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PCAH New releases
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AFI PROJECT: 20/20 Debuts at AFI FEST 2006 in Los AngelesThe President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities announces that nineteen American and International filmmakers will participate in AFI Project: 20/20, which makes its debut at the American Film Institute (AFI) AFI FEST 2006, presented by Audi, in Los Angeles, November 1-12. The invited AFI Project: 20/20 filmmakers will participate in an international cultural exchange designed to enhance mutual understanding, and collaboration by engaging audiences here and abroad through filmmakers and their films.  Back Home a documentary by a survivor of the
Rwandian genocide, is one of the 19 foreign and U.S. films in AFI Project:
20/20.
Drawing on the joint resources and expertise of AFI, the Department
of State, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
(PCAH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment
for the Humanities (NEH), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services,
AFI Project: 20/20 will connect audiences here and abroad with American
and International artists through one of this country’s most popular
art forms, movies. “There is no better way for people to know one another than by sharing their personal stories. AFI PROJECT: 20/20 allows filmmakers to know one another on a personal basis and to share their work with audiences here and abroad. Our recent Symposium on Film, Television, Digital Media, and Popular Culture in Los Angeles bore fruit and AFI Project: 20/20 is it,” says Adair Wakefield Margo, Chairman, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
This program is part of an unprecedented public/private cultural diplomacy effort announced by Mrs. Bush in early October as the Global Cultural Initiative—a new initiative “to coordinate, enhance and expand America’s cultural diplomacy efforts worldwide.” Made up of artists from different countries (Japan, India, South Africa, Iran, Venezuela and others), backgrounds, religions and gender and with a diversity of artistic and political views, AFI Project: 20/20 seeks to promote dialogue, mutual understanding and foster shared values, such as freedom of expression, tolerance and intellectual property rights. The films in AFI Project: 20/20 reach beyond generations, language, education and borders to engage audiences, revealing both a respect for differences and a shared humanity among cultures.  Connecting U.S. and foreign audiences through
Stephanie Daley and other films is one of the cultural diplomacy goals
of AFI Project: 20/20
American and international filmmakers will travel in pairs
or small groups to screen their films, hold workshops about the shared
values the films illustrate, and discuss the role of perception in cross-cultural
understanding. Plans for outreach and educational programs have been developed
and supported through the joint efforts of the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment
for the Humanities, the Department of State and the American Film Institute.
AFI 20/20 honors the 20 year anniversary of AFI FEST, and will use AFI
FEST 2006, presented by Audi, as a stepping off point for the invited
filmmakers to visit universities, art centers, libraries, or other institutions,
as well as film festivals as part of their cultural exchange. The federal cultural partners in AFI Project: 20/20 said the following
about this international cultural exchange initiative with the American
Film Institute. “As part of our mission to sustain cultural heritage and increase civic participation, IMLS supports the production of multi-cultural films, film screenings and festivals. AFI Project: 20/20 provides a perfect complement to this work, particularly with some of America’s libraries and museums serving as hosts for these filmmakers,” says Anne Imelda Radice, Director, Institute of Museum and Library Services. “The National Endowment for the Arts was instrumental in establishing
the American Film Institute and has continued its partnership with AFI
in nurturing and preserving the rich legacy of American films for both
posterity and as a medium for fostering international collaboration and
understanding between the U.S. and other countries,” says Dana Gioia,.
Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts. “AFI PROJECT: 20/20 affords a great opportunity for National Endowment
for the Humanities, and its partners encourage understanding and appreciation
of American values inherent in the system of American filmmaking such
as freedom of expression and tolerance, by supporting these exchanges
between audiences and filmmakers,” says Bruce Cole, Chairman, National
Endowment for the Humanities. About the Partners • The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) bridges the interests of federal agencies and the private sector, supports special projects that increase participation, and helps incorporate the humanities and the arts into White House objectives. Mrs. Laura Bush is the Honorary Chairman of the PCAH. • The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. • The National Endowment for the Humanities serves and strengthens our Republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The NEH is the nation’s leading supporter of research education, preservation and public programs in the humanities. • The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent
federal grant making agency dedicated to creating strong libraries and
museums that connect people to information and ideas. The IMLS works at
the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations
to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation;
and support professional development.
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