Newsletter of the SASKATCHEWAN INTERACTIVE MEDIA ASSOCIATION

_The newsletter of the SASKATCHEWAN INTERACTIVE MEDIA ASSOCIATION
- also known simply as Saskatchewan Interactive or SaskInteractive.com for our soon-to-be-revamped website. This announcement of the name change (from the Saskatchewan New Media Developers’ Association) was made at our March 9, 2006 symposium.

Our mission: To foster the growth of a strong & vibrant interactive media sector/industry in SK with capabilities recognized & respected in the provincial, international, and international marketplace.

Our vision: As a provincially, nationally, and internationally recognized industry voice, Saskatchewan Interactive will: provide advocacy, promotion, and education to increase member opportunity in a global marketplace.

We are in the planning stages for another symposium this fall, building on the incredible success of our March 9 Interactive event. The symposium will be dealing with some of the more practical aspects of how to build games and more real-world examples of successes.

Working in conjunction with Science West, our game development camps for high school students will be running from July 10-21 and July 24-Aug 4. Log on to http://www.science-west.ca for information and registration.

Industry Canada is contributing funds to assist the Western interactive media associations to meet face-to-face on June 13 in Vancouver in conjunction with Vidfest. This will provide the opportunity explore joint efforts to build the industry, especially in the prairies.

Hosted by Dived Katz of SK Industry & Resources, we have been meeting with provincial government representatives with regard to regulatory reform and reducing government red tape requirements. David has also kindly agreed to review industry concerns about lack of government core funding support for the important work of associations.

Please support our efforts to grow our industry by becoming a member and presenting a united voice in Saskatchewan. Pass this email on to everyone you know in the industry. If you would like to subscribe to this newsletter, visit http://www.snmda.sk.ca (soon to switch over to http://www.saskinteractive.com).

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Hollywood and Games Summit June 27, 2006 The Beverly
Hills Hotel, California
http://info.gamanetwork.com/cgi-bin4/DM/y/mwjy0Igb7g0Opu0EMlr0Fk In this
- Summit - Keynote - Conference Sessions - Travel Information
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Call for Applications:
TELUS Interactive Arts & Entertainment Programme (IAEP), Habitat New Media Canadian Film Centre.

Are you are a programmer, designer, producer, filmmaker, visual artist, musician, writer or new media professional? Here's your chance to hoist your skills to a new level and transform your career!

The Habitat New Media Lab at the Canadian Film Centre is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2006 session of the TELUS Interactive Art & Entertainment Programme (IAEP), a five-month, post-graduate residency focused on creating inventive interactive narrative projects for the Canadian and international marketplace.

The TELUS Interactive Arts & Entertainment Programme (IAEP) is Canada's first post-graduate programme for new media training and production, based on a philosophy that compelling new media content is created through a collaborative process harnessing a wide range of creative skills, knowledge and talent. An internationally acclaimed facility, the Habitat New Media lab has produced award-winning new media prototypes ranging from simulation-based interactive documentaries, to wireless storytelling networks, to interactive short films and narrative-driven media installations.

Apply Now - Application Deadline is May 31, 2006

For more information or to request an application please contact: habitat@cdnfilmcentre.com.
www.cdnfilmcentre.com

Jacqueline Nuwame
Programme Entrolement Advisor
Habitat New Media Lab
Canadian Film Centre
T: 416.445.1446 x 296
E: jnuwame@cdnfilmcentre.com
W: www.cdnfilmcentre.com
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software development outsourcing lead (Ref: 1-13334231)

Genuine Parts, Inc, a New York Stock Exchange listed company with annual revenue of US$10 billion is seeking to outsource several IT projects involving one or more of the below listed skills. Solaris8 Silverstream 3.7.4 Sybase7.0.4 Jconnect5.5 Java1.3 UBL 5.03 Windows XP .Net Responding companies must have a minium of 20 employees and have been in business for at least 5 years. Please email a general statement of qualifications and references with an approximate US dollar wage rate for programmers with the above skill sets to the following: Mr. Tom Braswell, Senior Vice President, Information Technoloy tom_braswell@genpt.com No phone calls are accepted at this time. Please copy all correspondence to: Mr. Steve Adger Flamm Trade Commissioner Consulate General of Canada 1175 Peachtree St. NE Suite 1700 ( 100 Colony Square, corner 14th & Peachtree St.) Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A. 30361 tel: 404-532-2018 fax: 404-532-2050 email:steve.flamm@international.gc.ca

A copy of this opportunity may also be available on your Virtual Trade Commissioner (VTC) webpage. If you do not have a VTC webpage, we encourage you to register with us at: www.infoexport.gc.ca

For additional information, please contact:
Steve Flamm
Trade Commissioner
Consulate General of Canada in Atlanta
Tel: (404) 532-2018
Fax: 4045322050
Email: steve.flamm@international.gc.ca

International Trade Canada is bound by the Official Languages Act and relevant Treasury Board policies and all International Trade Canada information is available in both French and English. Please note that international business opportunities are published in the language of origin.

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BNMI Bulletin

Co-production Program: Applications Online and Peer Advisors Announced

BNMI has just launched its new co-production residency model which includes three exceptional programs led by three peer advisors. Apply today for one of these outstanding opportunities!

BNMI’s Co-production program is devoted to the production and presentation of the work of new media practitioners. The connections between art, technology, media, and cultures are continuously explored, by bringing together interdisciplinary participants in intensive co-production media lab residencies. The residencies support individuals and teams in the creation of new works, knowledge, and technology. The program is international in scope, accepting applications on a tri-annual basis. Applications are peer adjudicated.

For more information and to apply visit: www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi/coproduction

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Co-production Lab: Almost Perfect
Program Dates: November 5 – December 2, 2006
Application Deadline: June 1, 2006
Peer Advisors: Chantal Dumas, Paula Levine, Julian Priest
FEE: $1,540

Almost Perfect is a rapid prototyping lab that explores the creation of pervasive mobile media in the Banff region. With the dedicated support of peer advisors, technicians, and production facilities participants can develop basic to advanced level prototypes in the areas of locative media, telematics, audio art, and responsive environments. This residency will also explore the political and social economic contexts of locative media.

Almost Perfect is a joint venture between BNMI and HP Bristol. Prototype development will be realized through the use of GPS enabled HP iPAQs and software developed by HP Research Labs Bristol.

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Co-production Lab: Liminal Screen
Program Dates: March 5 – March 30, 2007
Peer Advisors: Willy Le Maitre, Kate Rich, Amra Baksic Camo
Application Deadline: October 2, 2006
FEE: $1,430

Liminal Screen examines the ambiguity, openness, and indeterminacy of cinema in current new media practice. Working with peer advisors and technicians, participants are invited to work independently or collaboratively to focus on questions of screen-based work that is in transition.

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Co-production Lab: Reference Check
Program Dates: June 24 – July 21, 2007
Peer Advisors: Andreas Broeckmann, Anne Galloway, Sarat Maharaj
Application Deadline: December 1, 2006
FEE: $1,540

Reference Check invites post-graduate students and researchers whose work connects to new media, to come to Banff to develop concepts, create prototypes, have group discussions and realize projects. Reference Check welcomes applications for both theoretical and applied research at all stages.

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Banff Summer Arts Festival - Featuring Blast Theory
Blast Theory

BNMI is gearing up for the 2006 Banff Summer Arts Festival and invites you to take part in the action! From HD and co-production screenings to the North American debut of Blast Theory's Can You See Me Now?, BNMI has an exciting line up of events planned to engage and entertain you.

Can You See Me Now? is a chase game played live online and in the streets. Online players are dropped at random locations into a virtual map of the city. Blast Theory runners search for people in the streets using GPS, tracking their avatar’s down as they flee online. Can You See Me Now? won the Golden Nica for Interactive Art at the 2003 Prix Ars Electronica, is a collaboration with the Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, and is supported by the Arts Council of England.

Can You See Me Now? will be presented at The Banff Centre from August 11 – 14, 2006.

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CanWEST Global Award Winner Announced

Paula Levine has received the 2006 CanWEST Global Fellowship Award. She is a visual artist focusing on experimental narrative and new forms of narrative spaces. Her research/art practice focuses on GPS technology, wireless, and remote devices.

Paula has twenty years experience in experimental documentary photography and video. Her current work looks at hidden dynamics as a way to develop new understandings about the nature of place. Her work has been shown in video festivals, galleries, and museums worldwide. Paula teaches conceptual/information arts in the art department at San Francisco State University, in San Francisco, California. She will be a peer advisor this fall in the Co-production Lab: Almost Perfect.

Creative Learning Workshops

BNMI runs, partners, and collaborates on a series of professional development and training workshops over the course of each year. BNMI workshops are dedicated to all aspects of new media practice and production. They are designed as learning laboratories where participants engage in developmental exercises, hands-on learning, and strategic interdisciplinary dialogue and mentorship.

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Interactive Screen 0.6
Program Dates: August 13 - 18, 2006
Tuition: $600

The goal of Interactive Screen is to stimulate the creation of emotionally powerful, creatively inspired, and economically viable new media in Canada and abroad. This intensive workshop breaks the boundaries between specialized new media concepts and interdisciplinarity.

Interactive Screen features live performances and installations from Canada, U.K., Finland, United States, and Japan. It includes case studies and a developmental curriculum.
Participants will learn concrete and strategic skills to apply their knowledge of new media and develop their own ideas for interactive products and projects.

To apply visit: www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi/programs

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IPL Business Strategy Clinic
Program Dates: October 2006
· Are you a Canadian new media company/producer?
· Does your team consist of two or more members?
· Do you have a working prototype with a business plan already in place?
· Do you need advice on getting your product/project to the next stage?

If so this workshop is for you!

Starting May 31, 2006, BNMI, in partnership with The Interactive Project Lab, will be accepting applications from new media developers that need help getting their projects to the next stage. Ten project teams will be selected and matched with industry leaders for an intensive four day strategy session in Banff. The teams will focus on their project's conceptualization, interactive design, funding sources, legal issues, and possible partners.

Applications are encouraged from:
· Atlantic Canada
· British Columbia
· Prairies
· N.W.T.

The Interactive Project Lab (IPL) accelerates the creative, business, and technical skills of Canadian talent, enabling the creation of viable start-up companies that produce innovative cultural and entertainment works. The IPL is a unique partnership collectively designed and delivered by The Banff Centre's Banff New Media Institute, the Canadian Film Centre's Habitat New Media Lab in Toronto, and L'Institut national de l'image et du son in Montreal.

To apply visit: www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi/programs/

Summits
The Banff New Media Institute brings together interdisciplinary and culturally diverse groups for intensive working sessions to consider critical questions in the field of new media. Summits explore dimensions of project work, research, practice, and discourse that are evolving in both local and global contexts. Summits develop, debate, present, and interpret the multiple modes of practice and the development of knowledge as related to new media.

Sometimes Art Can Do No Better Than Life
Program Dates: November 2 - 5, 2006
Tuition: $400

This summit explores the relationships and debates of new media practice and civil society. How new media artists articulate or position their practice opens up new windows through which civil society research can make inquiries. Where is the art in new media practice that operates as protocol of communication and a tool of social change? Find out at this exciting summit!

To apply visit: www.banffcentre.ca/bnmi/programs/

BNMI Archive Online – Agreement Signed With Daniel Langlois Foundation

BNMI’s online audio archives span ten years of history from workshops, conferences, and summits, based in the evolving world of new media. The context of new media is a dynamic space that allies technology with conceptual development through visual and performing arts, narrative, location and sensor-based experience, sensory immersion, and other forms of interaction between audiences, arts, and technology.

Over the past two years the BNMI archive team has been categorizing and editing audio transcriptions and related documents, and collecting and editing biographies and abstracts connected to these events. A majority of these events are now posted on the archives area of the BNMI website.
More Info

The question of permanently archiving this data is important as it relates to universal data storage issues and the need to make this valuable material accessible to public and arts researchers. As a result, BNMI has entered into an agreement with the internationally respected Montreal-based Daniel Langlois Founation to host these archives as part of their esteemed research collection.

This opportunity will help preserve the contribution of BNMI in a serious educational context for arts learners and support its growth in the world arena. The Banff Centre's Paul D. Fleck Library has also agreed to manage and maintain the raw audio data from these historical events.

Resource Profile: Rice Studio moves to Green Screen

The Rice Studio, one of two television studios at The Banff Centre is getting a facelift. A 2500 square foot Cyclorama studio has recently been converted to a green screen stage. With the transition, Rice is now one of the most flexible facilities available for co-production activities.

The studio has a full component of lighting capabilities including a Strand Digital Lighting console for advance lighting design. This console allows for the preset of up to 999 fully customized lighting configurations using standard lighting techniques. Fully sound insulated, Rice is as flexible as the imaginations of those who work in it.

All programs, dates, fees, and offers of financial assistance are subject to change. Non-refundable fees and deposits will be retained upon cancellation. Any other fees are refunded at the discretion of The Banff Centre.

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nextMEDIA Announces Participation of Leading Digital Media Executives in
"THE FUTURE IS OUT OF THE BOX" SUPERPANEL
Toronto, Ontario (Canada) - May 18, 2006 - nextMEDIA announced today the participation of four of the world's most influential digital media executives in "The Future is Out of the Box: Programming in the Multi-Platform Universe", a 'superpanel' scheduled for Sunday, June 11.

It's a 'superpanel' of super players in the emerging digital broadcast industry with Raja Khanna, Chief Operating Officer of QuickPlay Media Ltd. leading the conversation. Participants include Stewart Butterfield, Co-Founder, Flickr and Director of Product Management, Yahoo!; Graeme Ferguson, Executive Head (Global Content), Vodafone; Bernard Gershon, Senior Vice President/General Manager (Digital Media Group), ABC News; and Ben White, Vice President (Digital Media), MTV Networks.

"These are four leaders who have recognized that multi-platform really is the future of distribution, that there is a way to profitably expand programming into alternative channels," explains Jennifer Harkness, Director of Content for nextMEDIA. "This panel is about offering insight into the characteristics, values and opportunities presented by emerging distribution channels, such as mobile, broadband, IPTV, and VOD."

A complete schedule for nextMEDIA can be found online at http://www.nextmedia2006.com.

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Call for Submissions: NextFest 2006
NextFest: Digital Motion Picture Festival is returning to Saskatoon this September 6th to 8th, 2006. Building on its past successes, NextFest 2006 will continue to provide a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of cultural, economic and digital advancements - be a part of 'what’s next'.

More Information...NextFest: What It's All About

Call for Submission Forms:
Traditional Competition
http://www.whatsnextfest.ca/other/NextFest06SubmissionFormInteractive.pdf

48 hour Digital Guerillas
http://www.whatsnextfest.ca/other/NextFest06DG14SubmissionFormInteractive.pdf

14 day Digital Guerillas
http://www.whatsnextfest.ca/other/NextFest06DG48SubmissionFormInteractive.pdf

Vanessa Bonk
Communications Officer
Saskatchewan Motion Picture Association
W304 - 2440 Broad Street
Regina, SK S4P 4A1

Telephone: (306) 525-9899
Fax: (306) 569-1818
Email: communications@smpia.sk.ca
website: www.smpia.sk.ca www.whatsnextfest.ca

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Funding for the Saskatchewan Interactive newsletter is provided solely through the good graces of our overworked and dedicated volunteers. Don’t just sit back – help us to grow the industry by supporting our efforts - join our organization and make your voice heard through your industry representatives. We are making a difference!

Website: http://www.saskinteractive.com