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MINUTES

UBCP/ACTRA WOMEN’S COMMITTEE September 192016

11am – 1pm - UBCP/ACTRA BOARD ROOM

#300 - 380 W 2nd Ave., Vancouver

IN ATTENDANCE: Christine Willes – Chair

Iryna Getman, Irina Zeleniouk, Jacquie Robbins, Joyce Robbins, Sabrina Prada, Douglas Newell

REGRETS:Patti Kim, Amanda Burke, Sylvia Betts, Winnie Hung

  1. Welcome

The meeting was called to order at 11:02am

  1. Acceptance of Agenda

Jacquie Robbins moved acceptance of the agenda.

  1. Business Arising from the Minutes
  1. Minutes 05/16/16

05/16/15 Minutes - Approval tabled til next meeting

  1. Archival video – Taped Joy Coghill, Donna Yamamoto, Anna Hagen & Mary Black on Sept 1

Shot at the UBCP/ACTRA studio, with Christine Willesas the interviewer. MiaKut was the camera operator and will serve as editor; Sangeeta Wylie produced. Prepping for another round on October 3. BJ Harrison and Deanne Henry have accepted. Waiting to hear from Margo Kane and Linda Darlow. The 10-minute archival interviews will be posted on-line.

  1. Treasurer Position for the UBCP/ACTRA Women’s Committee

We are still looking for a Treasurer to manage the $7,500 budget,in part to support the video project and other incidental committee expenses. We are looking for a committee member who is willing to work with Sabrina and Christine as the numbers person.

  1. Report from BCFED liaison including BCFED – First Weekend liaison initiative

Sabrina Prada, rep for UBCP/ACTRA at the BCFED Women’s Right’s Committee, has procured the $2,500 pledge of support from The BCFED Executive Council. The event will be held Thursday, October 27, 6:30pm doors open; 7pm presentation and screening, followed by a Q & A with cast and creative team. Christine and Sabrina will continue to collaborate to find a high-profile host, preferably a Member.

The featured film will by The Birdwatcher, directed by Siobhan Devine and written by Roslyn Muir, starring Camille Sullivan and Gabrielle Rose, plus a host of other UBCP/ACTRA members and shot entirely in BC, with BC crew.

This pan-union cultural event is designed to shine a light on the issue of gender parity within the entertainment industry. The event will be produced by First Weekend Club, who secured the film and the venue, and the film was chosen based upon the criteria that 3 out of 6 creative positions on the film were held by women.

Of the 190 seats in the venue, approximately 20 will be set aside for UBCP/ACTRA names – volunteers, staff and Cast member guests. BCFED Affiliates will be able to reserve their tickets (approximately 160 seats) via an on-line link and invitation which will go out officially on Monday, October 3. RSVP deadline: October 24.

Women’s Committee members are requested to serve as greeters at Vancity Theatre from 6pm onwards the evening of the event. First Weekend Club will run the box office, but UBCP/ACTRA Women’s Committee will help as ushers and support for Christine and Sabrina while we run the event.

Greeting committee volunteers: Joyce & Jacquie Robbins, Iryna Getman, Douglas Newell.
Sabrina will follow up with Nick Woodall about getting the message out to committee members who missed this meeting.

  1. Report from WIFTV

Deferred to next meeting.

  1. UBCP/ACTRA Women’s Committee awards:
  1. Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award: update of names for consideration

Joy Coghill was acclaimed by the committee to receive the award at the upcoming Awards Gala. Alvin Sanders will be notified so that the Executive Board may approve the designation and get staff to notify her and make arrangements for the November 12 event.

  1. ACTRA National Women’s Committee Video project report

Vancouver scene shot on August 6 and 7. Douglas Newell and Cat Haggquist stepped up to support Christine Willes in producing. The crew was almost all female. Amanda Tapping directed. Cast & Crew worked under an ULB agreement.

Two scenes were shotin Vancouver. The working title is “WOMEN SEEN” and they illustrate the realities of what it means to be a female creative worker in Canadian screen-based media.Hope to have the resulting shorts for film festivals and for use by unions and guilds.

--Committee acclaimed paying for Christine’s airfare to Toronto continue to act as produceron the shoot days scheduled there, November 18-21.

--Committee agreed to top up its contribution to “WOMEN SEEN” to a total of $2,000 to cover unexpected catering costs for the Vancouver shoot.

  1. CLC Rise Up! Conference

Winnie Hung & Sabrina Prada will attend, Ottawa October 20-23. Winnie Hung’s airfare, registration, lodging and per diems are underwritten through the endorsement of the E Board. Sabrina Prada ‘s costs will be covered under the Women’s Committee. Budget has been allocated to support this type of Member Development.

All Committee members should be on lookout for Labour and Women’s Issues conferences, happening both nationally and internationally. Irina Zeleniouk volunteered to do some research on upcoming conventions and conferences for 2017 and 2018.

  1. Second CUES report launch

Launched in Toronto on September 7, 2016 — Canadian Unions for Equality on Screen (CUES) has identified causes and solutions in a new report by Dr. Amanda Coles on the persistent gender inequalities that exist in Canada’s film and television industry. The report, entitled “What’s wrong with this picture? Directors and gender inequality in the Canadian screen-based production industry,” is a follow up to CUES’s inaugural Focus on Women report in 2013 and received coverage on national and US news outlets.

This year’s TIFF did a must better job of fostering dialogue about the Gender Inequities in the Film Industry – particularly the message and Master class delivered by Jill Soloway, the Keynote Speaker, and an outstanding Panel discussion titled DIALOGUES The 4%: Film's Gender Problem.

Christine is doing an interview on Co-op Radio to support the report here on the West Coast. Also following up with VIFF and WIFF to make sure the report is shared during those Festivals.

  1. New and Other Business
  1. Budget suggestions for 2016 and 2017:
    i. Committee has five names to suggest for attendance at the BCFED 2016 Convention – Sabrina Prada, Joyce & Jacquie Robbins, Iryna Getman, IrinaZeleniouk.
    ii. Creation of a 2017 Workshop with WIFTV around International Women’s Day
    iii. More Video creation in 2017 – perhaps a short informational video -a round table of intergenerational working female performers – background, principal, voiceover, motion-capture, all ages.
  2. Workshop participation in UBCP/ACTRA members’ convention – postponed
  3. Support for Members running in the 2017 UBCP/ACTRA elections
    We want to mentor committee members to run for the Executive Board in the October/November 2017 election. Please keep this in mind as you encourage your peers to join the committee and other union-related activities. Our preparation for the Executive Board election next Fall should be strategic.
  4. Childcare for working members – discussion from Facebook
    Moved to the next meeting agenda.
  5. RED DRESS campaign: Prince George
    Sisters from BCFED and HEU are supporting an art installation/memorial vigil planned in Prince George for October 2, 2016, by collecting RED DRESS donations from all affiliates. Sabrina Prada is coordinating the donation bin for UBCP/ACTRA members who would like to participate in the message: RED DRESS. Deadline for donations Sept 22, 4pm at the UBCP/ACTRA Office. Look for the Red Bin at the Front Desk.
    The Committee agreed to get the word out via the Communications office and Sharon Tungate at the Front Desk.
  6. This will be Douglas Newell’s last meeting with the Committee for the next little while. He has accepted a teaching position at the University of Botswana for the next two years. He was thanked for his service.
  1. Adjourn and next meeting - tentatively Monday January 16 2016
    We are considering an evening or a weekend time. The agenda and minutes for approval will be sent out by the office two weeks ahead of the meeting.

Adjourned at 1:05pm