ENSURING OUR HERITAGE THROUGH MEDIA ARCHIVING

A Word From Our Executive Director:

A successful Festival week takes months of behind-the-scenes preparation.

During summer when things slow a bit, we turn our energies toward special projects. This year we focused on media conversion of archival materials. With the guidance of AAFF Technical Director Tom Bray, our student interns Fahim Rahman and Shudi Cheng from the University of Michigan Department of Screen Arts and Cultures digitized our collection of trailers, festival documentation, interviews, administrative files and more. Boxes of deteriorating beta, Hi8, miniDV, dvd, vhs, cassette, floppy disks and zip disks have been jettisoned, and the digital files tidily organized and backed up on our server.

These changes were made possible in great part by a capital improvements grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs. The Ross Birkhill and Laura Jean Birkhill Family Foundation generously matched the award.

Their support allowed us to acquire a new pair of high-powered computers. The new machines are used in-office for media production throughout the year and then transported to the theater to serve as our digital playback system during Festival week. Our grant proposal also included a robust digital backup system, making it easy to protect the longevity of our heritage.

With the generous support of donors and members, foundations, sponsors, and enthusiastic audiences, the AAFF remains viable, supports visionary filmmakers, and continues to advance the art form of film and new media. Thanks for all you do to make the magic happen!

Leslie Raymond AAFF Executive Director