The Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) will focus on New Orleans at its annual conference, which rolls into town later this month. Through panel discussions and screenings, AMIA’s work helps those who have moving image collections of cultural or historical value but limited access to resources for their care.

Taking place Nov. 30 – Dec. 2 (preceded by two days of workshops Nov. 27 and 28), the conference will include a Community Archiving Fair and Hack Day, screenings, and a guided tour of historic NOLA moving images. Highlight’s of this year’s conference include:

Friends of Helen Hill: Celebrate the legacy of Helen Hill, an American animation filmmaker and social activist who lived in New Orleans, through screenings of her work and the work of other NOLA film and media makers. Sample delicious New Orleans fare and explore the legendary Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center. (Saturday, December 2, 7 p.m., Zeitgeist Multidisciplinary Arts Center).
Recipes for Disaster: A discussion of post-Katrina efforts and challenges, this session is designed to get everyone talking. Local archivists, collectors, programmers, scholars and friends will be in attendance to offer fist-hand anecdotes and experiences and may screen brief segments of relevant materials. Special attention will be given to efforts made to preserve and make accessible Helen Hill’s work. (Saturday, Dec. 2, 2 – 3 p.m., Intercontinental New Orleans).
New Orleans Case for Moving Image-Written History in the Classroom Image: This session will present works from the New Orleans-specific body of moving history (1959- 2007) curated for curricula development for high-school and college teachers. It will look at three topics: the November 1960 desegregation of William Franz school, including The Children Were Watching by Robert Drew/Richard Leacock; the theft of Charity Hospital after Hurricane Katrina; and two musical geniuses, Henry Roeland Byrd (“Professor Longhair”) and composer Roger Dickerson. Works are provided courtesy of Robert Drew Associates; UGA Special Libraries, Brown Media Archive/Peabody Awards Collection; Harvard Film Archive; BBC Motion Gallery; MIRC; and Video Veracity, Inc. (Friday, Dec. 1, 8:35 p.m., InterContinental New Orleans, free and open to the public).

Conference registration is required for all other events except for those marked open to the public, with one-day passes available for $150.

For more information, including the preliminary schedule, visit the AMIA Conference’s official website.