From: Steve Polta (email suppressed)
Date: Tue Aug 19 2008 - 13:25:23 PDT
If anyone is interested in following the changes concerning Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco, the San Francisco Film Society (the org that runs the Sf International Film Festival) issued the following statement a few minutes ago. In short they are assuming "full stewardship of its
activities," i.e. granting filmmakers and (hard to believe but they say) teaching classes. Does not look like they will be providing access to optical printers, Steenbecks, Bolexes...
Steve Polta
Dear Friend of the Film Society:
I am writing to apprise you of an important and exciting development at the
San Francisco Film Society.
Beginning August 19, the Film Society is launching a full slate of new
Filmmaker Services programs, including professional education and career
development, membership services and networking events, fiscal sponsorship
and grantmaking, and publications and information resources.
The Film Society launches these programs, designed to foster the creativity
and further the careers of independent filmmakers, after signing an
agreement with Film Arts Foundation (FAF) to assume full stewardship of its
activities.
Founded in 1976, Film Arts was an inspirational leader in the media arts
field for more than thirty years. FAF took thousands of filmmakers from the
first step (education) to the final one (distribution) and covered
everything in between. It created a culture of creativity in the Bay Area
and garnered a national reputation as a champion of independent film.
We believe the consolidation of the Film Societyıs vibrant mission and
activities with the core components of Film Artsıs legacy, under the SFFS
banner and with our proven leadership, is an enormously beneficial moment in
the ongoing evolution of Bay Area film culture. We are already receiving
enthusiastic calls and email as word spreads of our new activities.
We invite you to join us in the coming weeks and months in welcoming key
Film Arts stakeholders and members to the San Francisco Film Society.
And to stay tuned for notice of upcoming screenings, classes, and special
events as we begin to fulfill the promise of this historic expansion.
A full Film Society Information Sheet describing these new programs in depth
is attached which I encourage you to review at your convenience.
If you have specific questions of any kind about this expansion and our new
programs, please feel free to contact me at any time.
With warm wishes,
Graham Leggat
Executive Director
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.