What is the WFG?
A: The Westchester Film Group is a not-for-profit Film and Video networking and educational group. It is an independent group unaffiliated with any other organizations.
What's the purpose and goal of the group?
A: It's dual functions are to provide Westchester residents and professionals interested in Cinema, including Film and Video, a place to socialize and meet others with the same interests. Additionally, we bring to the group programs in the form of guest speakers, for lectures, demonstrations, workshops, etc. These are our on-going goals, and our purpose.
Do you have membership dues?
A: No. We have no formalized dues paying structure as we want to keep access to the group as open to the public at large as possible.
Do I have to be a professional filmmaker to join?
A: While many of the people who attend may work in Film in one capacity or another, and others work in a semi-professional capacity, in a word, no.
Who attends?
A: Men, women, young, and old. It also depends on the meet itself. Many of our attendees are working professionals, but there are also students and amateurs. The common denominator is a strong interest in Film/motion pictures.
How often do you meet?
A: Since we don't have a headquarters, we meet on an irregular basis. Rather, our meets are scheduled around the availability of guest speakers as well as venues. Through the last few years we've tried to meet a minimum of four times a year, i.e., more or less quarterly.
Where do you meet?
A: We're a bit gypsy-like in that we've met at several venues. Mercy College's Digital Arts Center in White Plains and Westchester Community College are two places we've met at more than once. Through the years we've also met at The Big House, an Avid editing studio owned by Rob and Jackie Weir in Ossining, NY as well as Errico Studios, a private photography studio in Irvington for two networking meets.
How many people are in the group?
A: While some people may inevitably move out of the area over time, our database keep steadily growing to the point that, as of the time of this writing, Fall 2002, we have over 250 names in our email list.
How many people do you get at an average meet?
A: Anywhere from 20 to 90 people.
What sort of meets do you hold?
A: Anything that has to do with Film that we think would be of interest to people. We've had experts in the fields of Directing, Screenwriting, Editing, and Music, to name a few. Our networking meets have no speakers and are purely social events. We try to allot time at the beginning of our program events, usually forty five minutes to an hour, purely for networking.
Do you show movies?
A: We have a few times in the past, but not in recent years. There are a number of other groups across the county who's sole purpose is the screening of classic and foreign films. You can find a listing of them in Thursdays Journal News "The Line" insert as well as The Weekly, the free tabloid available at many newspaper dispensers throughout the city.
How do I join?
A: Just show up and fill out our sign-in sheets.
How can I be notified about upcoming events?
A: By signing our sign-in sheets you'll be put on our email list and automatically receive advance notice of all of our upcoming meets, usually at least three weeks prior to the event.
Otherwise just send your name, email address, street address, telephone number in case we have to contact you on short notice, and any background information you'd like to provide about yourself to jonkap@optonline.net and your name will be entered into our data base.
