IMPORTANT: Film Arts Archive

As we announced in September, the Film Arts Foundation archives have been transferred to the the Pacific Film Archive and the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. We arranged with PFA to have a six month deposit period in which time if any member wanted to withdraw their film, DVD or tape they can contact us directly at: info@filmarts.org. Be sure that the subject in the e-mail is listed as ARCHIVES. This deposit period will be over on February 28st, 2009.

If you have work that is in the archive, congratulations! You may want to consider adding this information to your biography. The official name of the media archive is, "The Film Arts Foundation Collection of the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING - A MESSAGE FROM THE FILM ARTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS (NOVEMBER 23, 2008)

And indeed we have much to be thankful for. The transition of Programs from Film Arts Foundation to the San Francisco Film Society has worked smoothly thanks to the combined efforts of the capable staff from both organizations: Michael Behrens is helming Filmmaker Education and special programs; Michele Turnure-Salleo and Linda Tracey are capably handling Fiscal sponsorship; and Michael Read is aboard as Publications manager.

We wholeheartedly support this transition, and hope that you will do the same. The best way for these services and the Film Arts Foundation legacy to live on is to support the Film Society as members, advocates and filmmakers.

The first Film Arts Forum, a public program of the Film Society, was well attended earlier this month with various representatives available to provide information on many fronts. The Forum included demo films illustrating the use of new tools (available at a discount to members), the screening of several works-in-progress, and plenty of time for networking.

In 2009, we will be convening a membership meeting to vote on official items of business. We will be sending out information early next year.

Thanks again for your support!

Sincerely,

Steve Ramirez, Chairman
Diana Fuller, Vice-Chairman
Film Arts Foundation Board of Directors

FAF Transitions Programs to SFFS:

After thirty-two years of working hand-in-glove with independent filmmakers, Film Arts Foundation has reached a point at which it is no longer able to provide a number of filmmaker services that have been crucially important to all of us.

For starters, SFFS is thrilled to announce the Herbert Filmmaking Grants, which will present awards totaling $25,000 to films by Bay Area filmmakers. Calls for entry will be published in November.

The Film Society, in partnership with the San Francisco Film Commission, has created SFFS FilmHouse Residencies, which will offer 2,800 square-feet of production-office space at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero – free of charge – to Bay Area filmmakers. Residencies are for one- to six-month terms; application will be published in September.

SFFS will also present the new Film Arts Forum, a new large-scale monthly evening screening/conference/networking event that brings together and showcases Bay Area filmmakers and filmmaking. Members receive discounted admission; event is slated to begin in November.

SFFS is also assembling an SFFS Filmmakers Advisory Board, an active group of established professionals whose role is to aid in further developing SFFS filmmaker services.

More information about these broad-reaching programs – including a new SFFS publication, edited by Film Arts magazine’s Michael Read, mailed free to members, that will begin publication in early 09 – and other new initiatives is detailed on the Filmmaker Services page of the SFFS website.

But, more immediately: What does this means for you, a current Film Arts member?

Your FAF membership automatically makes you a member of the Film Society. So, welcome aboard.

Your new Film Society membership is free and remains active for the term of your existing Film Arts membership. When your current term ends, we will invite you to renew with us.

All Film Arts members at the Basic ($50) level will now be SFFS Film Enthusiast members. And all current Film Arts members at the Filmmaker ($80) level and above – Assistant Director, Director, Producer, Executive Producer, etc – will now be SFFS Filmmaker Pro members. View the complete list of benefits for both levels here.

As you’ll see, the basic SFFS Film Enthusiast membership includes some familiar benefits – discounts and advance enrollment on our classes, invitations and discounts to networking events like our new monthly Film Arts Forum, and discounts on products from local and national companies, such as Kodak and Apple.

And it includes new ones, like discounts and advanced sales to SFFS events, like the SF International Film Festival, and discounts to the SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, and more.

The Filmmaker Pro level also combines old benefits with new, such as discounts on Festival entry fees. The Filmmaker Pro membership includes all Film Enthusiast benefits and the below:

• • Eligibility for Fiscal Sponsorship
• • Eligibility for The Herbert Filmmaking Grants and other awards
• • Eligibility for FilmHouse Residencies
• • Discounts on the SFIFF entry fees
• • Free and discounted legal consultation

E-mail members@sffs.org if you’ve changed your contact information in the last few weeks or, really, if you have any questions at all about this transition.

In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you, so feel free to call the Film Society’s membership department 415-561-5013 or email members@sffs.org with any questions or comments.