NOMFA 2019

NOMFA is the region’s largest gathering of the music and film with a purpose to celebrate the best in film, television, and music created in Northern Ontario over the past two years.

The NOMFA Conference will play host to a number of music and film showcases, as well as industry panel discussions and workshops aimed at connecting and empowering those working in Northern Ontario’s music and media arts sectors.

From Thursday, May 23rd to Saturday May 25th, public audiences and artists will have the opportunity to attend music and film workshops led by industry pros that cover a range of industry topics.

The panels our guests and industry members are invited to attend include:

THURSDAY MAY 23

The Art Of The Pitch: Working With Public Broadcasters
2:00 PM TO 3:30 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
Meet the CBC. CBC is looking for shows for CBC Gem, video and writers for the web, and creators to bring their ideas to a variety of social platforms. This is your opportunity to hear what the CBC is looking for across genres and how to pitch them. The panel will also discuss the business essentials to working with CBC, from financing your project, licensing rights, insurance requirements, and payment terms.
Tickets $10

FRIDAY MAY 24

Safer Music Spaces Training – For Music Venues and Presenters
9:00 AM TO 1:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Boardroom
Across Canada there are over 600,000 cases of reported sexual-violence, sadly our workplaces and organizations are the spaces where this violence and harassment can and does happen. This workshop, facilitated by the Dandelion Initiative, will teach attendees how to recognize, respond to and prevent harmful behaviours and actions that can put guests, teams and businesses at risk. Topics will include Bystander Intervention, Inclusive Practices, Consent, Workplace Policies, and more.
Tickets Limited. Please contact us at jbrady@cionorth.ca for register.

Screenwriting: The Writing Approach of TV and Film
9:00 AM TO 10:30 AM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
The first step of any film or TV project is a strong script, which presents an exciting opportunity to writers in the every growing film industry. Does your writing style fit with the fast pace of television series or the big screen? This session focuses on educating new and upcoming screenwriters on the process of writing a stand-out screenplay, focusing
on research, character development and crafting a compelling story. Our panel of writers from TV and film will also discuss pitching your script, touching on the process of selling your work and collaborating with producers to bring your words to life on screen.
Tickets $10

Navigating Film Funding: Setting Your Course for Success
11:00 AM TO 12:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Lecture Hall
There is an increasing amount of funding available for film projects, though the application process can be extensive and competitive. This panel, featuring members of the Canadian Media Fund (CMF), Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) and Ontario Arts Council (OAC), will cover Canada’s numerous funding programs for film projects and help attendees understand how to create a strong application and that stands out from the competition.
Tickets $10

Maximum Airplay: Radio and Streaming
11:30 AM TO 12:30 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
With the continuous evolution of music distribution comes questions about where musicians should devote time and energy to get their music heard. Examining the traditional radio platform and modern streaming platforms, this panel offers insight into how both contribute to an artist’s career development in different ways, while looking at best practices for using both radio and streaming to their greatest effect.
Tickets $10

Film Unions & Guilds: Making the Most of Your Membership
1:00 PM TO 2:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
With the Northern film industry continuing to grow, union membership has become increasingly important to ensure safety and job success for Northern crew members. This information training session, with speakers from NABET 700, ACTRA, IATSE, and DGC, will explain the ins-and-outs of union membership including how to join, the benefits of joining, and how to access union services.
Tickets $10

Data to Dollars
1:00 PM TO 2:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
From engaging your fans on social media to performing or presenting a live show, valuable insights about your audience are in plain sight. Learn to recognize and track important data from your everyday activities and leverage it to boost revenue.
Tickets $10

Speed Schmoozing
2:30 PM TO 4:30 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
Need advice on completing a funding application directly from the funder? How about feedback on an ongoing project or information on joining a union or guild? This two-hour session will allow you to get valuable face time with industry delegates in a speed-dating format to make pitches, ask questions and receive personalized advice on your career.
Tickets $10

SATURDAY MAY 25

Creating Safer Spaces and Workplaces
10:00 AM TO 12:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Lecture Hall
Maintaining a safe work environment is of utmost importance for ensuring the success of the Northern cultural industries. This information session on harassment will give an overview of current initiatives being conducted by unions, guilds and organizations to ensure safe and accountable workplaces, be they film sets, performing arts centers or rock clubs. Learn about your rights and obligations under the law, the latest changes in collective agreements, and available resources.
Tickets $10

Underground & Underserved: Building Community and Audience Outside of the Box (sponsored by Music Ontario)
12:30 PM TO 1:30 PM
From electronic and EDM to hip-hop and multicultural fusion, some of the biggest hits on the charts stem from genres that still don’t get the support or resources from the industry that match the demand for, or success of the music. Share positive ways to connect, engage and mobilize with like-minded creators, and discuss how the industry is changing its tune to create space for the underground, different voices and fresh perspective in the mainstream.
Tickets $10

Mediums, Methods And Film Technologies: The Future Is Here
1:00 PM TO 2:00 PM
Venue: McEwen School of Architecture, 85 Elm Street, Classroom
New mediums and methods of creating visual media has led to a move away from traditional TV and theatre towards more content in our homes. In this in-depth conversation about the ever changing film and TV landscape, film vendors, manufacturers, post production and educational institutions will discuss the trends they see developing in the near future and how to adapt and be ahead of the curve.
Tickets $10