Abstract

Cinenova was relaunched in 1991 from the pre-existing women’s distributor, Circles, which had operated throughout the 1980s. In keeping with their founders’ feminist politics, both Circles and Cinenova were run via a non-hierarchical management structure and had as their main focus the distribution, promotion and exhibition of films and videos made by, for and about women. As the funding and economic climate became harsher during the 1990s, however, this organisational model was severely tested, as Cinenova’s workers were forced to try and survive on a more commercially viable basis. This article uses Cinenova’s management committee meeting minutes from 1991–97 to explore how its management practices impacted on its operation and effectiveness.