LOCAL INDUSTRY

Connecting local creatives and cultivating a robust screen-based economy

The Kootenay Screen-Based Industry (KSBI) Initiative is a hub for the cross-pollination of ideas, resources and opportunities for our local screen-based professionals
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.

KSBI aims to connect a highly engaged group of people working in all aspects of film, video, TV and online production in the Kootenay region through events, professional development opportunities, meetups and more. 

We strive to make film production flourish in our rural region by creating a home for the exchange of ideas, resources, and opportunities between screen-based professionals.

Get involved and stay connected

Join other creatives in our private Facebook group

Our active Facebook community now connects more than 500 highly-engaged people. Members regularly receive updates on industry activities and gain valuable networking opportunities, including our monthly meet-ups, as well as workshops, screenings and panel events.

Get involved and stay connected

Join other creatives in our private Facebook group

Our active Facebook community now connects more than 500 highly-engaged people. Members regularly receive updates on industry activities and gain valuable networking opportunities, including our monthly meet-ups, as well as workshops, screenings and panel events.

Get professional development through meetups and events

We facilitate mentorship, workshops, skills upgrading and learning experience through our meetups and other events. Emerging and youth screen-based workers can connect and gain valuable tips from more established screen-based professionals.

Diversity and representation matter to us

The inclusion of all voices on and behind the screen is essential to us. We are committed to  providing opportunities for equal participation by marginalized and minority voices.

Equipment Lending Program

Need some gear to shoot your indie short, selfie vlog, viral video, web series, epic feature or products? Look no further – Kootenay Film Gear Rentals can offer you lighting, audio gear and accessories to meet your production needs.

Please contact info@kootenayfilm.com if interested in renting gear.

Training & Events

Meetups

Since 2016, there have been over 35 meet-ups, 7 masterclass workshops, and dozens of other events. To attend a monthly meetup or stay up to date on the latest events, join the private Facebook group!

Momentum Workshops

The intensive Momentum Masterclass Workshop Series first began in 2021 and is available to emerging KSBI professionals and artists residing within the Kootenay region. 

These classes offer participants the chance to gain a deeper understanding of the film production process to assist them in developing their craft, creative projects and refine their artistic eye. This workshop series provides an opportunity to learn from industry professionals who have extensive experience in the field. These workshops range from practical and technical to hands-on and theoretical, and are unique offerings that give emerging KSBI professionals useful on-set skills development. 

We call this Masterclass series “Momentum” because this word represents the collective strength and forward motion of the KSBI in becoming recognized as an area alive and flourishing with film talent. The masterclass series empowers, invigorates and inspires the local KSBI network. There is a current of forward moving momentum in the development of the local industry, and this masterclass series helps community participants be a part of that growth. Momentum is created through motion – through the art of motion pictures. 

Check out the 2021 workshops we hosted. Seven masterclasses were offered, with a focus on the above-the-line roles and production stage:

 

Many thanks to our funders, Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, for making this all possible.

Her Vision: ‘Breaking the Celluloid Ceiling’ Mentorship Program for emerging women in the screen-based industry

This mentorship program will give five emerging/early-career women in the screen-based industry an opportunity to develop a creative project with the 1-on-1 personalized guidance and mentorship from a more experienced woman mentor in their field.

Many thanks to our funders, Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, for making this all possible.

2022 Kootenay Film Festival

The festival embraces all forms of filmmaking, and in this inaugural year, its focus is on introductions and coming back together to share and inspire.

The 2022 festival will take place outdoors as a drive-in, allowing all to attend, while still facilitating the accidental meetings and discussions that are a highlight of in-person events.

The festival includes a broad call for regional film submissions, curation by festival programmers, partnerships with other independent film festivals and organizations, as well as workshops to create new short works.

With all its programs the festival aims to spark an interest in filmmaking as an art form and a means of self-expression and empowerment. The festival looks forward to sharing the range of tone and the multitude of voices that regional independent film, as well as films from further afield, offers its audiences.

Stay tuned for exact dates and locations for the summer and fall of 2022.NCTS, under the co-direction of multi-talented artists Siloën Daley and Jason Asbell, is launching the Kootenay Film Festival. This intimate gathering is designed to share what we h

The Kootenay Film Festival Call For Submissions is open for independent film submissions from Alberta and British Columbia that were made since 2015. Preference will be given to films that have not been available to audiences in the Kootenay region.

Find project funding – Coming Soon!

Check back soon for some links and resources to help you find funding for your projects.

Join the Crew and Vendor Database

Check back soon for some links and resources to help you find funding for your projects.

Past Events

2017

Kinesis

In September 2017, NCTS 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 congregate our local film community and plan the next steps in the development of a thriving Kootenay screen-based industry.

Youth Film Festival

In 2017, we co-presented a Youth Film Festival with SelfDesign 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.

2018 & 2019

Craft Brews of the Columbia Basin

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.

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. 

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.