The Educational screen (c1922-c1956])

April, 1930 cern sound pictures and it is expected that the society's committee on standards will submit for approval its report fixing wide-film standards. A New York Section of the Society was formed at a recent meeting of more then 150 Eastern members. The geographical boundaries of the New York Section were defined by the Board of Governors as an area enclosed within a circle having a radius of 50 miles from Times Square. With the formation of the New York Section, it will be possible for the Eastern Members to become better acquainted with each other and the work of the society. Motion Pictures at Chicago World Fair Development of the motion picture industry in display form is being considered as one of the forthcoming attractions at the Chicago World Fair to be held in 1933, to be headed under "A Century of Progress." The display will include every step in the various processes from manufacture of film to the projection of finished product. An outstanding feature in the exhibit dramatizing the march of science will be talking pictures interpreting Einstein's theory of relativity. Motion Pictures foi Shut-Ins More than a billion feet of film will be supplied gratis by the motion picture industry during 1930 for the entertainment of 500,000 shut-ins in institutions such as orphanages, hospitals, homes for the aged, sanitariums and penal institutions, who cannot visit the motion picture theatres. Some of the footage available will go to entertainments under the auspices of charitable organizations cooperating with theatre owners during the holidays and at different intervals throughout the year. Foreign Notes Germany The "Film Seminary" in Europe was opened in Berlin this year. It constitutes a regular training college for school teachers, chosen from various educational establishments by the central board, for instruction not only in the science of handling the apparatus for projecting the picture on the screen, but in the art of making pictures suitable for the classroom. It is understood that the art of teaching by means of motion pictures taken by men who would formerly have written text books is being adopted by the German authorities as a normal part of the educational system and will, within a short space of time, be regarded by children as a natural feature of school life. The deputies of the City of Dresden (Germany) decided to introduce film exhibition in schools as tuition means. Projectors of various systems will be installed for test in the popular and high schools. Bulgaria The Bulgarian Parliament has just passed a law providing for the strict control of moving pictures as a part of the movement to curb rapid progress. Most of the country's leaders feel that Bulgaria's sudden plunge into modernism was responsible for the spread of anarchism, communism and radicalism a few years ago in the country. The State has undertaken the showing of pictures with educational value to the peasants. During the last year the Ministry of Education has shown films to 532,000 people living in 567 villages. This is only the beginning of this activity and it is believed that in conjunction with co-operative societies, country farm agents, teachers, priests and the army, the 107 state moving pictures may become a strong factor in inducing hardheaded villagers to try and better their methods of work and better their Avays of living. Greece Greece is now introducing educational filnis in its schools. An organization is already in existence for the forwarding of the use of films as an instrument of education. Screenings are organized by this body on Sunday mornings in Athens, and children are invited to attend. The Government has now decided not only to support this organization, but also to make the use of educational films compulsory in schools. A commission of competent officials presided by Mr. Veniselos, was recently instituted. It was decided to support by all possible means the use of educational films. Different projectors were examined by the Ministry of Public Instruction and one particular model is to be approved and its use made general. Szveden The exhibition of school films in Sweden is making great progress. In the larger cities a motion picture theater is rented by all the schools in the community and films relating to different subjects are shown. In some rural districts of Sweden as many as 20 schools cooperate in this school film exhibition, thus making these performances possible, because, as a rule, no fee is charged and the expenses are defrayed by the school authorities. All school films are distributed through the Svensk Filmindustri Skolfilm, a subsidiary of Svensk Filmindustri, which is reported to be the largest Swedish film producer in Sweden. The organization controls 104 motion picture theaters and is distributing 1,000 school films every week for exhibition in about 1,500 schools throughout Sweden.