A celebration of amateur films and filmmaking is making its way to the Bronx.
NYU’s Student Chapter AMIA – The Association of Moving Image Archivists – is hosting a Home Movie Day at the Gun Hill Brewing Company, 3227 Laconia Avenue, on Saturday, October 18 at 1 p.m.
This event, both free and open to the public, provides those in attendance with an opportunity to see and share their own home movies in an open screening with other cinema buffs.
Members of NYU’s MIAP – Moving Image Archiving and Preservation – along with other volunteers will also be on hand to offer expert evaluations of the films that are brought for viewing.
According to AMIA, the event is a chance to discover how to care for movies, while refreshing the memory of those in attendance about their importance amongst the human culture.
Local archives, historical societies and museums are currently very interested in collecting home videos, even if they are still in VHS format.
AMIA also hopes to educate the participants that with the proper care and storage, the original format of these films can last up to decades longer than new media formats such as DVD and Blu-Ray, which may seem easier to watch in today’s society.
“Home Movie Day proves to be a great event for people to come together for the same purpose – to eat snacks, drink beer and watch old favorites amongst others with intelligent insight and productive feedback in a cozy environment,” said AMIA Outreach Jasmyn Castro.
“It’s very different from, and a lot more fun, for someone to come and get involved with fellow neighborhood residents in a scenic place at Home Movie Day, rather than someone just watching a movie at home by themselves.”
And what better place to enjoy the food, drinks and videos of Home Movie Day than at the Gun Hill Brewing Company?
Recently claiming the gold medal at the 2014 Great America Beer Festival competition in Denver, Colorado, The Gun Hill Brewing Company stands as an important venue in the Bronx, and a great atmosphere to take in home videos while enjoying one of the most outstanding beers produced in the United States.
Established in 2002, Home Movie Day has caught the attention of some of the biggest names in the movie production industry, generating quotes from the likes of Martin Scorsese, Ken Burns and Steve Martin, amongst others.
According to each one of them, Home Movie Day’s importance cannot be stressed enough. It’s primary message – saving and preserving film heritage.
“We are very excited to see what movies and videos each person brings to this event,” said Jasmyn Castro. “It doesn’t matter if they’ve never watched them, if they’ve never heard of them or if they haven’t seen them since they inherited them from their grandparents. We are just looking forward to seeing what movies – whether a favorite or forgotten – are brought to Home Movie Day.
For further information, go to www.eventbrite.com/e/amia-nyu-presents-home-movie-day-2014-tickets-13131449519.
