The American Cinematheque Admitted to FIAF as an Associate
At its meeting in Mexico City on 15 April 2023, the FIAF Executive Committee unanimously decided to admit the American Cinematheque (Los Angeles) as a FIAF Associate, with immediate effect. The announcement of this decision was made to the FIAF Community during the General Assembly on 20 April, and Benjamin Tucker, the Chief Projectionist of the American Cinematheque, briefly introduced the institution to the delegates present. The American Cinematheque becomes the 17th FIAF affiliate in the USA. Its entry in the FIAF Directory can be found here.
The American Cinematheque, born in 1985, grew out of the legendary Filmex (The Los Angeles International Film Exposition), which ran from 1971 through 1983. Following an inspiring trip to the Cinémathèque Française in Paris in 1984, filmmaker Sydney Pollack joined forces with Gary Abrahams & Gary Essert to develop a year-round film festival for the city of Los Angeles where cinephiles and filmmakers could discover, engage with and discuss the seventh art. Since it began screening films to the public in 1985, the American Cinematheque has provided diverse film programming and immersive in-person discussions and events with thousands of filmmakers and luminaries, presenting new and repertory cinema to Los Angeles. The American Cinematheque believes that showcasing film with the best quality of image and sound preserves the awe-inspring powr of cinema for those experiencing it. It screens in 35mm, 70mm, nitrate, and digital, with an expert team of projectinists in the booths of its three venues in Los Angeles - the Aero Theatre, the Los Feliz 3 Theatre, and the Egyptian Theatre.
As its mission statement affirms, "The American Cinematheque believes that cinema is a communal experience with the power to entertain, enlighten and inspire. We build a diverse and engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation, and presentation. We bridge the filmmaker to the audience and film history to its future."
More information on the American Cinematheque is available at americancinematheque.com.
