Introduction

The Multicultural Cinema Club (MCC) was established in December 2006 to create a culture of cinema within Waterloo region by screening films, hosting discussions, creating artistic works, and encouraging community film-making.

MCC founder, Azam Fouk Aladeh is a professional filmmaker/producer. The Multicultural Cinema Club is not only for New Canadians. It is an open concept for anyone interested in artistic community projects.

Its purpose is two-fold:

1. It organizes three film festivals per year: two that showcase award-winning films from different countries and cultures around the globe, while the third is a "'Local Focus'" film festival which celebrates animation, short, feature, and documentary films produced in the Region of Waterloo. The community is invited to view these films free of charge, and to participate in discussions following each screening. In addition, "Local Focus" viewers get to vote at each screening, rating each to establish the People's Choice Award for best documentary, best short and best feature.
2. MCC has developed a small film studio that will provide the tools necessary for film-making workshops, production of documentaries or dramas on social and community issues, and rental of film-making equipment in a low-cost and accessible manner.

Benefits of Membership at the MCC

Attending workshops, volunteering in our activities, serving as a crew member and renting equipment at MCC all require a membership.

Membership is contingent upon the prospective member signing an application form in which they agree to adhere to the policies and procedures of the facility and paying required fees.

MEMBER PRICE

All MCC members are entitled to get member price for renting equipment or our activities. That's half-price admission to workshops or special events.

Memberships

The following are the different types of memberships available depending on the level of involvement you are seeking:

• Honourable (Golden) Membership - $ open amount per year, for purpose of donations
  • access to production and post-production equipment
  • member's discounted rates on workshops
  • regular mailings about upcoming events
  • voting rights at the Annual General Meeting
  • your work is archived in MCC library
• Artist / Producer Member - $75 per year
  • access to production and post-production equipment
  • member discount on workshops
  • regular mailings about upcoming events
  • voting rights at the Annual General Meeting
  • your work is archived in MCC library
  • half the fee may be paid through volunteering with MCC
• Organization Producer Member - $150 per year
  up to 2 designated members from your organization are able to access production and post-production equipment consultations on production and project development regular mailings about upcoming events your work is archived in MCC library Organizational Member is not entitled to vote AGM
• Associate Member - $20 per year
  • for individual and organization to support MCC and keep in touch with MCC news and events
  • regular mailings about upcoming events
  • member's discounted rates on workshops
  • half the fee may be paid through volunteering with MCC
  • no access to equipment and not entitled to vote at AGM
• Students Member - $10 per year
  • regular mailings about upcoming events
  • member's discounted rates on workshops
  • Student Member has no access to equipment and is not entitled to vote AGM

A list of members in good standing will be maintained, and made available to the Advisory Committee. Questions regarding the status of members will be resolved by the committee.

Memberships can be purchased by mail, via telephone, by Internet or in person.

You can pay for your membership fees using your volunteer hours, and you have the opportunity to pay your membership fees on three equal payments. If you can't pay your membership fees talk to a advisory committee member to get a discount.

All Members shall be eighteen years of age or older.

DUES

1. Members are entitled to attend and vote at general meetings of the members AGM of MCC. A member must have been a member in good standing for no less than ninety days in order to vote at any general meeting.
2. Members shall pay annual Membership. all memberships come due at March 21 of each year. A renewal notices will be be sent out just every year. A new membership starting at other times of the year would be prorated according to the amount of time left until the new term.
3. The Membership of any Member whose dues are unpaid for (60) days shall be suspended.

Volunteering at the MCC

Volunteering for MCC earns you credits, and the more credits you earn, the more benefits you get! Credits are earned by helping out with activities such as distributing flyers and brochures, volunteering at the film festivals, running workshops for us, or by being a crew member in our shootings. If you have another way to contribute, talk to an Advisory committee member, and you can probably get credits for that too. Credits can get you discounts at renting equipments, workshops, or a reimbursement of your membership fee.

There will be four levels of credits:

1. Each hour will be counted as $40 in leader positions such as directing, acting, shooting, lighting, editing , music composing , color correction.
2. Each hour will be counted as $30 in professional support positions such as researching , production manager, sound recording, sound mixing, graphics and design, makeup, lighting assistant, director assistant, professional workshops , helping organizing events, conducting discussions )
3. Each hour will be counted as $20 in positions such as introducing film, production assistant.
4. Each hour will be counted as $10 in positions such as ushering, distributing flyers.

Note: You can use your volunteer hours to redeem your renting equipment, but you still have to pay for the taxes.

National Access Program

For artists traveling to KW from out of town to work on a "one-off" production project, MCC will honour memberships from other Canadian, non-profit, artist-run video, audio and film organizations. This will give participants access to the facility and subsidized rates without having to pay MCC's membership fee.

Members of other Canadian artist-run media centres are given $25.00 off our fees

Non-Member, Commercial Productions or Services

MCC offers a competitive commercial rate for both members and non-members. All commercial or non-member projects or services must be discussed with the office in advance.

Non-Discrimination Policy

MCC has adopted and upholds statement which prohibits discrimination and harassment and protects the right to be free of hate activity based on age, ancestry, citizenship, creed (religion), colour, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender identity, level of literacy, marital status, place of origin, membership in a union or staff association, political affiliation, race, receipt of public assistance, record of offences, sex, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristics by or within the organization.

In terms of hiring, distribution, production and representation. Also they respect and support the autonomy of native cultural representation

MCC does not limit itself to one genre, ideology or aesthetic but furthers diversity of vision in artistic and social consciousness.

Mandate

MCC is a non-profit arts service, community-based tool, artist-run-organization committed to support ground breaking and professional artistic productions, presentation and programming of independent video and media art. It is operates under the auspices of the Working Centre and governed by a volunteer advisory committee. MCC provides many services to its membership including affordable prices for renting equipments, and a wide range of workshops designed to create an atmosphere that will inspire productions.

We provide affordable access to video production and post-production equipments. Our activities include production support programmers for video artists, a comprehensive range of introductory, intermediate and advanced workshops and as well as film festivals and exhibitions. MCC also provides services for the community in large and local organization by creating videos about\for them and all dobbing and converting services.

MCC facilities can be used in a wide range of productions - video art, drama, documentary, multi-media, performance, installation, and community-based projects.

To coordinate and co-programme with other arts, multicultural and special interest groups in Canada towards betterment of the society in general

Advisory committee

MCC is operated by a volunteer advisory committee runs the organization from AGM to AGM. To serve on the advisory committee you have to be a member in good standing.

The advisory committee is 7 members, 4 are elected at AGM, 2 appointed in consultation of TWC, and Azam Fouk Aladeh

The advisory committee will make the call for Annual General Meeting of MCC every year to discuss what we did every year and plan for next year.

1. Joe Mancini
   Founded The Working Centre in 1982 with Stephanie Mancini as a community-based response to unemployment and poverty. Rather than following a social service model, The Working Centre has evolved a method of supports that we call Community Tools.
   Address: 58 Queen St. S. Kitchener, ON, N2G 1V6
   Phone: 519-743-1151 ext. 112
   E-mail: joe@theworkingcentre.org
   Website: www.theworkingcentre.org


2. Marinus P. de Groot
   
   • executive director, Waterloo Regional Arts Council
   • project manager, Alliance for a Grand Community
   • columnist, Waterloo Region Record
   • lecturer, Dept of History, University of Waterloo
   • board of directors, MT Space
   • board of directors, Neruda Productions
   • grants committee, K-W Community Foundation
   • vice president, Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation
   Address: 1203 - 53 Water St N., Kitchener, ON N2H 5A7
   E-mail: mdg@golden.net
   Phone: 519-744-4552


3. Trudy Beaulne
   Executive Director, Social Planning Council of Kitchener-Waterloo/ Community Information Centre of Waterloo Region; Cultivating community knowledge to advance social justice.
   Address: 300-151 Frederick St., Kitchener, ON N2H 2M2
   Phone: 519-579-1096 Ext. 3006
   Fax: 519-578-9185
   Email:spckw@waterlooregion.org
   Community InfoLine: 519-579-3800
   Toll Free: 1-877-579-3859
   Website: www.waterlooregion.org


4. Philip Bast
   Graduated to videography following a 26-year newspaper career. Since retiring as Arts Editor for The Record he has been producing weekly webcasts and television reports in Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph. He also produces documentary and archival video for business and cultural agencies. In addition, he is a feature writer for Grand magazine and Guelph Life magazine. Volunteer activities include board of director positions for The New Quarterly literary journal and Ed Video Media Arts Centre in Guelph.
   Address: 542 Glasgow St., Kitchener, ON N2M 2N5
   E-mail: pbast@rogers.com
   Phone: 519-742-5883


5. Gary Kirkham
   Playwright in Residence The Blyth Festival Theatre, Member of Lost & Found Theatre
   Address: 84 Highman Ave., Cambridge, ON N1R 3L7
   Phone: 519-623-7029
   E-mail: kirkham@golden.net


6. Brian Scott
   Event Development, Film K-W, Community Services Department, Kitchener City Hall.
   Phone: 519-741-2308
   E-mail: brian.scott@city.kitchener.on.ca


7. Margaret O'Shea Bonner
   Community Tools and Volunteer Coordinator, The Working Centre
   Phone: 519-749-9177 ext. 232
   E-mail: margaret@theworkingcentre.org