About
The South East London Film Collective is a loosely affiliated group of independent filmmakers, writers, directors, actors, technicians, documentarians, camera operators, sound recordists, visual artists, musicians, editors, students and individuals interested in active participation in local film and video production. SELFC is a member organized body which meets regularly in the South East London area to network, share ideas, skills, time, equipment and support.

SELFC is a not-for-profit, no-budget network, which facilitates: meet-ups, social networking, constructive critique screenings, discussion groups and skillshares. It was developed to support local low-to-no-budget film productions in the spirit of collaboration, cooperation and self-sufficiency.  SELFC is not a production company or funding body but rather a close-knit, active, grassroots network of serious creative filmmakers. The SELFC website was established as a resource for collaboration and to promote the projects and skills of local area filmmakers. It is maintained and updated regularly by members. web@selfcollective.org

To join please come to our next meeting. Membership is free but restricted to cooperatively spirited folk commited to active participation in the local (in & around SE London) filmmaking community. For more information please contact info@selfcollective.org




The South East London Film Collective Founding Principles

Below is a starting point for a discussion on the founding principles of The South East London Film Collective. The principles are always open for constructive reconsideration and will be updated regularly in response to the sentiments that emerge here.

The creative act is an essential part of life.
SELFCollective creates an environment for local film and video makers not just to create something but to live a creative life.

The more room there is for ideas, the more ideas there are created, the better the ideas become.
SELFCollective provides a space to get ideas into practice, to collaborate, learn, develop ideas and create for the sake of creating. SELFCollective acts as a sketchbook, a place for not only making film but practicing film. Have an idea? Don't let it stagnate and become relegated to a far off insurmountable pipe dream never to be realized for the crippling fear of failure! Get it out; make room for more! Get it into practice; make it better! SELFC provides a launchpad for major project ideas and a respectful resting ground for failed ideas. A place too, to constructively reflect on the beauty of the successes and failures of creating.

You don't need a big budget to make something worthwhile.
SELFCollective supports no-to-low budget filmmaking. By pooling resources, finding alternative avenues, putting in the elbow grease and a little ingenuity, film/video can be a relatively inexpensive creative medium. SELFCollective provides a space to pool with others your ideas, time, talent and equipment to create something bigger than yourself.

Filmmaking is not just a degree.
SELFCollective connects traditionally trained filmmakers with visual artists, social scientists, webdesigners, musicians and the like to provide a fresh perspective and innovation. SELFCollective privileges ideas, talent, a collaborative attitude and creativity not credits or degrees.

Filmmaking can be tedious and frustrating.
SELFCollective connects dedicated filmmakers with different areas and levels of expertise to skillshare, mentor and cooperate with the understanding that we all have something to bring to the table. SELFCollective creates a constructive support network to help projects develop from inception to completion.

SELFCollective is a no-budget, not-for-profit member organized network of which the meaning, function and activites are completely dependent and defined by its current active members and the ethos of a collaborative independent creativity.
For information on upcoming events visit: info.selfcollective.org


* Whats a 'Meet-Up'?
All of our collective plans came out of an initial planning meeting last fall. These plans included the 48 hour film project, establishing a writers circle, building a website with active database of local filmmakers, planning a screening to share past work with each other and setting regular meet-ups in the South East London area. The intention of these meet-ups is to give local filmmakers and those interested in film making the opportunity to come out and meet each other (and to give those interested in joining the collective a place to meet other people involved in projects.)  Kate volunteered to make-up a schedule, book rooms where necessary and posts schedule to the website (send suggestions for future times/locations to katian@selfcollective.org) We have endeavored to find times and locations that will help include as many people as possible (while keeping meeting space free) by meeting in pubs, cafes and community centers in SE London.

We will host another planning meeting in mid-spring to plan more events/ideas/projects for the collective. Until then Laurie is wrapping up the coordination on the 48hour project, Corrie and Sandra are working to establish the writers circle and Kate and Yuk are building up the website. A reminder this is a no budget not for profit collective that relies on the active participation of individuals involved to make anything happen. If you are interested in helping organize an event or project or have any ideas for the collective please come to the next planning meeting!!  ALL ARE WELCOME!



CC . South East London Film Collective.