More than 400 people affiliated with the film and video industry will gather at SUNY Fredonia the last week of July for the 76th annual conference of the University of Film and Video Association.
The four-day event, which Department of Communication Associate Professor Roslin Smith describes as massive, will feature screenings, exhibitions, workshops, paper presentations, panel discussions and new media installations, as well as a new conference category, livestreaming. The focus of UFVA conferences is innovative filmmaking, scholarship, scriptwriting, new media and pedagogy across all areas of professional achievement.
“Reconnecting Community” is the theme of the conference, to be held Tuesday through Friday, July 26 through 29. The conference adopted a virtual format in 2020 and 2021.
“It will be wonderful to meet old friends and acquaintances and find new ones this summer. The conference, and UFVA, is about camaraderie, fun, laughter, scholarship, creativity and supporting each other in our endeavors,” said Ms. Smith, who is conference chair and secretary of the UFVA board of directors.
Events will be held in the Williams Center, McEwen Hall, the Science Center and the Thompson Hall television studio. Attendees may stay in residence halls.
SUNY Fredonia’s Department of Communication and its students will provide valuable support for the conference.
Conference organizers are also seeking volunteers to serve as ambassadors to help attendees locate event sites and provide general information. For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact Ms. Smith via email.
The UFVA, founded in 1947, is dedicated to advancing study and teaching of the cinematic arts in higher education. Its membership represents over 300 institutions of higher education around the world.
Attendees are UFVA members, drawn mostly throughout the United States, who are scholars, faculty, graduate students and professionals working in film and video in roles that include artists, researchers and writers. CILECT (International Association of Film and Television Schools), a small international cohort of UFVA members founded in France, is also expected to attend this conference. Canon, Arri Lighting and B&H Photo Video Pro Audio will be among vendors at the conference.
“This is showing the friendly face of Fredonia to university and industry attendees from all across America and the globe. A fabulous opportunity to advertise our campus and tiny town to the world,” Smith added.
