Post by Matthew Sanders, MA Film Studies ’16
Throughout both my Bachelors and Masters degree the AVRC was a valuable resource for my academic and professional development.
In the summer of 2015 I had the opportunity to work as an archive’s assistant for the AVRC thanks to Nancy Duff, supervisor of the AVRC. My job was to help the large 16mm NFB film collection that was sorely in need of sorting and organizing. Alongside the helpful staff at the AVRC, I gained valuable and practical archival skills for handling materials and cataloguing them. I gained experience in appraisals and had the opportunity to watch hundreds of 16mm films, many of which were long out of circulation, or were novel versions that had escaped censorship. The AVRC was responsible for exposing me to a whole trove of unique and historically important Canadian cinema. I not only had the opportunity to watch these films at the AVRC; I had the opportunity to save them.
The AVRC is an incredibly welcoming environment. The staff are extremely helpful and knowledgable. It is normal for them to go out of their way to help you with any project you have in any way they can. The AVRC was extremely supportive of my own 16mm film club I ran on campus. With their help I was able to gain hands-on experience creating a weekly program of screenings, as well as offer screenings in the Carleton University Art Gallery.
After working in the AVRC and spending so much time in the AVRC, I can easily say that they have improved my career prospects and offered me valuable and unique experiences. I have nothing but thanks for their staff, and the opportunities they have created for me.