Erica Meus-Saunders says AFCOOP has always "felt like a second home." She'll be taking over the org on June 29.

Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative announces Erica Meus-Saunders as new executive director

The Screen Nova Scotia alum takes over AFCOOP starting June 29.

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Today, the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative—a non-profit community organization supporting indie filmmakers and their works—announced who would be taking its helm after the departure of longtime executive director Martha Cooley. (Cooley is trading her decade and a half at AFCOOP for running the show over at FIN Atlantic International Film Festival, part of a seismic shake-up we're seeing in Halifax's cultural sector in general.)

Halifax shoots a new scene: More and more artistic directors are leaving Halifax's galleries and festivals, changing the cultural sector in the process.

Erica Meus-Saunders's first day as the executive director of AFCOOP will be June 29—but she's long been enamoured with what the co-op means to its members: “I vividly remember the first time I attended an AFCOOP meeting," she says in a press release. “It’s a place that has always felt like a second home. I relax, let down my guard as it feels like I’m in the company of friends; people who want to support my vision and are just as excited about the prospect of creating and collaborating, as I am.”

Meus-Saunders will be continuing the cultivation of that feeling, bringing her experience as a filmmaker and community leader to AFCOOP's table. Her resume includes time at Screen Nova Scotia, while her films have been shown at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival, FIN Atlantic International Film Festival and the Halifax Black Film Festival.

“I feel fortunate to be in this role.” adds Meus-Saunders in the same release. “It’s a great opportunity to work, learn and contribute. It allows me to combine two things I love; films and community.”

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Morgan Mullin

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Morgan was the Arts & Entertainment Editor at The Coast, where she wrote about everything from what to see and do around Halifax to profiles of the city’s creative class to larger cultural pieces. She started with The Coast in 2016.