America 250: The NFPF’s Semiquincentennial Screening
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To herald the 250th anniversary of the USA, the NFPF will present eight shorts on July 18th at the Eagle Theatre in Los Angeles, home of the Vidiots Foundation. These preserved gems, from archives around the country, demonstrate the American spirit and the drive of democracy, revealing the many ways—from amateur to avant-garde—that American filmmakers have used movies to inform, honor, document, and critique.
The roster:
- Flaming Canyons (1929, preserved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), a startlingly scenic stencil-colored travelogue promoting the wonders of our National Parks.
- An excerpt from Marian Anderson’s Lincoln Memorial Concert (1939, UCLA Film & Television Archive).
- Obey Your Air Raid Warden (1942, Chicago Film Archives), a parodic WWII-era amateur public service announcement, laying down eight rules to observe after an air raid warning.
- The House I Live In (1945, Library of Congress), an advocacy film, with Frank Sinatra using his pipes to educate a gang of rascals on the perils of bigotry and prejudice.
- The Story of Creative Capital (1957, Hagley Museum and Library), an animated celebration of capitalism produced by Disney alum John Sutherland for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
- The Festival in Washington (1968, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage), film of the second annual Festival of American Folklife, held on the National Mall in 1968.
- Tellin’ the World (1972, Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research), a public service announcement made to encourage working-class and minority youth voting after the passage of the 26th amendment.
- Bruce Conner’s film for David Byrne and Brian Eno’s America is Waiting (1981, Anthology Film Archives, preserved through the Avant-Garde Masters Program funded by The Film Foundation). This pointed assemblage of found footage was intended for MTV but too strong for the network—though not for our audience!
The screening starts at 4pm, so we hope you can make it to the Eagle on July 18th. A patriotic time will be had by all!