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
=====================================================================