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Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) Launches New Fundraising Campaign

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To Preserve 35mm Film Prints From The Something Weird Collection, Starting With The Zodiac Killer

September 28, 2015 // Franchising.com // Austin, TX - The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) announces a new initiative to help preserve and redistribute titles from the Something Weird collection. The non-profit archive - which counts among its board members and advisors filmmakers Nicolas Winding Refn and Paul Thomas Anderson, and Alamo Drafthouse founders Tim and Karrie League - has launched a fundraising campaign via Kickstarter that will enable AGFA to purchase a 4K film scanner. The scanner will be used to create new high definition masters from original film elements in the Something Weird collection, as well as one-of-a-kind rarities in the AGFA archive.

Mike Vraney founded Something Weird Video in 1990. Sadly, he passed away in 2014 after a long, heroic battle with lung cancer. Vraney dedicated his life to unearthing and preserving unknown exploitation and horror movies that altered genre film history. Now AGFA has started working with Something Weird's Lisa Petrucci, Mike Vraney's widow and partner, to redistribute titles from the massive 35mm film collection.

"Something Weird is thrilled to be working with AGFA," says Lisa Petrucci. "And I truly believe that Mike Vraney would be pleased with this collaboration, knowing that the lost films he rescued from the scrap heap will be forever preserved and shown theatrically to new audiences."

The first film that AGFA will preserve is The Zodiac Killer (1971). Shot in San Francisco, the movie was made in hopes of capturing the real-life Zodiac Killer. The plan didn't work. Instead, the most outrageous and compelling "tabloid horror" vortex in the history of planet Earth was unleashed.

"The Zodiac Killer is an ultra-bizarro time capsule and a crown jewel in the Something Weird treasure chest that must be seen at all costs," says AGFA advisor Joe Ziemba. "It is a dream come true to be part of the team that is helping Something Weird preserve movies that I've spent my whole life exploring."

AGFA wants to raise $30,000 by October 28 to fund this digital preservation and distribution project. Donation levels start at just $5 and go up to a $10,000. Each donation of $15 or more comes with its own unique perk, starting with tickets to see The Zodiac Killer when the new digital transfer screens at Alamo Drafthouse. Depending on the donation level, additional perks range from photocopies of unseen Something Weird promotional materials to the adopting a 35mm film print in the AGFA archive, from the chance to program an Alamo screening to a life-time ticket for Terror Tuesday and Weird Wednesday at the Alamo.

Formed in 2009, AGFA focuses on outlaw exploitation movies that were produced from the 1960s through the 1990s - everything from manic hicksploitation epics to bloodthirsty shoestring goreblasts. AGFA has saved 35mm film prints from landfills, incinerators, and from being literally tossed into the ocean. It is a sanctuary for endangered movies.

Access is a crucial part of AGFA's preservation mission. Every year, the archive loans hundreds of prints to arthouse institutions, film societies, festivals, universities, and distribution companies for home video release. Every act of heroism that goes into the maintenance of the collection is done by people who believe in AGFA and the future of exploitation film preservation. All of the work at AGFA happens on a shoestring - or no-shoestring - budget. The mission to complete 4K digital transfers of rare movies in the Something Weird library, which can then be easily duplicated and loaned for theatrical use, helps ensure that these nearly-extinct titles can be shared with the largest audience possible and, in effect, truly come alive. For full details, visit: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/agfa/agfa-and-something-weird

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About American Genre Film Archive (AGFA)

The American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) was formed in 2009 by an international band of movie enthusiasts. It is the largest archive of its kind in the world, mainly focusing on the exploitation era of independent cinema - the 1960s through the 1980s. With over 6,000 35mm prints, the archive reflects the rebel spirit of the movies themselves. AGFA exists to raise awareness of the importance of genre cinema through collection, conservation, and distribution. For more about AGFA, visit www.americangenrefilm.com

About Alamo Drafthouse

Tim and Karrie League founded Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in 1997 as a single-screen mom and pop repertory theater in Austin. 17 years later, the now 20-location chain has been named "the best theater in America" by Entertainment Weekly and "the best theater in the world" by Wired. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover's oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high-profile, star studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse Founder & CEO, Tim League, created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival dubbed "The Geek Telluride" by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of genre cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. The Alamo Drafthouse's collectible art gallery, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding its brand in new and exciting ways, including Drafthouse Films which has garnered two Academy Award nominations in its short three-year existence and Birth.Movies.Death., an entertainment news blog curated by veteran journalist Devin Faraci.

SOURCE Alamo Drafthouse

Media Contacts: 

Brandy Fons
For AGFA
O: (310) 809-8882
E:brandy@fonspr.com

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