1 Name, registered office and financial year
The network bears the name Music Film Festival Network (MFFN).
The business year is the calendar year.
Registration of the network as an official non-profit is a project for 2019.
2 Purpose of the Network
"MFFN" is an international network of music film festivals.
The purpose of the network is
(a) the promotion of the arts and culture
(b) the promotion of tolerance in all areas of culture, cultural diversity and the concept of international understanding.
The aims of the network are the development, promotion and networking of music film festivals and the implementation of projects and ideas of all kinds that promote music film festivals, support the further dissemination of the films screened at these international festivals.
In order to achieve its goals, the network can develop, establish and operate artistic, cultural, social and educational projects of all kinds. The network can take part in enterprises, which promote the goals of the network directly. The network can establish branches. The network is party-politically independent.
3 Non-profit status
In 2019, the network will take steps to become a non-profit entity.
The network pursues exclusively and directly charitable purposes in the sense of the section "tax-privileged purposes" of the tax code in the respectively valid version.
The network is selflessly active. It does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. The network's funds may only be used for statutory purposes.
In their capacity as members, members of the network may not receive any benefits from the network's funds.
The network may not benefit any persons by expenses which are alien to the purpose of the network or by disproportionately high remuneration.
4 Membership
Members of the network can be natural or legal persons who actively support the aims of the network. Members represent music film festivals or institutions close to the industry. Each music film festival or institution counts as one vote regardless of the number of persons representing the respective film festival or institution.
Membership must be applied for in writing. The steering committee decides on the admission.
A membership fee is charged monthly or annually. The amount of the membership fee is decided each year by the General Assembly.
The membership expires with resignation, exclusion, dissolution or death.
The resignation has to be declared in writing under observance of a period of notice of one month.
The exclusion can take place on resolution of the steering committee, if a member is in arrears with more than one annual contribution or behaves network-damagingly or severely violates against the statute.
An objection against the exclusion is admissible. The General Assembly decides on the objection.
5 Organs of the Network
are organs of the network:
a) the General Assembly
b) the Steering Committee.
By resolution of the General Assembly further organs can be appointed.
6 General Assembly
The General Assembly is the highest decision-making body.
The General Assembly shall be convened regularly, but at least once a year, by the steering committee. The invitation shall be made in writing and shall be sent within four weeks, stating the proposed agenda:
a) the election of the Steering Committee;
b) the election of two cash auditors;
c) the receipt and adoption of resolutions on reports of elected bodies;
d) the determination of the membership fees,
e) the resolution on the objection of members to their exclusion;
f) resolutions on amendments to the statutes and on the dissolution of the Network;
g) the determination of the main features of the Network's work.
h) The general meeting has a quorum if at least 50% + 1 member of all members entitled to vote
i) The general meeting may overrule resolutions of the Steering Committee. This resolution must be approved by more than 2/3 of the members present.
To facilitate the implementation of measures to achieve MFFN's goals, work groups for various projects or regular tasks may be founded. These groups will agree upon their own frequency, channels and structure of communication and report back regularly to the Steering Committee and at each General Assembly. Reports will be made by email a minimum of two times a year and on each important step to the entire network.
The Steering Committee is obliged to convene an extraordinary general assembly if at least 50% + 1 member of all members demand it or if important network matters require it. The invitation to an extraordinary General Assembly takes place in writing and is to be delivered with a period of two weeks under indication of the proposed agenda. A conference call could be set in case of urgent matter.
7 The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee consists of at least five members, including the chairman.
Two members of the board are each entitled to represent the network jointly.
The Steering Committee is elected by the General Assembly for a period of two years. It remains in office even after the end of the election period until a succeeding Steering Committee is elected.
The Steering Committee leads the current business of the Network. The Steering Committee can appoint one or more managing directors. The Steering Committee can appoint special representatives for individual business fields in accordance with applicable laws.
Amendments to the statutes, which may be made by the registry court, the tax office or other authorities, can be made effectively by the Steering Committee even without a resolution of the general meeting.
8 Financial Audit
The annual result shall be audited by two auditors elected by the General Assembly or by a tax consultant or auditor.
The annual audit report shall be made available to the General Assembly.
If the annual result is audited by two auditors, they shall be elected by the General Assembly. The cash auditors may not belong to the board or a committee appointed by the Steering Committee.
9 Resolutions and Minutes
Resolutions of the organs of the Network shall be passed by a simple majority of the members present, unless otherwise provided in these Statutes.
Amendments to the statutes require the approval of two thirds of the members present in order to be accepted. Amendments to the statutes must be referred to in the invitation to the general meeting; the passages to be changed must be attached to the invitation in their existing and planned form.
Minutes shall be taken of the resolutions of all organs of the Network. The minutes are to be signed jointly by the chairman of the meeting and the minute-keeper. All members of the Network have the right to inspect all minutes of resolutions of the organs of the Network. The Steering Committee has to guarantee the transparency of its work.
10 Dissolution of the Network
A separate General Assembly shall be convened for the dissolution of the Network; the invitation to a dissolution meeting shall be made in writing and shall be delivered at least four weeks in advance, stating the intended resolution. The dissolution of the Network requires the approval of three quarters of the members present.
The Steering Committee is the liquidator.
If the Network is dissolved or if tax-privileged purposes cease to apply, its assets shall pass to a legal entity under public law or another tax-privileged corporation for the purpose of use for the promotion of cultural purposes.