Winnipeg Film Group celebrating 50 years

Olivia Norquay and Leslie Supnet celebrate five decades of indie film with screenings, guests, and a festival at Cinematheque.

The Winnipeg Film Group – an artist run organization dedicated to promoting cinema – is celebrating 50 years.

The group was started in the 1970s by a group of filmmakers with the goal of sharing resources and building community.

Over the decades, it has become a hub for artists to receive funding and present their work.

“The big thing about the Winnipeg Film Group is that we run the Dave Barber Cinematheque and we also have a production and training wing,” said the group’s executive director, Leslie Supnet.

“So that is where people can rent film production equipment and gain access to funding or training for independent filmmaking.”

To mark the milestone birthday, the organization is putting on “We’re Still Here: 50 Years of the Winnipeg Film Group Festival.”

Special guests will be in attendance, including local filmmakers and founding members of the organization. The event will also feature filmmaker talks, experimental feature films, and special events.

The festival runs from Sept. 23 to 28 at the Dave Barber Cinematheque.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagacé