Manila (7 July) — The South East Asia-Pacific Audio Visual Archive Association (SEAPAVAA) has appointed its founding Fellows: SEAPAVAA founding president Ray Edmondson, International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) current President Hisashi Okajima, Inventor of Samma (System for the Automated Migration of Media Assets) James Lindner and Sinematek Indonesia founder Misbach Yusabiran.
In addition, Edmondson will also be conferred the SEAPAVAA Lifetime Achievement Award, a recognition first given to Yusabiran in 1997. The SEAPAVAA Fellowship encapsulates and pursues the association’s mission of honoring exceptional service and achievements in the field of audiovisual archiving in the region.
The Program recognizes outstanding individuals for their significant contributions to the field in varying means and ways as it also distinguishes them as key players and leaders in the community.
With this program SEAPAVAA aims to advocate the advancement of the professional development and recognition of audiovisual archivists who safeguard the rich audiovisual heritage of the region.
When asked about his hopes for the organisation he founded, Edmondson said,”I’m thrilled and honored to accept this award. SEAPAVAA is now a globally recognised professional association, but it is also something more: I hope, as it grows, it will never lose its special character as a community, in the fullest, mutually supportive sense of that word.”
The conferment ceremonies will be held on August 3, 2010 during the 14th SEAPAVAA Conference and General Assembly to be held at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Fellows will be delivering their Master Lectures during the conference with the theme, “Community Building for Collaborative Actions”.
RAY EDMONDSON
SEAPAVAA Lifetime Achievement Awardee, 2010
SEAPAVAA Fellow, 2010
Ray Edmondson’s passion for the audiovisual heritage of the region and, as equally important, his dedication to the development of the people who devote their lives to it — is unparalleled. Recognized as the “moving spirit” in the creation of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and in the founding of SEAPAVAA, Edmondson has groundbreakingly led the establishment and development of audiovisual archiving in the region. Tirelessly offering his assistance to different countries and groups who are just starting up their own endeavours, he continues to devote himself fully to the audiovisual archiving community.
“I’m thrilled and honored to accept this award. SEAPAVAA is now a globally recognized professional association, but it is also something more: I hope that, as it grows,it will never lose its special character as a community, in the fullest, mutually supportive sense of that word.”
After graduating in arts and librarianship at the University of New South Wales, Ray Edmondson joined the Film Section of the National Library of Australia in 1968. In 1973, he established and led its new Film Archive Unit and in 1978, he became overall head of the Library’s Film Section. Described as the ‘moving spirit’ behind the creation of the National Film and Sound Archive in 1984, he was its Deputy Director until 2001, when he retired and was endowed with the first honorary Curator Emeritus. He later served on its Advisory Committee (2004 to 2008).
Edmondson was elected as the inaugural President of SEAPAVAA (South East Asia Pacific AudioVisual Archive Association) from 1996 to 2002 and was its ex-officio Council member to 2008. He has been involved in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program since 1996, authoring its current General Guidelines, and serving several roles on its Australian and international committees he has chaired its Asia Pacific Regional Committee (MOWCAP) since 2005.
In 1987, Edmondson was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his work in audiovisual archiving. In 2003, he received the AMIA (Association of Moving Image Archivists) Silver Light Award for outstanding career achievement. In 2008, he was elected NSW Pioneer of the Year by the Australian Society of Cinema Pioneers. He presently leads AMIA’s Advocacy Task Force.
JAMES LINDNER
SEAPAVAA Fellow, 2010
James Lindner’s extensive work on media preservation and restoration has directly and indirectly helped the safeguarding of the region’s rich audiovisual heritage. His willingness to share the wealth of his experience and knowledge to archives and archivists gravely needing assistance has been nothing less than invaluable. From technological breakthroughs to outstanding researches, Lindner’s work has set standards in the field.
“I am honored to be recognized as a SEAPAVAA Fellow and am grateful to the many mentors who have helped me succeed.”
James Lindner received his MBA from New York University in 1979 and undertook his coursework towards becoming a Doctor of Education in the field of Communications Theory in Columbia University in 1981.
In 1979, Lindner founded The Fantastic Animation Machine, Inc., the oldest and one of the largest computer animation facilities in the world. Along with this, he established VidiPax, Inc. in 1991 which provided services in videotape restoration, and Software Output Services, the first Desktop Publishing service bureau in New York. As the recipient of the Film Preservation Award, Anthology Film Archives in 1995, he broke ground by becoming its first awardee in the field of magnetic media restoration. He has also been recognized by prestigious award-giving bodies such as the Cannes Film Festival, the International Teleproduction Society, and the International Film and Television Festival of New York.
Lindner is an active member of SEAPAVAA (former Board Member), the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, American Association of Museums, among others. He is also the founder and current Board member of the National Association for the Preservation of Television and Video.
Lindner is currently a Managing Member of Media Matters, LLC a consulting and management firm for Archival and Media Management.
HISASHI OKAJIMA
SEAPAVAA Fellow, 2010
Hisashi Okajima’s stewardship in the National Film Center of Tokyo, a world-leading film archive, is an exemplary proof of the outstanding work he has done for film preservation and the promotion of film heritage in Asia. Through his leadership in the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF), archives in Asia have been given prominence. The Forum of Asian Film Archives, an informal group that he helps to organize, gives further proof of Okajima’s visionary work in providing a venue where archivists in Asia can grow and learn from one another.
“I am much honored to be appointed as a SEAPAVAA Fellow. I am also humbled by it, considering my very tiny contribution to the archiving efforts in the region. Asia- Pacific audiovisual heritage is hot. Let’s keep it cool and dry!”
Hisashi Okajima has been a staff member of the National Film Center (NFC), the film department of the National Museum of Modern Art of Tokyo, since he graduated with a degree in film studies at the Nihon Universit College of Arts in 1979. In April 2005, after his twenty-six year involvement in all kinds of NFC.s undertakings, he was appointed as Chief Curator of the only national film institution in Japan in April 2005. He has been appointed as an advisory committee member for important projects relating to Japan.s moving image culture, of several domestic film festivals, and of the municipal film cultural institutions in Fukuoka and Hiroshima. Okajima is also a member of the board of directors of the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences and of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute.
Okajima has been active in various operations of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) and is particularly proud of his contributions in (1) organizing the 63rd FIAF Congress in Tokyo, (2) drafting the FIAF 70th Anniversary Manifesto which features the slogan “Don’t Throw Film Away,” (3) assisting the editorial work of the Journal of Film Preservation, and (4) working as the interlocutor to FAFA (Forum of Asian Film Archives), a FIAF.s regional group of Asian film archives established in 2004.
Last May 2009, he was elected as the 12th President of the FIAF at its 65th Congress in Buenos Aires.
MISBACH YUSABIRAN
SEAPAVAA Lifetime Achievement Awardee, 1997
SEAPAVAA Fellow, 2010
Misbach Yusabiran’s work as a pioneering film archivist, founder and former director of Sinematek Indonesia is groundbreaking and inspiring. For more than three decades, he stood for the cause of film preservation as he worked tirelessly, with limited resources, to establish Indonesia’s first film archive.
“It’s ironic that I am accepting this recognition from SEAPAVAA at a time when Sinematek is at its ‘sunset,’ so to speak. Nonetheless, I am excited because I believe that with SEAPAVAA’s outstretch hands, my government will finally be open to dialogue! I am amazed at this organization’s rapid development. More power to you!”
Misbach Yusabiran is a director, script writer, journalist, and author. After entering the film world in 1954, he became the assistant director (from 1955-1956) to Mr. Usmar Ismail, a reformer of the Indonesian film idealism. In 1967, he was selected as the Best Director for the film Dibalik Tjahaya Gemerlapan (“Behind the Glittering Lights”), and he received the Best Screenplay award for the movie Menyusuri Jejak Berdarah (“Bloody Tracks Down”).
Yusabiran was given the opportunity by the Dutch Government to create a study orientation at the Nederlandsch Film Museum, Amsterdam in 1973. In 1974, then Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin finally agreed to his idea to start a film center and film archive; the Film Center Building and Sinematek Indonesia was inaugurated on October 20, 1975. He also chaired the organization’s Indonesian Film Makers, a foundation that provides free education to Indonesian Film Makers.
Yusabiran resigned in 2001 after devoting himself to his work for thirty years. Despite not being a part of Sinematek today, he passionately mourns the gradual decay of his beloved Sinematek. Nowadays, Yusabiran keeps himself busy by writing screenplays, his memoir, and the “Indonesian Film History 1900-1950” and for the period of 1950-1957 (research is ongoing). He is set to re-publish two collections of his short stories, Keajaiban di Pasar Senen (“Miricle in Pasar Senen”) and Oh, Film. (SEAPAVAA/PIA)