Critical Writing Index

AFI Frames the Field: The National Video Festival

by Cindy Furlong

Afterimage, Oct. 1981, v. 9, no. 3, pp. 4-5

This article is a review of the National Video Festival; a gala event hosted by the AFI. In the midst of the crisis of Reaganism, throwing the future of NEA grants into doubt, the largest festival of its kind featured 50 hours of screenings from artists' videos to sports broadcasting for 500 guests. Furlong describes the bureaucratic history of the festival, beginning in 1979 with the Sony Corporation approaching the AFI, to host a video event resulting in a donation of $300,000. The unlikely combination of industry, artists and intellectuals resulted in panel discussion between participants who shared little common ground, politically, financially, and technically. Screenings of independent work that was suitable for broadcast showed a wide breadth of possibilities for video.

ITEM 1981.038 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Savage/LoveDan Sandin

I Don't Matter, I Don't CareSteina Vasulka

Some of These Stories Are TrueStephen Beck

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsShirley Clarke

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsJoe Chalken

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsMichael Marton

Kennedy/OlympicPeter Adair

Second EditionRobert Ashley

OntogenesisAshley Sanborn

The Ruling ClassroomJohn Sanborn

The Ruling ClassroomBrian Eno

Highlights from the New Directors' Film FestivalNam June Paik

The Buck KillersDowntown Community Television

Top Value Television

Optic Nerve

Global Village

Media Bus

Kitchen

Videopolis

New Orleans Video Access Center

University Community Video (Minneapolis)

Carol Brandenberg

Jaime Davidovitch

Stan Hankin

Lillian Jiminez

Douglas Davis

Barbara London

Frank Marrero

Janice Tanaka

Peter Bull

Alex Gibney

Thomas Musca

Paul Meyers