The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

Foreign Notes Conducted by Otto M. Forkert Educational Film Conference in Basel, Switzerland Seventeen countries, with 150 official delegates, were represented at the opening of the first European Educational Film Conference in Basel. Press communications from Europe called the congress a most successful one, ending with the formation of a "European Educational Film Chamber." All problems concerning the educational film and the use of films in medicine, zoology, botany, geography, arts, literature, sports, manual training, etc., were treated before 11 different committees, and an average of 150,000 feet of scientific and educational films were presented during the congress. All reports and papers will be published in a book. The President of the acting committee is Dr. van Staveren Haag, and General Secretary, Dr. Imhof of Basel. The next Congress will be held in Rome. French Cinema Chamber for Educational Film At the annual General Assembly of the French Cinema-Chamber it was announced that the film taxed and reviewed by the State amounted to 1,296,631 meters in 1926. In the discussions about the future plans for the improvement of the film-industry in France, the establishment of a film department under the administration of the Minister of Education (M. Herriot) was strongly recommended. A committee was elected with Jean Sapene, as the Honorary President from the Chamber, and Leon Gaumont, Charles Pathe, Louis Aubert, Charles Delac, and others as members, to give the necessary assistance to the Minister of Education. We have no doubt that the progressive French Minister Herriot will do for France what he has done already for Lyon, when he founded there as Mayor one of the finest educational film exchanges and lecture offices for visualization to be found in Europe. Growth of City Film Archives in Europe Among the many cities possessing film archives is Dresden, Germany, one of the first and most active towns in this movement for the collection of city history in film. Over 100,000 feet of film have been collected during the last five years and are kept for future historical reference in the city vaults. The pictures show all the events and developments of the city life, expositions, festivals, sports, carnivals, as well as the development in commerce and industry, — everything is preserved for study through the films in future generations! Italy The first national film contest was held in Genoa during February, 1927, under the auspices of the Government. The aims were to give the Italian youth a better conception and greater initiative for higher aesthetics in regard to their country, family and work. The best biographies that have been written about the work of the greatest artist could not describe the activities of such creative hands as the film can do it today. The foreign film archives will receive in these productions a cultural addition of tremendous value to the present and also to future generations. A German trade paper (Lichtbild Buhne No. 23) says about this first presentation: "Es war im gewissen Sinne eine Offenbarung . . . wirklich im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes ein Kulturfilm! . . ." Italy to Film the Life of Old Pompeh The "Luce," the foremost Italian Production Company, will begin in the near future the making of a high-class, historical, culture 274