The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP) was born at a smoke-filled bar in Halifax, 1973.  Before its creation, the art of filmmaking in Canada was mostly limited to major cities like Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.  The tide turned when AFCOOP was incorporated in 1974, and soon centres followed in Newfoundland and New Brunswick. In the forty years sinceAFCOOP’s creation, storytelling styles, politics, and technology have changed, but the Co-op remains member-driven and committed to helping artists make the films they want to make. This showcase of notable films from the past forty years aims to distill the essence of AFCOOP into one sitting short enough that your ass doesn’t get numb. Experimental, animation, and documentary are all on display in this manic program.

CELLS AND STALKS (dir. Herb Theriault, 2012, 2 mins) A series of close-ups allows us intimate access to the delicate structure of leaves, ferns and water reeds.

BOHEMIAN TOWN (dir. Helen Hill, 2004, 3 mins) An animated ode to the late filmmaker’s adopted home of Halifax.

THREE PART HARMONY (dir. Amanda Dawn Christie, 2006, 5 mins) This experimental dance film employs a bastardized version of the 1930s’ three strip technicolor process.

TWO BROTHERS AND A FILMMAKER (dir. John Brett, 1976, 24 mins) A verite documentary chronicling a pair of rural Nova Scotian brothers’ squabbles and way of life.
HIVE (dir. Jeff Wheaton, 2013, 15 mins) A genre defying exploration of the lives, deaths and reincarnations of bees.

TELL ME (dir. Shandi Mitchell, 2004, 4 mins) Questions go unanswered in this intimate look at the filmmakers’ inexplicit father.

8 FRAMES PER SECOND (dir. Chuck Clark, 1986, 11 mins) A kinetic portrait of the filmmaker’s North End Halifax neighbour.

ASSEMBLED (dir. Becka Barker, 2006, 5 mins) A scratch animation that weaves the confessions of three figures navigating modern social spaces of being “together alone.”

The Rebekah Music Hall, Bear River
Friday December 12, 2014
7pm

Free Showing