News

The Motion Picture Academy has reached out to its members to assure them that AMPAS is still committed to its work in collection and film preservation, even amid the recent layoffs that impacted its library and archival staff.

Late last month, AMPAS let go of 16 staffers, including 14 from the Academy Film Archive and Margaret Herrick Library. Among those let go was Mike Pogorzelski, the head of the film archive. The restructuring sparked some outcry, including a petition from a film preservation group called Missing Movies demanding the staffers be re-hired, as well as the cancellation of an event for Home Movie Day that was meant to take place at the Academy Museum later this month.

Academy CEO Bill Kramer however in a note to members, and obtained by IndieWire, said regarding the changes to the collections and preservation teams at the archive, museum, and library, “please know that we are...

It’s easy to feel stuck in your life, especially if you’re a gorilla named Sylvio living amongst humans. That’s not just some random, stray thought, it’s the plot of the aptly named comedy “Sylvio,” directed by Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley, which will have its world premiere at this month’s SXSW.

Read More: SXSW: Midnighters, Short Films and Vr Round Out 2017 Lineup

Set in a small town, the film follows the eponymous Sylvio (again, a gorilla amongst humans), who is unhappy at his job at a debt collection agency and would much rather express himself via hand puppet and an experimental puppet show that highlights the quiet moments of life. When he accidentally joins a local TV program and a series of on-air mishaps threaten to shatter his identity, he’s sent on a journey of self-discovery where reality and fantasy start to blend. Relatable.