SUMMER SLUMP? Will Smith’s ‘MIB3′ Slows … 
Cannes Finale: The Jury Talks And Hammond’s Analysis … 
Nicole Kidman Speaks Out On Taking Risks, Roles And Taking … 
Oscilloscope Takes U.S. Rights To ‘Reality’ 
‘Mud’: Did Cannes Save One Of The Best For … 
Cannes Podcast: Pete Hammond On ‘Lawless’, … 
Over-Achievers Of This Year’s Upfront 
Aussie Pay-TV Shakeup Impacts Hollywood 
USA: ‘Rebounding’ & ‘Modern … 
Interview: Philip Kaufman At Cannes With ‘Hemingway … 
R.I.P. Television Mogul Lee Rich 
Cannes Biz Shines Despite Wind & Rain 
Full 2011-2012 TV Season Series Rankings 
2011-12 Season Network Rankings: Fox Still On Top But Down, … 
HLN Set To Air Daytime Emmy Awards 
Grant Bowler Cast As Richard Burton Opposite Lindsay Lohan … 
UPDATE: Dish Network And Broadcasters Ask Courts To Decide … 
Cannes Surprise Screening: Change Of Plans On Juan Antonio … 
Kevin Hart In Talks To Join Kevin James In ‘Valet … 
Anthony Hopkins Up For ‘Red 2′ Villain; Can … 
Cannes Conflicted Over ‘The Paperboy’ As … 
I just received this very important appeal. Coming as it does on the heels of 20th Century Fox’s closing of its longtime research library (news I broke on July 1st), I despair for the way that Hollywood doesn’t seem to give a damn beyond lip service about preserving its movie history. But for the American Film Institute to not make a No. 1 priority this work on its catalog of every film ever made is not just unthinkable but also unfathomable. Every AFI donor should be up in arms over this (update at bottom):
To: Nikki Finke/Deadline Hollywood Daily
Our names are Cathy Root and Vicki Botnick, and until 25 Jul 2008, we were Associate Editor and Copy Editor, respectively, of the AFI Catalog. The Catalog was started in 1968 as a preservation project to record every American film ever made. It was a particularly beloved project for film researchers, and much praised by industry insiders such as Kenneth Turan, who called it “nothing less than an authoritative Oxford English Dictionary of American film.”
Today, the Catalog has been eviscerated. After years of promising funding and fund-raising, while systematically cutting staff and budgets and thwarting our attempts to raise money, the AFI laid off nearly all of the staff, leaving only two full-time cataloguers and the Executive Editor.
The entries, beginning in the 1880s, had reached 1973, by any measure an odd year to end the project’s sweeping scope. With the skeletal staff, there is little hope of completing the 1970s in any timely fashion. Although the AFI has promised to try to raise funds, and has obtained a $150,000 grant from the Ahmanson Foundation and a $50,000 grant from the Norris Foundation, to our knowledge, there has been no outreach to the prominent members of the film industry.
We know that the AFI, like all institutions right now, is suffering financial hardships. But the way in which this important, lauded project has been gutted, the way in which it has been handled and the disingenuous manner in which it has been framed, is galling to those of us who have given most of our professional lives to this worthy project.
Here is an excerpt of how the new AFI president, Bob Gazzale, represented his actions:
“I see this as a temporary challenge – another hurdle at a time when government support for the arts is in decline. Know that the AFI Catalog, and in fact, building a more aggressive means for its completion, remains a priority of the institute… our goal is not to just finish 1974. It is to finish the Catalog.”
We’re concerned that the AFI Development Department has not initiated a campaign to raise money for the Catalog. A public appeal for funds to reverse the staff cutbacks needs to be made immediately if the Catalog is to continue. It takes approximately eight months to train a new cataloger, and consequently, retaining the old staff would be optimal.
We are appealing to you to publicize the financial crisis at the Catalog, hoping that if public is aware of the situation and truly values the Catalog, someone will come forward to save the project. If not, it is unlikely the Catalog will exist beyond Jul 2009.
Thanks so much for your attention.
UPDATE: An AFI insider emails me that “it is true – and regrettable – that the Catalog has been cut back. The sole reason is that funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities supporting the Catalog has been eliminated this year. But even under the pressure of government cutbacks, AFI has not stopped work on the Catalog. The AFI remains committed to the project and, in fact, AFI worked hard to find several foundations that stepped up and increased their support for the program. I can tell you that the current leadership of the AFI — led specifically by its new president, Bob Gazzale — is as committed to AFI’s longstanding mission to protect America’s film history as any group of people on the national arts scene today.” …Sorry, but I’ll only believe that when I see the finished catalog.
- Does Boss Use Fox Film Research Library?
- 20th Fox Responds To Outpour Of Anger: “We Are Passionate About Film History”
- WHAT A DAMN SHAME! 20th Fox To Close One Of The Last Studio Research Libraries
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ...
What a shock to hear that AFI does not really care about its stated mission. I don’t know what the new CEO makes, but Jean Firstenberg was pulling half a million annually, so it seems as if the money should be there…
Ask IMDB for some $.
Amazing, as this was an incredible service. Hell, I would work for free on this if I could!
You mean my $2500+ membership dues wasn’t helping?
I’m due up for renewal at the end of the year, I can put the donation toward another worthy cause: me. I can use it to live on, it’s been a lean year.
Dear Hollywood,
What’s it going to take to wake you people up?
First the Library of Congress back in the 90s, shuttering and moving their classic film restoration and storage facility from Dayton, Ohio.
Then the latest studio closing, with Fox nailing the doors shut on it’s research library.
Now the AFI wants to show how self-destructive the film community can be by gutting this operation.
The amount of money to keep this going is chump change by Hollywood standards.
A pity, but,like the song says, “…you won’t know what you got, til it’s gone.”
What’s next?
Where has all the money gone from the network license fees for those AFI Life Achievement Award shows that George Stevens, Jr. has been producing all these years? Where’s the tithing that the major film companies were supposed to commit to when the AFI was chartered? Did Charlton Heston leave them anything in his Will? Jez, they’re as bad as the Museum of Television and Radio — oops, sorry, the Paley Center for Stroking Contributors.
Hey, if it’s so important why don’t you guys work on it for free? Or you can like get a paying job and then work on this AFI thing in your spare time (like a hobby). That way everybody wins…
You think this is bad, you should see the condition of Fox’s film vault…
No, Nikki, the staff are being let go to make it financially infeasible to start the project up again. The AFI will be able to say “We could never assemble such a group again, so, regrettably, we must abandon the project.”
Big business does this all the time. Burn the bridge and they’ll never be able to force you to go home.
As an ex-AFI employee, I can tell you that at least when I worked there, the facility was one of the worst-managed film schools anywhere–definitely in SoCal, maybe even the world (that being said, I had very little to do with the catalog operations).
Most of the employees during my tenure were brought in and not given specific instructions as to what to do; many were stuck doing things they weren’t hired to do and were left taking the fall for inept administrators who spent most of the time futzing around. It was a hellish environment, both figuratively and literally– at least when I was there, we didn’t have air-conditioning in our crammed-into-two-to-a-cubicle “offices.” In Los Feliz. In July and August.
It’s a shame about the catalog– the people who worked there were all very sweet. But for the rest of AFI, it was a joke. Jean Firstenberg spent more on the lavish gift baskets she sent out to Hollywood big-wigs (including my subsequent boss, a writer-director who threw his in the trash) with the various “Best Of” surveys that made up their award shows than she ever did on the ramshackle facilities or struggling educational programs.
So, John Kerry’s daughter is an alum. Get her stepmother to write a check. Hell, get Hollywood to write some checks. While losing the government funding is too bad, Hollywood is notoriously bad at supporting film history projects.
Why? Because movies aren’t better than ever.
Welcome to living in a country that is in decline. Things won’t be getting any better… ever. We’ve had our day in the sun. Now it’s China’s turn.
That being said, what idiot can, in their right mind, really care about this project? With IMDb available, not just to catalog films in a US-centric manner, but in a worldwide manner… and do it efficiently while making money doing it. This AFI project is now officially redundant. Let it die.
Point taken Captain Howdy but I see scant info on IMDB about documentaries, shorts, promotional & instructional films etc etc.
But then again, features films are apparently all that exist for some people…
“First the Library of Congress back in the 90s, shuttering and moving their classic film restoration and storage facility from Dayton, Ohio.”
You’re way off base here, Tom Segerson. The Library of Congress has moved their film preservation and storage facility to an amazing new complex in suburban Maryland, largely funded by David Packard. It will be online soon, and it is state of the art and beyond.
I agree with Fielding Mellish. Although I never worked at AFI, I haven known highly competent people that did and they quit after what they said was one of the worst work experiences they had ever had. I was however, responsible for managing a strategic partnership with them in the early/mid 90′s, and was stunned then at not only the mismanagement and utter incompetence of the higher ups, but that they couldn’t care less about the legacy or reputation. They never followed through on their part; I graciously gave them a year to use our company’s good name and high tech equipment to develop a program. Every visit I made to “check in” and see what progress, help, assistance, programs I could implement to help them use the equipment was met with “oh we’ll get to it” and a pompous, “we know what we are doing”. Eventually when I needed to explain why NOTHING was happening to justify the million dollar loan of equipment with NOTHING to show for it, I was met with “if you dare “threaten” to take this equipment away we will tell your CEO and you will be fired, we are AFI and are you aware of OUR reputation and how this would make YOU look?” Well, I gave it another 6 months, got the support of my colleagues, boss, and his boss and after a total of 18 months where I could no long justify the lack of use, I arranged to pick it up. (By that time the equipment was behind a generation and was not considered “state of the art”). Anyway, when it was picked up some of the equipment had been vandalized or was missing. There was not an explanation other than a “you’ll be sorry instead of a well can we start again with new equipment, etc. There was just a great big FU on their part. Now granted I chalked it up to the person I was dealing with at the time and not the whole institution, but when other colleagues went there to work it was deja vu’. So sad that this gem has been so poorly treated for so long. Only through the grace of some well intentioned benefactors and blind supporters do they exist. IMO they have been resting on their laurels for way to long. I am always surprised to see that they are still there, I have only sympathy for those keepers of the program, but for them being downsized may have been a blessing in disguise. I wish someone would take them over so that they can become the revered “crown jewel” they once were oh too many moons ago…
For the AFI to moan about taxpayer funding being cut off is a bit of a joke when the industry generates billions of dollars in revenues and pays such enormous salaries out to “talent”.
The film industry is already taxpayer subsidized enough.
Am I misunderstanding this or are the AFI’s project and IMDb two different things? Is the AFI simply recording these works in a file somewhere, where people can read about them and know that, once upon a time, someone made this movie? Or are they actually preserving these films in a manner for future generations to enjoy and actually appreciate the history of movies and film in this country?
Either way, I agree that it’s a very important goal to preserve as much of this as possible, because so much of our history has become disposable, and unimportant. And when the very organizations that were created to protect that history have given up on it, where does that leave us? It is very important for us to remember our pasts, and all of the things that shaped our society today. And in that instance, it is imperative that we preserve our entire history, so that when this society lies in ruins, which is where it is headed, future generations can look back and learn from our mistakes.
Captain Howdy – I have learned to put very little faith (read: absolutely none) in IMDb, as they are notoriously unreliable and intransigent. They quite frequently post inaccurate information as fact, and are often slow or hesitant to change it when it is pointed out to them. They are a convenient online movie resource, but any information they give should be taken with a large grain of salt.
When the NEA grant for the Catalog didn’t come to pass back in March, the catalog folks went to Gazzale and asked what this meant – were they out of a job? They were told not to worry, that the Institute would find ways to keep the Catalog alive. Then last month most of them were unceremoniously dumped. And worse yet, upon hearing of their layoff, THEY WERE THEN TOLD TO BE OFF THE CAMPUS WITHIN THE HOUR – people who’d worked at AFI for 15 and 20 years or more, treated like criminals…that’s the mind set at AFI – That’s what they consider leadership.
I was at AFI for many years – the catalog folks were a quiet group, but they toiled away and it was always exciting to hear at staff meetings that another “year” was in the bag, and there were great parties celebrating each decade’s completion, and the information they collected was nothing short of amazing. They’ve been reduced from a vibrant staff of nearly 20 back in the day to almost nothing now…and this from an Institute that claims to care about preserving film heritage.
When Firstenberg left and Gazzale was announced as her successor, there was a HUGE cheer amongst the staff, because we all thought that finally we’d have some vision, warmth and real leadership to look forward to.
Ha.
There is so much potential and so many dedicated and talented people working there, and all their good work is continually thwarted by incompetent leadership.
Glad I’m out – that place is poison.
“First the Library of Congress back in the 90s, shuttering and moving their classic film restoration and storage facility from Dayton, Ohio.”
You’re way off base here, Tom Segerson. The Library of Congress has moved their film preservation and storage facility to an amazing new complex in suburban Maryland, largely funded by David Packard. It will be online soon, and it is state of the art and beyond.
Dear ‘Mizoguchi’
Thanks for the update. I appreciate being corrected on this situation. It only took 15 years, but at least something was done to preserve these works.
First, I had a good laugh. Was the ‘way off base’ intentional? Some history, unknown to most of the film world.
In the early ‘90s, the Greater Dayton Film Commission (GDFC) presented a proposal to the Library of Congress, the Department of Defense, State of Ohio, Montgomery county and the cities of Dayton and Kettering, Ohio concerning the reuse of a military base that was going to be decommissioned by the Air Force.
We proposed reusing Gentile Air Force base as a National Film Museum.
After spending almost four years of my life making proposals, flying to Washington,DC and LA to try and get support for the National Film Museum the government gave the city of Kettering the Gentile base. They bulldozed it.
I won’t take up space here about how this site would have made a great film preservation, restoration and museum facility.
We were told then that the films would be moved to an underground storage facility with no plans to make them available to the general public.
That’s how it stood in 1999. An experience like this would anger anyone. I had spent countless hours, vacation time and way too much of my own money on trying to get someone to listen to the idea of America having a National Film Museum.
When a career opportunity came along that allowed me to take a job in Europe, I resigned as film commissioner and left Ohio.
Now you tell me that all was not in vain.
Do you know how this made my day… hell, my year!
I damn near had tears in my eyes.
Here’s the link:
http://www.loc.gov/avconservation/packard/mission.html
After all, we’re all here because we love the cinema.
Let’s try to work together to keep the cameras and projectors rolling.
Then properly preserve it for future generations.
Another former employee here. I can tell you that the finger should be pointed squarely at Jean Firstenberg and her lack of fundraising initiative. It’s no secret at AFI that she finds asking for money distasteful and therefore there has been a significant budget deficit across the board for an embarrassingly long time. All the staff cuts are awful however, the new guy inherited a giant mess there as well. Firstenberg also seemed to have a policy of “if I like you, you can stay here forever whether you are competent or not…but pity anyone who gets on my bad side”. It was just horrible, shameful mismanagement at least in the latter part of her reign. Perhaps new leadership can turn things around but there is a very steep hill to climb.
I worked at AFI for several years. I met people there that are my best friends today. It has always been difficult to watch how the staff is treated there while the higher ups are taking in large salaries and having vacations to other countries paid for out of the budget. I have always had a suspicion (since working closely with the financial department) that the books are cooked. AFI will never be the film institute it was intended to be. As it phases out it’s staff and programs, it will become obsolete. An institution that cares so little for good people who work for non-profit wages, is destined to fold.
Too bad Trump can’t step up and save something like this (the way he’s now saving Ed McMahon’s butt). Once again, the rich help their own and leave the rest of us struggling and fighting over the table scraps!
Well played, FormerStaff and LycheeTree…you might be interested to know that the Catalog was only one area of layoffs – today 10 more people were let go, including the Head Librarian (an absolute crime), the Communications Director, the Creative Services Director (that one’s fine by me), two of their 4 projectionists (and this is a film school…), the wodnerful creative team behind the highly successful K-12 Education initiative (that Jean was only too happy to drag Clay Aiken to DC to support), two people supporting Development (while that Director stays incompetently employed), and a key scheduling person in the Conservatory…
A 10-15% salary cut from the 8-10 folks who lead this place would have easily eradicated the need for this butcher-fest…instead they do away with the folks who actually work.
Again, poison…
The IMDB is a useful tool, but it is riddled with errors. As a contributor, I have found it almost impossible to get errors in the database fixed. The purpose of the IMDB is to sell DVDs and publicize new movies. It is just a nice benefit that the information in it is mostly true.
Belvera is right on all counts. AFI is about protecting its overpaid executive class, including the incompetent Development director — who can’t even open a PowerPoint without his assistant’s help — and who does such a great job of “development” that AFI continually operates at a deficit. I think they applied for 1 or 2 grants last year, but botched both of those. (The grant writer quit before the lay-offs, having been thwarted by organizational incompetence for years. )
Meanwhile, just before the layoffs, spiffy new executive parking spaces were unveiled. How nice! The CEO has been notably scarce during the bloodletting. Dirty work has been handled by new COO hatchet-lady (formerly of Warner Home Ent.), who apparently believes in cutting meaningful programs and getting rid of the underpaid worker bees while assuring fat “non-profit” salaries and other privileges for the chronically underperforming executives, so they can keep up appearances in glamorous Hollywood circles where AFI still thinks its some sort of player (chock that delusion up to Jean Firstenberg’s idiotic “leadership.”) BTW, AFI still finds the $$ in its cooked books to pay Firstenberg and keep her in a West-side office for “consulting.”
Regarding the Catalog (staff cut to 1), DC film preservation office (axed) and K-12 Screen Education (axed) — which represent the mission that many people mistakenly still identify with AFI — don’t buy the excuse that they are victims of govt funding cuts. Yes, the lack of govt funding for the arts is tragic, blah blah blah. That’s the reality in the USA and has been for quite a while. Many organizations have learned to live with it and get what they can. AFI could have done so much more, in light of the reality, to keep all those great programs alive. Suggestions: Cut executive salaries by 20% and hire a real development director who networks with people and orgs who still care about “advancing and preserving the art of the moving image” (instead of with movie stars). And start rewarding and promoting and listening to good lower-level employees who do the bulk of the work around AFI, instead of laying them off.
Given this week’s events and what they say about the direction of new leadership at AFI, I’ll bet there’s no “AFI” in 5 years. Next, they’ll be asking for big money from rich board members, use it to keep paying for the executive suite, but fail to deliver a sustainable business model, and ultimately lose the good faith of those investors. In the end, they’ll simply cash out on the real estate to pay for their deficit spending and golden parachutes, spin off the Conservatory to a Burbank storefront…& that’s all she wrote.