On 12 June, IMAGO held its first electronic annual general assembly (IAGA). The IAGA is the sovereign body of IMAGO and the fact that 31 countries took part in discussions lasting almost five hours was proof of IMAGO’s vibrancy and relevance in today’s world.
Making use of new Belgian laws, IMAGO put in place the election for the board and president via a voting platform as well as essential statute changes. All other decisions and the approval of the accounts were done live.
One of the statute changes allowed for a larger board to be elected. The new board consists of: Ron Johanson OAM ACS (Australia); Alex Linden FSF (Sweden); Teresa Medina AEC (Spain); Tahvo Hirvonen FSC (Finland); Argyris Theos GSC (Greece); Mario Sablic HFS (Croatia); Denis Lenoir AFC (France); Vincenzo Condorelli AIC (Italy); Mustapha Barat ABC (Brazil); Steven Fierberg ASC (United States); Roberto Schaefer ASC (United States); and Richard van Oosterhout NSC (Netherlands). All board members received at least 10 votes and there were no abstentions.
The election of the president produced a draw between Roger Simonsz BSC and Nigel Walters BSC, with 16 votes each and 4 abstentions. The presidential elections will be re-run in two months at an extraordinary IAGA.
Membership fees have been re-structured, so all member societies across the globe will pay the same percentage of their membership income to IMAGO, based on their local currency. This means all societies play an equal part financially. Larger societies, like the BSC, AFC and the ASC, have their membership capped at 2,700 euros. There is also a low threshold of 150 euros for small societies and associate members.
The new board is now working towards the new presidential elections, after which it is hoped that IMAGO can leave the past difficult year behind and concentrate on working for the benefit of cinematographers worldwide. A relaunched website can be found at imago.org, complete with discussion forums. Anyone with a passion for cinematography is invited to contribute to the conversation, creating a direct link between the board and cinematographers around the world.
