[Frameworks] more on the Academy
I started this yesterday but shelved it; now that others have posted I am a bit more confident and will send --- This is such an interesting statement. I know what you mean, but still... There are avant-garde sympathetic folks at the Academy... Could we possibly hope for supportive or even aim for enthusiastic? OK, how about substantial funding for Canyon Cinema and the other 20 or so (100?) small avant-garde film organizations that need it right now? Take a tiny fraction of what you spend on regular old Lavish Hollywood Lifestyle and show some respect for experimental film. It is very nice, it really is, that both Brakhage and Kuchar got their memorial moments at the Oscars, but why not something for them while they were still alive? I know the Academy is doing very important work in film preservation and that's really all I know about their connection to experimental film. But taken as an industry, taken as American Culture #1, taken as a commercial art form that has learned and benefitted from the work created by experimental film pioneers for decades, why not show some respect and take 0.5% of the Movie Star Champagne Budget and fund art in this country? Painting had an Academy once, but some painters broke away from it. Tom ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
George Lucas was a big admirer of Arthur Lipsett since his days at USC citing him as an influence yet when he made millions in 1977 he did not offer one penny to him. Lipsett died destitute some ten years larter. That is Hollywood to you. ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
For the record, the Academy Foundation actually does have an Institutional Grants program which provides financial support to small avant-garde film organizations (among other orgs) and another grant which supports film festivals. Info here: http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/index.html list of institutional recipients here: http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/institutional/recipients.html There are dozens of recipients on that list, including Millennium Film Workshop, San Francisco Cinematheque and, notably, San Francisco's Ninth Street Center for Independent Film, which received $5000 [the average grant award] in support of its Canyon Cinema screening program. (This is all public information, via the link above.) Whether a $5,000 grant from this organization is considered significant is I guess debatable but as Director of San Francisco Cinematheque (a recipient)—and I certainly wouldn't say no to more—I sure ain't complaining... Steve Polta --- On Wed, 2/29/12, Tom Whiteside tom.whites...@duke.edu wrote: From: Tom Whiteside tom.whites...@duke.edu Subject: [Frameworks] more on the Academy To: Experimental Film Discussion List frameworks@jonasmekasfilms.com Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 5:28 AM I started this yesterday but shelved it; now that others have posted I am a bit more confident and will send --- This is such an interesting statement. I know what you mean, but still… There are avant-garde sympathetic folks at the Academy... Could we possibly hope for “supportive” or even aim for “enthusiastic?” OK, how about substantial funding for Canyon Cinema and the other 20 or so (100?) small avant-garde film organizations that need it right now? Take a tiny fraction of what you spend on regular old Lavish Hollywood Lifestyle and show some respect for experimental film. It is very nice, it really is, that both Brakhage and Kuchar got their memorial moments at the Oscars, but why not something for them while they were still alive? I know the Academy is doing very important work in film preservation and that’s really all I know about their connection to experimental film. But taken as an industry, taken as American Culture #1, taken as a commercial art form that has learned and benefitted from the work created by experimental film pioneers for decades, why not show some respect and take 0.5% of the Movie Star Champagne Budget and fund art in this country? Painting had an Academy once, but some painters broke away from it. Tom -Inline Attachment Follows- ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
For the record, the Academy Foundation actually does have an Institutional Grants program which provides financial support to small avant-garde film organizations ... This is all great to hear, and much appreciated. I'm not sure Scott is really disagreeing with me. I think it's fine when avant-garde film is acknowledged. My point is that we should not expect the Academy or the Oscar telecast to recognize or award avant-garde filmmakers in the way, from a cinema art point of view, most on the list might feel is appropriate. Fred Camper Chicago ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
Lucas, of course, is not a member of the Academy On 2/29/12 9:03 AM, Francisco Torres fjtorre...@gmail.com wrote: George Lucas was a big admirer of Arthur Lipsett since his days at USC citing him as an influence yet when he made millions in 1977 he did not offer one penny to him. Lipsett died destitute some ten years larter. That is Hollywood to you. ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
Oh, Filmforum received one of those last year as well. And all that money went to honoraria and film rentals to experimental filmmakers... On 2/29/12 9:11 AM, Steve Polta stevepo...@yahoo.com wrote: For the record, the Academy Foundation actually does have an Institutional Grants program which provides financial support to small avant-garde film organizations (among other orgs) and another grant which supports film festivals. Info here: http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/index.html list of institutional recipients here: http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/institutional/recipients.html There are dozens of recipients on that list, including Millennium Film Workshop, San Francisco Cinematheque and, notably, San Francisco's Ninth Street Center for Independent Film, which received $5000 [the average grant award] in support of its Canyon Cinema screening program. (This is all public information, via the link above.) Whether a $5,000 grant from this organization is considered significant is I guess debatable but as Director of San Francisco Cinematheque (a recipient)and I certainly wouldn't say no to moreI sure ain't complaining... Steve Polta --- On Wed, 2/29/12, Tom Whiteside tom.whites...@duke.edu wrote: From: Tom Whiteside tom.whites...@duke.edu Subject: [Frameworks] more on the Academy To: Experimental Film Discussion List frameworks@jonasmekasfilms.com Date: Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 5:28 AM I started this yesterday but shelved it; now that others have posted I am a bit more confident and will send ---This is such an interesting statement. I know what you mean, but still There are avant-garde sympathetic folks at the Academy... Could we possibly hope for ³supportive² or even aim for ³enthusiastic?² OK, how about substantial funding for Canyon Cinema and the other 20 or so (100?) small avant-garde film organizations that need it right now? Take a tiny fraction of what you spend on regular old Lavish Hollywood Lifestyle and show some respect for experimental film.It is very nice, it really is, that both Brakhage and Kuchar got their memorial moments at the Oscars, but why not something for them while they were still alive? I know the Academy is doing very important work in film preservation and that¹s really all I know about their connection to experimental film. But taken as an industry, taken as American Culture #1, taken as a commercial art form that has learned and benefitted from the work created by experimental film pioneers for decades, why not show some respect and take 0.5% of the Movie Star Champagne Budget and fund art in this country? Painting had an Academy once, but some painters broke away from it. Tom ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
On the other hand, he has given some support to Bruce Baillie, I believe. On 29-Feb-12, at 9:03 AM, Francisco Torres wrote: George Lucas was a big admirer of Arthur Lipsett since his days at USC citing him as an influence yet when he made millions in 1977 he did not offer one penny to him. Lipsett died destitute some ten years larter. That is Hollywood to you. ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
Quite a bit. And to Canyon Cinema in past years. Mark T From: marilyn brakhage v...@shaw.ca To: Experimental Film Discussion List frameworks@jonasmekasfilms.com Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 2:19 PM Subject: Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy On the other hand, he has given some support to Bruce Baillie, I believe. On 29-Feb-12, at 9:03 AM, Francisco Torres wrote: George Lucas was a big admirer of Arthur Lipsett since his days at USC citing him as an influence yet when he made millions in 1977 he did not offer one penny to him. Lipsett died destitute some ten years larter. That is Hollywood to you. ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks ___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
In a message dated 2/29/2012 10:24:05 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, a...@lafilmforum.org writes: George Lucas was a big admirer of Arthur Lipsett since his days at USC citing him as an influence yet when he made millions in 1977 he did not offer one penny to him. Lipsett died destitute some ten years larter. That is Hollywood to you. Coppola used to say that Lucas was always incredibly cheap. He'd never spend his own money on films, nor would he try to use his personal contacts to get deals for a production he was involved in, if they ever needed it. Schmuck. And his post-75 films look it, too. He's an artistic failure for sure. Space operas are his legacy? How sad. And btw, whatever happened to that desire of his (a la Vanity Fair) to grow again as an artist, to recover some of his old steam from the late 60s? Imagine having that much money and then doing nothing with it.___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
Re: [Frameworks] more on the Academy
In a message dated 2/29/2012 9:16:55 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, jihalp...@yahoo.com writes: But I'm guessing Lucas was also influenced by Frank Capra, John Huston, and Charles Dickens. Should he be faulted for not offering one penny to those folks? Yes. What else is money for? The problem with Lucas is that he WENT ON RECORD back in the early 70s as wanting to do all of these great things when he could. Yet he never did. Ever seen Gene Youngblood's old NET show with him? It's evidence.___ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks