Home Movie Day News: Friends Archives

On Friday, August 25, Brooklyn’s Rooftop Films presents “real life, straight up” with Home Movies, screening on the lawn of Automotive High School (50 Bedford Ave, between N. 12th and Lorimer, Williamsburg, Brooklyn). Eschewing the fancy, flashy, and high-concept, the 21 short videos in this program take their cues from home movies in favoring “the direct approach, the personal story, the raw humor, humiliation and humanity of real life.” The screening begins at 9:00 pm but get there at 8:30 pm for a live music lead-in from ULI. Tickets are $8.

For complete program information, click here.

The New Zealand Film Archive will celebrate International Home Movie Day this year with an exhibition and special screening in Wellington.

A self-confessed amateur film buff, Kathy Dudding’s catalogue work with the Film Archive, her previous film making background, and her love of the medium have led to her upcoming exhibition, This is not a family album, a video art installation which opens at the Film Archive mediagallery on 10 August. This exhibition will coincide with a talk by Dudding, a special film screening of home movies and a music event on Saturday 11 August.

For additional information about the Wellington event, click here.

UPDATE: Radio New Zealand’s “Arts on Sunday” program featured a segment on the Wellington Home Movie Day this week.

Home movie cameras, projectors, and accessories incorporate some of the niftiest industrial design features ever, not to mention great packaging.

Continuing a long (OK…two-year) tradition, our pal Bohus Blahut is counting down to Home Movie Day this week on the Retro Thing blog, which celebrates “vintage gadgets and technology.” Each day they’ll feature a cool new pic of a home movie-related object…

Can’t wait for a new one? Check out the posts from last year:

Looky Movie Camera Toy Kaleidoscope – 1969

Slate Your Movies – Just like the Pros!

Home Movie Titling Sets

Home Movie Music Records

3D Bolex 16mm Movie Camera

Retro Thing: Film

They do everything right:

They have great taste in film, and write about other people’s home movies with sensitivity, insight, and true tenderness. They collaborate with The Internet Archive. They offer people free film transfers in exchange for the right to present the footage on their site (but it’s a non-exclusive license, so they’re not ripping people off).
And, of course, they name-check us…

Yup, Lost in Light MIGHT just be our favorite blog ever.

Before we get sucked into planning and organizational activities for next year’s Home Movie Day on October 18, 2008, the Center for Home Movies will have a little bit of time to spend on other activities related to preserving the films we love. One of the projects we’re proud to be involved with in even the smallest way is the ongoing work on Helen Hill’s films. A selection of her amazing work will be preserved and new prints made for a special tribute screening at the Orphan Film Symposium in March of next year.

This is thanks in part to a grant from the Maxine Greene Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2003 that supports “the creation of and informed appreciation of works that embody fresh social visions, that move people to perceive alternative possibilities for the making of humane communities.” Helen’s work was very much in keeping with this mission, and we’re especially glad to see a new grantmaker that is willing to fund film preservation work.

The Orphan Film Symposium has also established a memorial award in Helen Hill’s name to sponsor a new filmmaker’s participation in the Symposium each year. Contributions to the fund are welcome, and will make a lasting contribution to the work of radically independent filmmakers of exceptional talent. If you’ve already made a donation to support Home Movie Day and the Center for Home Movies, but are still looking for a good film-related cause to send a few bucks to, here’s your chance!

Mail checks (payable to: THE NICKELODEON THEATRE) to the attention of:

Susan Courtney, Director

Film Studies Program

University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC 29208

We’re passing on an announcement that may be of interest to small-gauge filmmakers out there:

The Rutgers Film Co-op/New Jersey Media Arts Center presents 2008 UNITED STATES SUPER 8 FILM & DIGITAL VIDEO FESTIVAL February 15-17, 2008 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ENTRIES: January 18, 2008 @ 5PM EST!

The 20th Annual United States Super 8mm Film + Digital Video Festival will be held February 15-17, 2008 at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Festival encourages any genre (animation, documentary,experimental, fiction, personal, etc.), but the work must have predominantly originated on Super 8mm/8mm film or Digital video or 8mm video formats. All works will be screened by a panel of judges who will award over $4000 in prizes. Last year’s festival drew large audiences which viewed 22 finalist works out of 210 entries from throughout the world over three evenings. The Festival takes as its mandate the spreading of the 8mm and Digital word. For more information go to www.njfilmfest.com
or call us at 732-932-8482!

2008 United States Super 8 Film/Video Festival
Entry Procedure
There is a $45.00 non-refundable entry fee for each work under 50 min. and $75 for works over 50 min. submitted. Do not send cash. Make the check or money order payable to the Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC. Include with your entry: the entry fee; a completed entry form; a DVD or 1/2” VHS videocassettes for pre-screening, a self-addressed stamped postcard for notification of entry receipt; and a self-addressed stamped container for return of entry if desired. All entries must have originally been shot predominantly on Super 8/8mm film or Digital/Hi 8/8mm video. Digital works include HD, miniDV, DigiBeta, etc. Video transfers of films are accepted. Do not send originals or prints with many splices. For films, include your name and title on the outside of the film can as well as on the head and tail leader. For videotapes/dvds, include your name and title on both the tape/dvd box and the tape/dvd itself. Please do not send any entries in
fiber-filled mailing containers. Only finalists are notified in advance that their work is in the final screenings. The Rutgers Film Co-op/NJMAC will not be held responsible in the event of loss or damage to submitted work.

Check out the full details and use their online submission form
.

We love Orphan Film Symposium founder and Home Movie Day’er Dan Streible. He appeared this Tuesday on WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show and waxed poetic about orphan films, home movies and Home Movie Day’s role in rediscovering several important amateur films, including the Jose Torres wedding film, Think of Me First as a Person and “Our Day”. You can listen to the full interview above or by clicking here.

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.