The AMIA Film Advocacy Task Force (FATF) is a group of film archivists who came together with the goal of supporting celluloid film as the motion picture industry embraces digital technology. Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) and digital technologies have opened doors and presented new opportunities to filmmakers and exhibitors, but we know that when one technology is adopted, another is often abandoned and becomes obsolete. The increasing use of digital technology for production, and the overwhelming conversion of mainstream movie theaters to DCP has taken its toll on film manufacture, and made access to film prints and stock more difficult than ever.
The first century of motion picture production, exhibition, and preservation occurred on celluloid film. There are filmmakers and theaters who still prefer it for its physical and aesthetic properties, and its rich history and tradition in the cinema. The merits of celluloid film for moving image preservation and long-term storage are well known and widely recognized, but the industry is changing. That’s where we come in.
The AMIA FATF is about Choice. We believe that artists should have access to the medium of their choice. We believe that exhibitors should have a choice in their projection format, access to archival prints, and should not feel pressured to remodel their booths and buy the newest equipment. We believe that film archives should always have the option to maintain long-term storage of film prints. We are here to offer a voice for film and those who love it, and to promote the continued use of it alongside the latest digital technologies.
We have plenty of projects in store and information to share. Follow us here, on Twitter and on Facebook, and stay tuned for more!
Members of AMIA Film Advocacy Task Force
Dino Everett
Olivia Wong
Alexander Whelan
