Becoming AFI - 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute

For over fifty years, the American Film Institute has flourished as one of America's great cultural entities. Its graduates, faculty, supporters, and trustees have included such acclaimed individuals as Steven Spielberg, Maya Angelou, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, Les Moonves, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, Jane Fonda, Edward James Olmos, Shonda Rhimes, James L. Brooks, Michael Nesmith, Sir Howard Stringer, and many other respected leaders in the worlds of film, television, digital media, and philanthropy.



Written in a unique memoir style, Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute offers a candid look at how this remarkable organization has brought together aspiring filmmakers, outstanding educators, and visionary artists. The book details AFI's journey to becoming the foremost national champion for moving images as a vibrant art form and a critical component of America's cultural history.



AFI's story is chronicled through in-depth essays written by those who have been involved in its adventures, growth, and successes: from its early years under George Stevens Jr.'s direction at the legendary Greystone mansion and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; through its period of incredible growth, under Jean Picker Firstenberg's guidance, as an influential cultural institution at its landmark Hollywood campus; to its continued years of excellence under Bob Gazzale's dynamic leadership.



Becoming AFI provides an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at how AFI-with passionate determination-overcame the hurdles of advancing technology, political shifts, and new audience dynamics to turn its aspirations into a substantial and highly successful organization. A tireless advocate of moving images as one of America's most popular art forms, AFI is maturing into one of the world's most respected educational and cultural institutions.

List of contents

Foreword



Preface



Introduction



50 Years of AFI: A Timeline



Chapter 1: The Launch
To Begin at the Beginning
by Jean Picker Firstenberg




Chapter 2: Next Steps
AFI in 1980: A New Decade, A New Director, A New Home
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



Chapter 3: Film Education
Training the Next Generation: From Center for Advanced Film Studies to the AFI Conservatory
by James Hindman



Chapter 4: Women in Charge
AFI Directing Workshop for Women: Give Them a Chance
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



Chapter 5: Financial Realities
AFI Funding: Growing Up and Standing Tall
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



Chapter 6: Film Preservation
Finding America's Film History
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



The Final Word: AFI Catalog of Feature Films
by Patricia King Hanson



Chapter 7: Technology's Influence
As the World Turns: From Video to the Digital Revolution
by James Hindman



Large Screen to Small Screen: AFI Enters the Video Age
by Larry Kirkman

AFI Introduces Apple to Creatives
by Emily Laskin



AFI and the Digital World
by Nick DeMartino



Chapter 8: Exhibition
AFI's Commitment to the Silver Screen: As Films Are Meant to Be Seen
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center: 21st Century Exhibition Vision
by James Hindman



Chapter 9: Developing a Public Vision
American Film Magazine
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



AFI Productions
by James Hindman



Chapter 10: Major Moments
Landmarks in AFI's Identity
by Jean Picker Firstenberg




Chapter 11: Leadership
Ensuring the Future: The Role of AFI's Board of Trustees
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



Chapter 12: Today's AFI
To 50 and Beyond
by Jean Picker Firstenberg



Chapter 13: Themes and Lessons
Looking Back to Look Forward
by James Hindman



Appendix
AFI Trustees

AFI Conservatory Mission, Core Values, Objectives and Commitments

AFI Conservatory Honorary Degree Recipients



Acknowledgments



About the Authors and Contributors

About the author

Jean Picker Firstenberg served as president and CEO of the American Film Institute from 1980 to 2007, overseeing the development of AFI as one of America's greatest national, cultural, and educational resources. She received an AFI Life Achievement Award for Service to the Institute and was named president emerita and a lifetime trustee.
In 2016, Firstenberg was named to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown, overseeing the largest four-year public university system in the United States, with twenty-three campuses educating the most diverse student body in the nation. Prior to serving at AFI, Firstenberg spent four years as a program officer at the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation. She also served as director of Princeton University's Publications Office.
Firstenberg is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University's College of Communications. She has served on several boards, including that of Boston University (1984-1996), the George Foster Peabody Awards at Georgia University (1985-1997; board chair 1991-1997); and the United States Postal Service Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee (2002-2014; committee chair 2008-2014). She has won numerous awards and honorary degrees.

Product details

• Authors: Jean Picker Firstenberg, James Hindman
• Publisher: Santa Monica Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 04.03.2025
• EAN: 9781595801463
• ISBN: 978-1-59580-146-3
• No. of pages: 498
• Dimensions: 152 mm x 229 mm x 27 mm
• Weight: 714 g
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Art > Theatre, ballet