The National Endowment for the Arts has cut funding to public film archives in the United States. The funds in question are funneled through the American Film Institute and amount to US$355,000. The AFI has asked that the funds be restored and be used for direct funding of film preservation at the public archives. The major studios spend nearly US$100 million annually for film preservation; public funding of nearly US$765,000/year preserves "orphan" films (those in the public domain; independent, avant-garde, experimental, and documentary films; and films that have been abandoned by their copyright holders). NEA/AFI grants to archives pay only for lab costs of preservation, not for salaries or overhead. If you wish to voice your opinion regarding funding for film preservation, write to: Jane Alexander Chair National Endowment for the Arts 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, DC 20506 This information appeared in the DIGEST OF THE UNIVERSITY FILM AND VIDEO ASSOCIATION, and originated with John Belton of the Society for Cinema Studies. ===================================================================== Jeremy Butler * [log in to unmask] * [log in to unmask] SCREENsite -- a Film/TV-studies site on the World Wide Web: http://www.sa.ua.edu/TCF/welcome.htm Telecommunication & Film Dept. * University of Alabama * Tuscaloosa =====================================================================