Kootenay Film – Your Home for the Kootenay Screen-Based Industry

Why We Exist

KootenayFilm.com is a non-profit program of the Nelson Civic Theatre Society dedicated to empowering and supporting local filmmakers. Our aim is to make more film production possible in our beautiful rural region by creating a home for the cross-pollination of ideas, resources, and opportunities between screen-based professionals.

Divided by vast mountain ranges, in-person networking and access to professional development and collaboration in our area are a challenge. Our online networking portal for SBI professionals bridges this gap.

We are your Kootenay cultural connector.

Our Priorities

Through various initiatives, our mandate is to develop a flourishing local creative economy and be an incubator for Kootenay film and media arts.

A Community
Support Network

KootenayFilm goes beyond the involvement of filmmakers and calls for the collective participation of the entire community. By hosting an extensive database, KootenayFilm is a place where community partners can connect with SBI creators to have their stories told.

Access

We know that the cost of technology can be a barrier. Our platform breaks down these walls so those who previously couldn’t afford to participate are now able to with our system of sharing, trading, and lending gear.

Sustained and
Shared Prosperity

We are setting the stage for economic growth by allowing local partnerships to form. The collaborative nature of film would generate increased employment and economic impacts beyond the production sector by stimulating sustain year-round work and business opportunities in the tourism, retail and accommodation sectors.

Catalyzing Production
and Creation

By keeping you in touch with funding and production opportunities, as well as other Kootenay creatives, we can help your ideas come to fruition.

Nurturing Professional
Development

KootenayFilm facilitates mentorship, workshop, skills upgrading and learning experience through our SBI meetups and other events. Emerging and youth SBI workers can connect and gain valuable tips from more established SBI professionals. Strengthen and develop your artistic practice here.

Diversification and
Representation

The inclusion of all voices on the screen is important to us. KootenayFilm benefits a broad representation of the local community and encourages equal participation by marginalized and minority voices.

Our Future

KootenayFilm.com aims to be your one-stop-shop for all your film production needs. Check out the plan:

A Networking Portal

With this online database, you’ll be able to create a personal profile sharing your experience, portfolio and what opportunities you are seeking. Find and connect with other SBI members to collaborate on projects and exchange resources.

Equipment Rental and Lending

You’ll also be able to buy, sell, lend, rent and trade gear, space, and services on the platform. Easily find what you need to make some on-screen magic happen (affordably).

Surveys and Industry News

Participate in ongoing surveys to share your valuable input as the industry grows. Curious about what’s going on in the industry? KootenayFilm will be your go-to credible source for industry news so you can ensure your skills and knowledge stay relevant.

Local Film Festival

The inclusion of all voices on the screen is important to us. KootenayFilm benefits a broad representation of the local community and encourages equal participation by marginalized and minority voices.

Our Past

KSBI Initiative is Born

In 2016, a group of filmmakers in the Kootenays came together and expressed an overarching desire to connect with other local creatives and to cultivate a more robust screen-based economy. The Kootenay Screen-Based Industry (KSBI) initiative was created by The Nelson Civic Theatre Society (NCTS) in response to that collective interest. Through our commitment to this initiative, we have since established ourselves within the local film community as a leader and supporter in the screen-based industry.

Here are some other ways we’ve pushed the boundaries of the Kootenay Screen-Based Industry forward.

20–
KSBI Facebook Group and Meetups

This online Facebook community now connects more than 300 people, and remains very active. Members regularly receive updates on industry activities and gain valuable networking opportunities, including our monthly SBI meetups, other screening and panel events.

2017
Kinesis

In September 2017, The Civic Theatre presented Kinesis: A Celebration of Kootenay Film, a four-day film festival bringing 39 film pieces by Kootenay filmmakers to our screen and a wide array of professional development, networking, open space and panel discussions. The event was a valuable opportunity to bring together the many skills, ambitions, thoughts and stories of members of our local film community and to plan the next steps in the development of a thriving Kootenay screen-based industry.

2017
Youth Film Festival

In 2017 we co-presented a Youth Film Festival with Self-Design High School, featuring a wide array of locally-made student films.

2018
Reel Youth Film Festival

In 2018, we hosted the Vancouver-based Reel Youth Film Festival which empowered under-20 filmmakers to make and screen their short films. Through this event, we connected with Kootenay-based youth interested in filmmaking.

2019
Nelson Youth Film Festival

In 2019, we were pleased to offer our own signature film event, the Nelson Youth Film Festival, with submissions from our two local high schools, LV Rogers and Mount Sentinel. KootenayFilm.com will offer this group and other youth in our region access to local industry mentorship and educational opportunities that will support their development and learning.

2019
Super-8 Film Challenge

In 2019 we also debuted the Super-8 Film Challenge. Supported by the Nelson Lions Club and local film development studio Lightercyde, youth were given a roll of physical film to make a one-shot film within a 24 hour period. The project included a workshop to learn to develop film, and participants only saw their final products for the first time right on the big screen, alongside a public audience at The Civic Theatre.

2018 & 2019
Craft Brews of the Columbia Basin

CBCB is The Civic Theatre’s film competition, launched in 2018 for professional and emerging filmmakers to create short beer commercials for Kootenay-based craft breweries. Now in its second year, the Fall 2019 competition received 20 film submissions and is touring different communities throughout the East and West Kootenays.

UP NEXT

SBI Virtual Cafe

Join us online once a week to chat, share, and connect with your fellow screen based industry peers. We’ll discuss things of importance to you during this time of Covid19 within the film and digital worlds.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO GET THE FUNDING WE NEED (TIME SENSITIVE!)

Because of Covid-19, the 2020 Columbia Basin Trust CIP/AAP program is being assessed in a different way – through a public online engagement tool. What this means is that we really need our community’s help to access this project funding…

KOOTENAY SHORTS FILMMAKERS

We want to sincerely thank all of our Kootenay filmmakers for donating their films to our Kootenay Shorts fundraiser. The second screening is TONIGHT @ 7pm (PST) with a SPECIAL FILMMAKER Q+A to follow at 9pm (PST). Get a chance…

PAST EVENTS

Read our blog

JOIN US

Join our Facebook community and subscribe to our newsletter so you can stay up-to-date on events, workshops, grants, member benefits and SBI opportunities in the Kootenay region. Get notified when we go live with the platform!

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Join Our Online Community

GET IN TOUCH

Want to donate to Kootenay Film, volunteer for us, or have a question or comment? Feel free to send contact us through the form below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.

Contact Us

Address

The Civic Theatre
719 Vernon Street, Nelson, BC V1L 4G3

Phone

Office: 250.352.5833

Email

info@kootenayfilm.com

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