Educational screen & audio-visual guide (c1956-1971])

Here it is! Just Released! Another interesting and enlightening film for the use of students of the French language: "VISAGES de la VILLELUMIERE" Film 9>|t 4 of the ACCENT AIGU CONVERSATIONAL FILM SERIES • FOR INFORMATION REGARDING SALES and RENTALS Write to FOCUS FILMS CO. 1383 WESTWOOD BLVD. LOS ANGELES 24, CALIF. -FRANCES AND HER RABBIT 1 1 minutes Color $100 Frances and her rabbit have fun on a rainy day. This fllm will be the source and foundation of many classroom discussions and creative projects because as a LanKuage Arts film it supplies motivation for self expression. Primary. Maua/ma/ Jilm Bureau Jhc. 57 E. Jackson Blvd. Chicago 4, III. . — Rene Clair's 16mni Rental $50.00 87 Minutes Contemporary Films Inc. Dept. ESI 13 East 37th St., New York 16, N. Y. PHMl FILMS Presenting the basic and truly significant biological phenomena — the beautiful precinon of the hereditary mechanism of cells — cell division — mciosis — plant growth and mutation — syngamy and the alternation of generations. Write for descriptive folders ARTHUR T. BRICE Phase Films Ross, California e^'J^e/p. 1/ou^de/^ to. Concise, interesting report on progress 12 million U. S. families are making through ownership and use of many types of cooperotives. 16mm, block & white, sound, 11 min. Purchase, $50; rental $4.00 Write for new catalog The Cooperafive League of U. S. A. 343 So. Dearborn St. Chicago 4, III. Some liked it, some didn^t AIMERieAI FILM ASSEMBLY, 1956 The Third Annual American Film Assembly and Golden Reel Film Festival is over. The 1000 or so who came to Chicago April 23-27 to take part have long since left, some happily carrying away awards and certificates. Some film producers and distributors went away not so happy. The awards don't mean much anyway, they say. (But how they wish they had some!) Well, does it matter anyway — this not-so-large gathering of people interested primarily in films with a purpose? As one representative of a film producer tritely put it, "You're damned if you do and damned if you don't." So the Film Council of .\merica, sponsor of the gathering, is doubly damned by some for trying to keep going this showcase for the 16mm film and sound slidefilm. What's to be said for it? Those who won awards like it. The awards are important to them in helping get their films recognized and used. The people who came to see good films on many different subjects like it — few as these people were. Where else can one see so large a number of excellent films in so many different subject fields? The people who came to see and hear Irving Gitlin or George Stoney or the other program headliners are happy. It isn't often that a film producer or enthusiast finds so much film and TV talent all in one place. The people who came just to talk with others about their great love — film, they like it, of course. At what other audio-visual gathering is the film itself right in the center of the spotlight? The people who think it important that the 16mm film make newspaper headlines and television networks — they like it. The Assembly and Festival were well covered in Chicago newspapers and in all probability will be covered in newspapers and other publications throughout the country. The award-winning films are being shown on nationwide TV programs (Interesting angle: Some of the winners were produced as TV programs!). As FC.\ president Paul Wagner expresses it, this is really bringing the gospel of the informational film to Americans in a way that counts. This is the real purpose of the Assembly and Festival, says Wagner. What's to be said against it? For one thing, this third gathering should have been the largest of the three. Yet it wasn't. Aren't people interested? Isn't the audio-visual industry interested? Was the publicity inadequate? Is FC.A not working closely enough through and with other organizations in the audio-visual field? .\nd then, of course, there's the constant problem of prizes — those Golden and Silver Reel .\wards. Users of the informational film know there is no such thing as a "best" film. Depends on who's using it, where and how and for what purpose. Those who judge films at the Festival know it's quite impossible to judge a film solely by its purpose, often badly stated by the producer. No matter how hard you try to do otherwise, you end up judging a film by your own experience and inexperience with films of the kind; you judge it by all you are. by all you do and have done. You rate a film highly — because you like it. .^s someone said, you look for the "film with a soul." But is this bad? Maybe all films that survive the screenings before the Festival should be given award certificates — just for getting there to the Festival at all. Maybe in judging films, the pretense at judging how well a film accomplishes its purpose should be dropped (though it does help to have the purpose written down before you). We know all this has been hammered away at by the hard-working FCA staff and by some hundreds of other interested people who helped set up the Festival regulations. We know the FCA wants complaints and suggestions. We invite you who were there and those of you who weren't to send your complaints and suggestions to the Film Council of .America, 600 Davis St., Evanston, Illinois. A final word of appreciation to Gus Giordano and the many others at FCA who were responsible for this Third .Assembly and Festival. Thank you for a job well done! Even though the FCA is no longer foundation sujjported, its program will continue — including the Film Assembly and Festival. The program will continue, it is to be hoped, with the support of the entire audio-visual field. Let's start getting ready for the Fourth Festival! — JNS 234 Summer 19S6 — Educational Screen