DAY TEN November 12, 2005

by Rochelle L. Levy

Recently, the AFI Catalog completed entries on the 1950s, giving academics and enthusiasts access to the most authenticated and comprehensive information for films as diverse as THE AFRICAN QUEEN, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, BEN-HUR, GUYS AND DOLLS, HIGH NOON, LADY AND THE TRAMP, ON THE WATERFRONT, PSYCHO, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, ROMAN HOLIDAY and SOME LIKE IT HOT, as well as the other 3,289 entries on the films of this decade. Now the AFI Catalog is moving on to document all feature films of the 1970s.

Iconic for its spirit--and politics--the 1970s are also known as a decade that saw the emergence of a new voice in American filmmaking. With the studio system in a momentary decline, a number of young and experimental filmmakers--such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Terrence Malick, Peter Bogdanovich and Robert Altman--had the opportunity to rise to prominence with risk-taking work. AFI will also include in-depth information on little known films of the 1970s, including documentaries, which are overlooked by most sources. While past volumes of the Catalog have been published as reference books weighing-in at around 20 pounds each, AFI worked with KPMG Consulting (now BearingPoint) to develop the project into a Web-based database to make this unique preservation effort more accessible--and affordable--to film aficionados, students and fans around the world. Beginning in 2006, entries for the films of the 1970s will be placed online as each year is completed.

The AFI Catalog, led by Executive Editor and Project Director Patricia King Hanson, is celebrated for the accuracy, comprehensiveness and depth of its data including subject indexes, citations for reviews, news items and underlying literary sources.

AFI members can access the AFI Catalog of Feature Films at AFI.com.

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