Last modified: Monday, October 8, 2012
Old home movies to get new life on big screen at IU Cinema
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 8, 2012
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Home movies can be thought of as "accidental art," awakening memories from the past while simultaneously delving into the rich cultural milieu of other people's lives and experiences.
Members of the community are invited to bring their own home movies to "Home Movie Day" at IU Cinema, the local venue for an international daylong celebration focused on amateur filmmaking and home movie preservation.
Conceived by archivists at the nonprofit Center for Home Movies as a means to promote the preservation of amateur films, Home Movie Day has grown each year from its initial slate of two dozen locations across the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Japan in 2003 to more than 50 venues in nine countries.
Here's how it works: Members of the public are encouraged to search their homes for movies in formats they may no longer be able to view -- including 8mm, Super8 and 16mm, VHS and DVD -- and bring them to their local venue, where trained event staff assess the condition of the home movies and project them on the big screen.
The only "Home Movie Day" held in the Hoosier state, the local event begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 20 at IU Cinema. It is free and open to the public. Doors open at 2 p.m. for people to bring in their home movies for assessment.
Co-sponsored by the Department of Communication and Culture in the College of Arts and Sciences and IU Cinema, the event will also feature films from various university archives, such as the Kinsey Institute Archives and the Black Film Center/Archive.
"We welcome films from archives, collectors or anyone who wants to bring them, with a special emphasis this year on Indiana history," local organizer James Paasche said. "It's a great way to connect with your neighbors, as well as discover more about your community's heritage."
