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

Dan Sandin

Steina Vasulka

Stephen Beck

Savage/LoveShirley Clarke

Joe Chalken

I Don't Matter, I Don't CareMichael Marton

Some of These Stories Are TruePeter Adair

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsRobert Ashley

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsAshley Sanborn

Music Word Fire And I Would Do It Again (Coo Coo): The LessonsJohn Sanborn

Brian Eno

Kennedy/OlympicNam June Paik

Second EditionDowntown 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

OntogenesisJanice Tanaka

The Ruling ClassroomPeter Bull

The Ruling ClassroomAlex Gibney

Highlights from the New Directors' Film FestivalThomas Musca

The Buck KillersPaul Meyers