The Editor's Reflections and Reports

Special Editor's Introduction | Editor's Corner Peter C. Rollins Editor-in-Chief The Editor's Reflections and Reports We of Film & History have been busy since the last issue of the journal and here are some of the highlights of the past months: PCA/ACA National Meeting in Orlando, Florida (Spring, 1998) Robert Fyne is Film & History's Book Review Editor, but he has been much, much more as was demonstrated during the Orlando national meeting of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association, 8-11 April, 1998. Dr. Fyne served as the Area Chair for "Film & History" and brought to the meeting some eight (8) panels on the following topics: The West in the American Imagination Fantasy and Desire: Entertainment or Distortion? Minorities in Motion Pictures Problems of Identity Ideology and Values: History and Perceptions Problems of Food, Photos, and Money Law, Admiration, and lmpecuniosity Westerns, Segregation, and War In addition, we conducted a now-annual film workshop. We focused on a B-film from 1943: Gangway to Tomorrow. After this 1943 film was shown, Peter Rollins made some preliminary comments followed by discussion from the floor. As usual, the discussion was stimulating and lively. Since we had Dr. Fyne in the room—the author of a wonderful book on Fyne World War II B-movies entitled The Hollywood Propaganda of World War II (Scarecrow, 1994)—we were in good hands throughout the session. Dr. Robert Fyne is to be thanked for successfully linking us during our first year in official association with PCA/ACA. He really jump-started this Area and seems to have even more panels for the 1999 meeting in San Diego. (See report on San Diego meeting, elsewhere in this issue.) By the time you receive this issue of Film & History, the panels will have been formed; however, Dr. Fyne may have some slots to be filled, so feel free to contact him about the San Diego meeting—although you should do so instanter. Our thanks go out to Robert Fyne for his many efforts and successes! (RJFYNE@aol.com) UFVA Meeting in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Summer, 1998) The University Film and Video Association (UFVA) has been in existence for many years and was the pioneer in screen education and filmmaking after World War II—in which many of the founders served as combat cameramen and public affairs officers. The UFVA meets during the summer and promotes a family atmosphere among its members—an effort which gives the meetings a special ambience. This year, Sam Grogg, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the North Carolina School of the Arts (WinstonSalem , NC) had a chance to show off his wonderful, stillgrowing facility. Film & History organized a display table at the conference and we had a chance to Vol. 28.3-4(1998) | 1 Rollins I The Editor's Reflections and Reports attend sessions and to participate in a panel with the Editors of The UFVAJournal; The Literature/Film Quarterly, and TheJournal ofPopular Film and Television. Each Editor had a chance to describe the journal, to give some background on the founding and intentions of the publication, and to invite manuscripts. This session for the Editors was very well received by the some forty people in attendance; a number of graduate students indicated that they profited from the opportunity to put a face with a name. Our presence at the display table made us a number offriends and exposed us a lot about what is happening in screen education around the country. Dean Grogg, and JJ Jackman of the North Carolina School of the Arts deserve high praise for their work as hosts. Their film conservatory—which teaches students to be filmmakers, not scholars—seems to be gaining momentum. The unusually low cost of the program makes it attractive to out-of-state students. As someone who has lectured to the students at NCSA, I can tell you that the competition is strong and that students are extremely attentive and take lots of notes. In addition, they come up after lectures and ask many follow -up questions. This kind of professionalism is good for the curriculum and is good training for the...