Australian Film Institute

Last updated

Australian Film Institute
AbbreviationAFI
FormationNovember 1958
TypeFilm and television organisation
Headquarters Melbourne, Victoria
Location
  • 236 Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, Victoria 3205
Region served
Australia
CEO
Damian Trewhella
Website www.afi.org.au

The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsible for producing Australia's premier annual film and television awards, as of 2011 known as AACTA Awards (previously the AFI Awards). [1]

Contents

Overview

The work of the institute is supported by government funding, corporate sponsors and approximately 10,000 members nationally. As Australia's foremost motion picture industry association, AFI promotes the Australian film and television industry and plays a central role in the way in which the Australian film industry is known and understood, both locally and internationally. [1]

In the 1970s, the AFI played a prominent part in reviving the Australian film industry and in convincing the government to invest in the creation of the Experimental Film Fund, a film school, and a corporation for advancing feature film production. The year 1976 marked the first time that the AFI Awards, which had been given since 1958, were televised. Ten years later, television categories were added to the awards.

A recent focus of the organisation has been on helping to develop the careers of Australian film artists, through the AFI Fellowship and AFI Documentary Trailbrazer programs, as well as with the AFI Young Film Actor Award. [1]

The AFI is affiliated with the Los Angeles Australian Film & Television Association. In August 2011, AFI formed a subsidiary professional organisation, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. [2]

AFI Research Collection

The AFI Research Collection Archived 2 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine is a significant non-lending, specialist film and television industry resource. The collection operates under the auspices of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology's School of Media and Communication in conjunction with the Australian Film Institute. The Collection has particular strengths in screen history and theory and in Australian cinema, and features a diverse range of books, journals, film scripts, film directories, reports and film festival catalogues. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "The Australian Film Institute – Celebrating 50 Years of Pride and Passion" Archived 21 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "AFI is recast with new academy taking a bow". Sydney Morning Herald. 19 August 2011.
  3. "AFI Research Collection" Archived 12 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine