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FIAF publications review #2
by Jürgen Kellermann, Adelaide Email: juergen.kellermann @ sa.gov.au
Journal of Film Preservation. Published by Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film (FIAF),
Brussels. Editor: Robert Daudelin. Available free of charge on the FIAF web-site (www.fiafnet.org).
FIAF is the peak international body representing film archives
around the world. The organisation has issued a number of books,
journals and brochures over the years. This is the second in a series
of reviews discussing some of these publications.
The Journal of Film Preservation is (usually) published twice
a year. It is the Federation’s forum for discussion of all aspects of
moving image archiving and preservation. The journal covers both
theoretical and technical topics, and gives reports on film
restoration projects and practises at film archives. The most recent
issue available online is #84 from Apr. 2011.
This issue contains articles about the five big international
film festivals and two important silent film festivals in Italy
(Bologna, Pordenone), the discovery of 16mm nitrate film (!) in
Italy, articles on film restorations and retrieval of archival
th
materials, and the 50 anniversary of the Cinemathéquè in
Grenoble. An editorial by Michael Loebenstein (now head of the
NFSA) reflects on the problems with archiving digital cinema — a
topic that is discussed very seriously among film curators (see also
several reports on the NFSA blog, e.g., www.nfsa.gov.au/blog/
2011/08/08/keep-your-analogue-copies/).
The previous issue (#83, Nov. 2010) reports on a Belgian
collection of cinema equipment, the reconstruction of a Norwegian
silent film, the history of Latin American cinema, the collection of
the film museum in Turin (Italy), history of copyright and legal
deposit in Italy, and reminiscences on the Cinemateca de Cuba.
Issue #82 (Apr. 2010) contains many articles on FIAF and its
history, articles on special collections (such as glass plate
negatives, animation films, magic lantern slides, sport films, home
movies, an avant-garde-film collection in America, and one of
slapstick comedies in the Czech Republic), historical research and
film festivals.
All journal issues also contain information on FIAF activities,
obituaries, and reviews of books and newly released DVDs of
restored films.
The publication is truly international and prints articles in
English, French and Spanish. Until recently, an English summary
accompanied each French or Spanish article, but this has un-
fortunately now been discontinued. Not everyone can be expected
to be a polyglot, and the summary in a widely spoken language as
English was very useful. Now I struggle my way through some of
the articles…
In conclusion, I found the Journal to be very interesting
reading, especially reports on collections and archives around the
world, or the restoration and history of films and cinematographic
equipment. The section on new DVDs always has interesting
information about film classics and restored silent films.
Last October, FIAF launched a new electronic newsletter, the
FIAF bulletin online, which is apparently circulated three times a
year. It aims to report about the activities of FIAF, current projects,
and news from affiliated film archives.