Report submitted by Mat Darby & Kevin O’Sullivan:
Event Venue: Prothro Theater, The Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
Event time (screening & inspection): Sunday, October 19, 2:00pm-5:00pm
Total Audience: 24 (not including volunteers)
Number of people bringing films: 7
Films screened by Gauge: 8mm: 4, Super 8: 3, 16mm: 1, 9.5mm: 0
Volunteers: 23. Lauren Algee, Daniel Alonzo, Megan Alonzo, Snowden Becker, Jordan Berson, Jean Cannon, Meghan Currey, Mat Darby, Lorrie Dong, Cassandra Gallegos, Elizabeth Hansen, Kady Ferris, Evan Knight, Alexandra Myers, Kevin O’Sullivan, Paige, Katie Risseeuw, George Royer, Luke Savisky, Anne Shelton, Emily Vinson, Sarah Weinblatt and Steve Wilson
Special events/screenings: Preceding the home movies, Austin: The Friendly City was screened. This film, produced by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce in 1943, was recently restored by the Austin History Center through a grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Caroline Frick, director of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image, gave a brief talk about the importance of home movies and steps one can take to preserve them.
Press (pre-event and post-event): Prior to the event, articles appeared in several Austin neighborhood newsletters and from Friday through Sunday, Home Movie Day appeared as the featured campus event on the University of Texas home page. We also got mentions on a couple local blogs, on Yelp and from local radio personality Bob Branson. On the day of, a reporter from the local NPR affiliate, KUT, interviewed event co-coordinator Mat Darby, Daniel Alonzo, archivist at the Austin History Center, and 87 year-old Ramon Galindo, a long-time Austin resident and avid home movie lover who has attended Austin Home Movie Day for three years running.