As announced earlier this year, the Winnipeg Film Group’s board of directors received a request for Special General Meeting, however without a listed reason or proposed agenda item.
The board of directors issued a call for agenda items, and Winnipeg Film Group member Deco Dawson made a submission on behalf of the SGM request signatories.
From this document, the board of directors has developed an agenda and is now able to call the requested special meeting, scheduled for Monday, Oct 27 at 6:30 PM at Cinematheque.
In the meantime, the WFG’s most recent historic annual reports and audited financial statements, presented yearly to the public at its annual general meetings, as well as the past three AGM minutes, are available for review for those interested:
You can also learn more about the Winnipeg Film Group, its mission, vision and values, and how it is structured, here.
Finally, please save the date for our 2014 Annual General Meeting, Tuesday, Nov 19 at 6:30 PM. At this meeting, the WFG will present its annual report and audited statements for its recently completed 2013/2014 fiscal year, as well as provide highlights of upcoming plans.
SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING
Monday, Oct 27 at 6:30 PM
Cinematheque, Main Floor, 100 Arthur St.
AGENDA
1. Call to order
2. Approve agenda
3. Board of Directors to answer the following questions on the general topic of how the Winnipeg Film Group operates:
- What input do Department Directors have in guiding the direction and scope of their departments?
- How does the WFG balance new initiatives against the need to maintain core services?
- How is growth measured within the organization?
- How does the WFG involve its members and keep them informed about what the organization is doing?
- What challenges does the organization face in this regard?
- Does the WFG have written hiring policies? If so, are they available to the membership?
- To the extent that they can be disclosed, what are the reasons for the departures from the Production Department over the last three years?
- To what degree has the WFG grown in staff over the last three years?
- What advantages/challenges has this presented, and how are the challenges being addressed?
- Who handles the budget for the various departments of the WFG?
- Why does Production have to pay to use the Cinematheque? Why does Distribution have to pay Production to digitize a video tape?
- How does the WFG ensure that Production and Distribution staff are able to deal with both digital and analog film?
- How does the WFG engage filmmakers in the analog equipment and practices of traditional filmmaking?
- What is the annual equipment repair budget in the Production Centre for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014?
- How is this budget determined?
- How does the WFG prioritize equipment repair? What does it do when the budget does not cover repair costs?
- How does the WFG monitor equipment to determine when repairs are necessary
- What is the process for identifying and purchasing new equipment?
- Does the WFG have a policy in relation to the purchase of aging analog equipment? If so, what is it?
- Does the Production Centre have a budget for the purchase of “small ticket items” throughout the year? If so, what is it?
- What is the annual equipment purchase budget in the Production Centre (specially funded purchases excluded) for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014?
- At what rate are capital costs of digital equipment depreciated?
- How are rental rates set? Are rental rates in other film centres across the country considered?
- How is equipment usage monitored? Does frequency of utilization affect rental rate?
- How are rentals encouraged if equipment is being under-utilized?
- What is the present status of the animation stand? Is there an anticipated completion date?
- What steps are contemplated for the animation stand following its completion (workshops, animation grant, etc.)?
- What is the process for determining which workshops to present? Are certain workshops considered “core” or “necessary”?
- How is attendance encouraged at workshops when they are under-utilized?
- How are volunteer credit hours financially accounted for?
- How are volunteer/production credits earned, used, recorded and paid out within departments?
- What is the current volunteer rate? How is this rate determined? When was it last updated?
- What is the status of the request for Directors’ liability insurance?
- What is the protocol for polling of the membership/community?
- What is the current status of the HUB project? What does this project involve
- What is the selection process for films chosen for distribution?
- How is a distribution plan for a film determined?
- How does WFG distribution fit into the environment of online submissions, screenings and other self-distribution practices?
- To what extent does WFG handle work of filmmakers outside Manitoba? What advantages/disadvantages does this present?
- What was the gross income earned for filmmakers in 2012/2013 and what were the net distribution expenses billed to filmmakers in 2012/2013?
- What are the objectives of the new marketing position?
- What will this person’s duties include? Will they include promoting the work of the membership, or only the organization and its activities?
- Is this a full-time position? Is it a permanent position, or is it project-specific?
- How do revenue and attendance figures for Cinematheque compare to past years? Is Cinematheque performing well?
- What is the iCinematheque project?
4. Adjourn