The celebrations for the 40th anniversary of The Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (NIFCO) continue with an upcoming province-wide screening series. The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) teamed with the Arts and Culture Centres (ACC) to screen a series of sixteen award-winning shorts and documentaries, all locally-produced NFB films directed by NIFCO members.

“We’re really looking forward to hearing how the screenings throughout the province are received by the public,” said John Doyle, Co-Chair of NIFCO’s 40th Anniversary Committee. “We truly appreciate the NFB and ACC presenting films by our members and helping us celebrate our 40th anniversary, but also the NFB’s partnering with NIFCO over the years to create such important works.”

From March 19 to April 5, each ACC will offer a unique program of films curated by the NFB to highlight themes and locations specific to each region.

The series kicks off in Labrador West with an afternoon program of family-friendly short animations along with Kent Martin and Rex Tasker’s documentary A Family of Labrador (1987), which shows us, through the eyes and stories of Elizabeth Goudie, how much Labrador has changed since the Second World War.

The St. John’s screening on Monday, March 21, features Tommy…A Family Portrait (2001), a warm and funny tribute to Tommy Sexton by filmmakers Mary Sexton and Nigel Markham. It features Mary Walsh, Cathy Jones, Andy Jones and Greg Malone along with interviews with Tommy’s mother, Sara, who remembers Tommy’s final battle with AIDS in 1993. Proceeds from this screening will be donated to the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador.

“These are just a few of the films in this series that will reveal and remind us of the history, complexity, beauty and diversity of this province, the people within it, and the talented filmmakers who have ensured that we won’t forget it,” said Annette Clarke, Executive Producer for the NFB’s Atlantic and Quebec Studio.

Other series highlights include Bruce Alcock’s Vive La Rose (2009), Tamara Segura’s Song for Cuba (2014), Justin Simms’ Hard Light (2011), and Sherry White’s Imaginary Heroine (2012).

Tickets for film screenings are $10 for adults and $7 for students (HST and service charge included) and can be purchased online at www.artsandculturecentre.com or by calling the local Arts and Culture Centre box offices. For the St. John’s screening, tickets will be available by cash only donation in advance and at the door from the box office (no online sales).