IMVF Directors' Message Indie music videos have come a long way in the past 35 years and finally there is the IMVF (Indie Music Video Festival) to celebrate them. The art, the science, the skill, the labour, and the technology that goes into music video production is almost unsurpassed in the history of the artist and creative mediums. Music videos have the capability of making us think and feel they can present a situation, story or create an unique surreal abstraction found nowhere else. There can be a synchronous beauty in the matching of music and vision. Video art can be all encompassing from the smallest to galactic in scale, from the cerebral, evocative visual poetry set to lyrics and music to fast paced animation, effects action and humour. Music videos can be profound masterworks and through their uniqueness and diversity can provide important social perspectives. They are a part of our lives and our culture and judging by the broadcast outlets dedicated to them, we definitely love them. IMVF's plan is to bring together the creators, writers, d.o.p's, editors, effects artists and producers enabling them to meet and network. IMVF plans to offer workshops on subjects such as editing systems, camera systems, lighting, writing, producing, production management, directing, emerging technology and distribution. Today there is no other festival in the world dedicated exclusively to music videos (clips to our UK friends). By establishing the IMVF we hope to provide an arena for the appreciation of the best in independent music video production and we hope to expand the awareness of the state of the art and the achievements of the artists that make and create music videos. -- Marcus Rogers, Nicole Steen, Frank Yahr Festival Directors Pictured left: Our MC, Frank from Rumbletone and happy festival goers

Toronto IMVF left to right: Tijuana Bibles!! The Eines and Filmmaker Stephen Chung and friends
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Bands with videos featured in The FIRST ANNUAL IMVF 2002 and IMVF Best of the Fest 2002:

Hot Hot Heat (Victoria) . Nasty On (Vancouver) . Riff Randells (Vancouver) . Canned Hamm (Vancouver) . Coal (Vancouver) . The Smugglers (Vancouver) . The Organ (Vancouver) . Kevin Kane (Vancouver) . Tamara Williamson (Toronto) . Datson 4 (Montreal) . The Snitches . (Montreal) . The Way Out (Vancouver) . World Provider (Montreal) . The Weakerthans (Winnipeg) . New Pornographers (Vancouver) . The Dears (Montreal) . O&V (Vancouver) . Sin-Tones (Toronto) . I Am Spoonbender (San Francisco) . The R.A.D.I.O (Vancouver) . Andy Shmushkin (Olympia) . Royal Grand Prix (Vancouver) . 3 Peace (Toronto) . The Carnations (Toronto) . The Problematics (Vancouver) . Chris Houston (Vancouver) . Evaporators (Vancouver) . D.O.A. (Vancouver) . Mark Kleiner Power Trio (Vancouver) . Huevos Rancheros (Calgary) . Maow (Vancouver) Click on above links to find out more about these bands online! Stream QuickTime clips from some of 2002's showcase videos! I Am Spoonbender - "Replaced by Toys" . Nasty On - "Caan" . O&V - "In The Darkness" . The Organ - "Sinking Hearts" . The Sintones - "Theme from Chick Boat"

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IMVF 2003 in the press:

Check out the IMVF in the Toronto Sun . Monday Magazine editorial . ChartAttack SATURDAY OCT. 11 2003 "INDIE MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL - Since MTV no longer plays music videos, MuchMusic plays tripe and Dan Gallagher has long given up the ghost ,most video freaks have to spend hours surfing Kazaa for their favourite artist's new clips. Even then, most are crap. To have a gander at a few that aren't, check out the second annual installment of this travelling festival, which features a live performance by hooky Toronto popsters The Eines, plus a whack of cool indie vids by the likes of Alexisonfire, Bright Eyes and many more." -- EYE Magazine

INDIE MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL Breaks New Ground - Mi2N Press Release December 6th, 2002 Pictured left, Carolyn Mark warms up the crowd at the IMVF 2002 INDIES LIGHT UP SCREEN - Music Notes (Georgia Straight) Nov.28-Dec.5 The New Pornographers, the Weakerthans, the Nasty On and The Organ are among the 50 bands whose clips are part of the Indie Music Video Festival. December 6th and 7th at the Blinding Light!! Sponsored by Cinestir and Rumbletone Productions, the event is designed to showcase the kind of independently made videos normally relegated to band websites and one appearance on MuchMusic's weekly program The Wedge. "We have about six videos we produced ourselves," said Coal's Nicole Steen who along with bandmate and video director (Before Year Zero: Western Canadian Punk Rock 1980-2000) Marcus Rogers, is part of Cinestir." And I realized there are so many bands here with videos that just don't get played much." The IMVF has taken about a month to organize with national as well as local bands, and even a few American acts, submitting clips for the two-night event. The programs for each evening vary, with two screenings (7:30pm and 10PM) and performances by Canned Hamm on December 6th and Carolyn Mark on December 7th. Steen said she and the other organizers would like to take the festival on the road, perhaps to Montreal and Toronto. "We're trying to give incentive for bands,"she said. "Usually if these videos do get played on TV it's a 3AM and nobody's watching. This way the work is really showcased." Pictured below: From left to right, Amy at the Blinding Light, The Line-ups Begin, and Smoke Break! umm er... Intermission