Our Mission

* To provide facilities for the production of independent, non-sponsored film.

* To assist in the production, distribution and exhibition of independent films, having educational and cultural benefit to the community.

* To facilitate public participation in the development of Canadian cultural policy through discussion, research and submissions.

* To support and arrange public exhibitions and workshops aimed at increasing film awareness and knowledge.

* To encourage the growth of film analysis.

* To liaise with local, provincial and national organizations and societies in the furtherance of the above purposes.

About CINEWORKS INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS SOCIETY

Cineworks Independent Filmmakers Society was stablished in 1980 in Vancouver to support independent filmmakers, media artists, & arts audiences through facilities & initiatives assisting in production, distribution, & exhibition of independent, non-commercial films with educational & cultural benefit for the community. We support public screenings & accessible workshops aimed at increasing film analysis, awareness, & knowledge.  Our mission includes commitment to facilitating public participation in developing Canadian cultural policy, through processes of discussion, research, & submissions related to film. We support artists experimenting with media art, dance, visual art, & installation practices highlighting investigative, expressive, & transformative powers of moving image. 

We prioritize independence of film artists, & offer production resources, skill-sharing workshops, exhibitions, screenings, & dialogue-based events.  Through our 46-year history, we have become a steward of rare filmmaking equipment & knowledge.  As various filmmaking institutions transitioned to digital, they abandoned analog equipment & practices.  Whenever institutions disposed of important analog equipment, Cineworks stretched capacity to acquire, store, & upkeep it. Our storehouse of increasingly rare & unique analog equipment has grown to include an unrivalled collection of production & post-production items.  Building on this investment, we developed a unique analog facility in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: Cineworks Analog Resource Laboratory (CARL) that includes two publicly accessible darkrooms capable of developing movie film.  The CARL has an. Analog Film Technician that maintains analog resources & facilitate intergenerational skill-sharing of analog knowledge.