Media

Film

While there is evidence of some film activity in the earlier part of the twentieth century (primarily documentary footage of the land), the period of Newfoundland Labrador's cultural revival during the 1970s laid the groundwork for the current activity within the provincial film and media industry. The establishment of the Newfoundland Independent Filmmaker’s Cooperative (NIFCO) in the mid-1970s is credited with being the primary impetus for the ongoing proliferation and quality of filmmakers in this province. The first works using NIFCO were produced by self-taught provincial filmmakers who shot short black-and-white films, like The Sisters of the Silver Scalpel (1978).

During the 1980s the making of short films and documentaries increased and the first feature-length film produced entirely in Newfoundland, The Adventures of Fautus Bidgood (1986) was produced with a small budget taking more than ten years to complete. This was followed by the development of quality feature films, illustrating industry professional growth.

With the broadening reputation of Newfoundland and Labrador talent, filmmakers have increased their market exposure and distribution channels. Co-productions with international companies are common, with the province being promoted as a film location for production around the world. Additional impetus has been given through film festivals, most notably the St. John’s International Women’s Film and Video Festival and more recently the Nickel Independent Film and Video Festival. Barring physical infrastructure concerns, including the lack of a soundstage/studio, continued sector growth appears on the horizon due to the increasing creative and professional talent and commitment by local filmmakers and the increasing international profile of Newfoundland-based writers who provide outstanding script material.

New Media

New media is art that develops and applies new digital technologies. This discipline is currently emerging within the cultural sector in Newfoundland Labrador.

Increasingly, artists from diverse disciplines are fusing performance, dance, visual arts, music, film and integrating this work with digital video, audio, images, and text, often programmed to facilitate real-time interactivity, creating a new discipline. It is the emphasis on the integration of text, pictures, video, sound, combined with the increasing use of the Internet as a vehicle, plus interactivity, that is a defining feature of new media. This content is used or created on computers, that may either be transmitted digitally over networks, or integrated into a physical delivery medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, website, performance, or gallery installation.