This large-scale summit is hosted by a different city every second year. In June 2012 Alberta will welcome artists, cultural workers, scholars, critics and students to The Banff Centre, a globally respected arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference facility located in the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountains. SOURCE is a partnership between the IMAA, Film & Media at The Banff Centre, the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition, the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society, New University Television, Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, Quickdraw Animation Society, and EMMEDIA. SOURCE will be an unprecedented gathering, sure to generate a tremendous level of community, inspiration, and media attention.

The theme “source” stems from the Banff springs and flows through multiple interpretations including source of creativity and ideation which is the foundation from which all media artists and administrators work. In June 2010, the IMAA held its national conference ON Fire in Toronto, ON, which looked at the burning issues within the media arts. Water as a metaphor will respond to this by dousing its delegates in outstanding keynotes, interactive discussions, film screenings, performances, and media art installations in various venues at the Banff Centre.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO REGISTER TODAY: http://www.banffcentre.ca/programs/program.aspx?id=1264

The Spirit of Helen Award is an annual Alberta Media Arts Alliance (AMAAS) award given in honour of Helen Folkmann, an artist and arts advocate whose creativity, activism, strength and determination inspired people across Canada. Helen passed away in 2004, and this award acknowledges an artist, cultural worker or advocate whose contributions to Alberta’s media arts community reflects Helen’s remarkable spirit.

Nominations: This award is open to all artists and cultural workers in Alberta. Individuals or organizations associated with the Alberta Media Arts community may nominate one candidate per year. Nominations must be received by June 1, 2012. Please include a biography of your nominee (max. one page) and a statement indicating why you are nominating this individual (max. one page). Nominations will be reviewed by an anonymous peer jury. Candidates may not self-nominate, and current AMAAS Board and Staff are ineligible for the Spirit of Helen Award.

Award: $2,000 cash award and certificate. The award will be presented on June 16th at the 2012 IMAA Summit in Banff. The successful nominee or representative should be available to attend. Please send your signed (and scanned) nomination form and attachments to AMAAS Executive Director, Kevin Allen, by e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by mail to: 901, 1323 15 Ave. SW, Calgary, AB T3C 0X8.

DOWNLOAD THE NOMINATION FORM HERE