ABOUT OUR COOP
Mission
A cooperative of committed creators, SPIRA supports its members, fosters independent creation for idea to screen, and champions cinematic diversity, with a strong focus on regional voices.
Vision
SPIRA is a dynamic hub of supportive creators, constantly evolving. The coop showcases its members from Québec City and surrounding regions and acts as a catalyst, supporting them in their projects and throughout their careers.
Values
Four core values, dear to the coop, are put forward on a daily basis and through various actions, in the elaboration of projects, in the selection of supported productions, and most of all, in the relationship with members and the public.
SPIRA is about: equity, openness, rigour, and collaboration.
Description
Spira is a cooperative devoted to independent filmmaking, born in 2015 from the merger of Spirafilm and Vidéo Femmes, which had both been around for nearly 40 years. Spira’s core mission is to support the production and distribution of independent films, whether short or feature. Each year, about thirty works benefit from its various creation support programs, including its well-sought-after equipment rental program. SPIRA also distributes documentaries and fictions on various Canadian and foreign markets, including festivals, theatrical, television, the web, etc.
The coop contributes to the dynamism and development of the cinematographic community in Québec City by offering training activities, master classes, collective projects, and networking activities.
Fostering the public’s interest in cinema is also part of the coop’s objectives. That is why Spira sets up screening events throughout the year, in various venues in Québec City, in collaboration with festivals and local organizations. Films from its catalogue of over 300 titles are now available for online streaming.
Creative vision
SPIRA's creative vision is centered around a cooperative ideal that emphasizes community, mutual support and the provision of ressources to enable the advancement of cinematic practice, specifically in the context of independent production and distribution. This vision is reflected both in the organization's management model and in the nature of activities and services offered to its members and the media arts community.
We believe in strengthening the community in Québec, and aim to provide independent creators with the means to achieve their ambitions by primarily supporting local and regional projects, as well as those from the greater Montréal area. We also seek to offer enriching and stimulating creative environments by encouraging the sharing of experiences, exchanges, inspiration, and co-creation among filmmakers, industry professionals, and artists from other disciplines.
A gathering place for filmmakers, technicians and actors alike, SPIRA enables artists working with image and sound to create works that often would not see the light of day otherwise, due to lack of resource. Its strength lies in the quality and diversity of the material and human resources made available to creators for independent production, professional development, audience development and practice. SPIRA has successfully adapted to new technologies and their production realities while maintaining cutting-edge technical expertise for the benefit of its members.
SPIRA supports the development of authorship practices and approaches. Offering annual creative grants (for emerging and established filmmakers), SPIRA encourages reflection and research on writing, production and postproduction. Filmmakers are invited to submit a personal project defining their creative objectives, which are supported by mentoring from a resource person. Collective projects and professional development activities or master classes are also developed with a view to promoting sharing and mutual enrichment among creators with diverse approaches.
The cooperative is a privileged place where artists can explore and create freely at all stages of their careers, while retaining all rights to their productions.
SPIRA is supported by :
