walton, Ragged Island
Helen Hill Animation Award
About Helen Hill Animation Award
The Helen Hill Animation Award is open to artists working in animation and experimental forms in Nova Scotia. Helen Hill was a gifted filmmaker and film educator who was active in many communities across the continent. Helen lived in Halifax from 1995 to 2001, and was an integral personality in the film, arts and civic outreach communities.
Helen’s particular style of creation was unhampered by convention, and marked by a rarely found honesty and immediacy. In January of 2007 Helen Hill passed away in her home in New Orleans, the victim of a random act of violence. The Helen Hill Award was created to celebrate this remarkable individual and to support artists working in animation.
Awards are given out through a peer-jury process. Please click the button below to learn more about the peer-jury process.
The deadline for submission in 2024 is Aug. 20 at 11:59pm. Applications will be accepted online only. You can apply by clicking the button below.
Helen Hill Animation Award 2024 will include the following:
- $1,000 cash
- $2,000 in kind equipment and facility access from AFCOOP (valued at commercial rates)
- One full year of Editing and Producing memberships, (valued at $1,070), from the Centre for Art Tapes (CFAT)
Eligibility
Applicants must be residents of Atlantic Canada. Note that sponsorship services are located in Nova Scotia. Past recipients can apply again at least 12 months after receiving their past award as long as their past Award project is completed, and required reports and material have been received by AFCOOP. Requests for retroactive financing are ineligible. The project for which funding is applied must be targeted for completion by September 2024. There are no restrictions on project length. The applicant must retain full creative control and ownership of the project throughout the production process.
To apply, please include the following support materials with your application:
- Artistic Statement/Letter of intent
- Script (max 10 pages) or Project Description (1 – 2 pages)
- CV or Filmography
- Budget (indicating any additional funding and whether or not it is confirmed)
- Links to previous work (1 – 3 links)
- Other support material (drawings, storyboards etc. max 5 pages)*
*Optional
Apply
You can apply by clicking the button below.
Adjudication
Applications will be judged by a peer jury of filmmakers and media artists. Projects will be evaluated based on the innovation and creativity of the proposed project. Consideration will be given to the applicant’s demonstrated ability to complete the project as planned and budgeted.
Questions: send to Iain at programs@afcoop.ca
About Helen Hill
Helen Hill was a gifted filmmaker and film educator who was active in many communities across the continent. Helen lived in Halifax from 1995 to 2001, and was an integral personality in the film, arts and civic outreach communities. In January of 2007 Helen Hill passed away in her home in New Orleans, the victim of a random act of violence. She is survived by her husband Paul Gailiunas and her son Francis.
Helen’s particular style of creation was unhampered by convention, and marked by a rarely found honesty and immediacy. Her clear and engaging presence can be felt in all her work, as well as a warm invitation to join in the sheer enjoyment of it, and the life from which it was drawn.
The Helen Hill Award was created by the board of the Linda Joy Media Arts Society to celebrate this remarkable individual and to support artists working in animation.
