Posted May 10, 2010
AMERICAN GENRE FILM ARCHIVE APPROVES BOLD NEW VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT!
Hey folks!
We are proud to announce that the American Genre Film Archive has a new MISSION and a new VISION statement! This is great news. Coordinating our notions as to what we want to do is the next big step to creating great things. So, here they are, the new AGFA Mission and Vision statements:
OUR VISION: A world in which the artistic and socio-cultural merits of genre film are appreciated and understood by critics, historians, and audiences alike.
OUR MISSION: To raise awareness of the merits of genre cinema through collection, conservation, distribution, and interpretation.
Pretty catchy, huh? Tell us what you think!
Also we’re going to launch a new membership program and website soon. It’s a period of exciting growth as our wheels get rolling. New developments and opportunities are arising each day. Keep up with all of them on Facebook and Twitter (@genrefilm). This is going to be fun.
Posted March 5, 2010:
AMERICAN GENRE FILM ARCHIVE HIRES NEW DIRECTOR!
The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), based in Austin, Texas, announces the hiring of Oliver Franklin as its first Director.
The AGFA is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and screening of what generally falls under the label “genre film.” These genres–for example horror, action, or “-xploitation”–feature aesthetic and stylistic conventions unique to their breed. Though historically dismissed by critics, the art of genre films is increasingly recognized. They are also seen as valuable cultural records, revealing the tastes, mores, and customs of the times and places in which they were made. Finally, contemporary filmmakers increasingly cite the impact of outstanding examples, or the ouvres of the masters, on their own artistic development.
Formed by a band of genre enthusiasts led by Alamo Drafthouse owner Tim League, the collection is said to be the largest of its kind in the world, with over 1500 35mm prints, related artifacts, and ephemera. As such, it reflects much about the spirit that animates the Alamo itself. Said League in a recent Austin Chronicle article, “It’s specifically about the preservation of the type of film that we’ve been programming for over a decade, and also the type of film that most traditional film archives aren’t doing anything about.”
As for the new Director, formerly the Executive Curator for Public Programs at UT’s Harry Ransom Center, the opportunity to celbrate these films is a dream come true. “Nothing appeals to me more than the idea of opening people’s eyes to the amazing talent–the art–that these films so exuberantly display,” Franklin says. “There are many ways we can bring these gems to the public, to build and protect the collection, and raise awareness of their importance and their unique brio. I am honored by this challenge.”
Look for events and opportunities to enjoy these films–and participate in their celebration–over the coming months.
In the meantime, to coin a phrase, “Never give up! Never say die!” We won’t.
Posted Jan 7, 2010
AUSTIN CHRONICLE’S MARC SAVLOV TALKS TO TIM LEAGUE ABOUT AGFA!
AGFA founder Tim League recently spoke with The Austin Chronicle about the aim, intent, and actions of the newly-established American Genre Film Archive.
Bold statements are made and no prisoners are taken. Are we really the largest genre film archive in the known world?
Hell YES.
Check out that interview here!
Stay powerful!
AGFA
Posted January 7, 2010:
BEHOLD!!! THE AMERICAN GENRE FILM ARCHIVE!
Preserving films ain’t easy. In the mere decades of the medium’s existence, countless features have fallen by the wayside in various transitions: from silents to talkies; from nitrate to safer forms of celluloid; from VHS to DVD, etc.
Through all these shifts, dedicated enthusiasts have carried the flag of yesterday’s classic films, though often relegating their interests to the more “respectable” fare and eschewing the pleasures found in so-called “low art.” What these self-limiting cineastes don’t realize is that much of the most viscerally powerful work in film history has taken place within the boundless parameters of the Horror, Sci-Fi, Action, and general Exploitation genres, especially those created in the 1960’s through early 1980’s.
The time has come for true lovers of film to recognize, gather, and defend the other classics of the silver screen. VICE SQUAD, ROLLING THUNDER, LADY TERMINATOR….these are just a few of the monumentally creative accomplishments that have set screens afire and audiences ablaze with excitement, and the American Genre Film Archive is ready to fight for the screening and preservation of these films until the end of time.
Our archive has a healthy foundation of over 1500 titles, but there’s a long way to go. If you know of any 35mm horror/martial arts/exploitation prints that could join it, please contact us. Or feel free to donate to the preservation fund which can be found at www.americangenrefilm.com/join-us. In the meantime, watch this space for updates!
Never give up! Never say die!
AGFA