The Pacific Film Archive was conceived as an American version of the Cinémathèque Française in Paris—a center committed not only to exhibiting films under the best possible conditions, but also to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and preservation of cinema through its study center, collections, and publications. PFA began showing films on the UC Berkeley campus in 1966 and continued its screening programs in the new building when the museum opened in 1970. Today, PFA is one of the nation's most important film centers.
First established with an eye toward the Pacific Rim, the archive's film and video collection now includes the largest group of Japanese films outside of Japan, as well as impressive holdings of Soviet silents, West Coast avant-garde cinema, seminal video art, rare animation, Eastern European and Central Asian productions, and international classics. American experimental pioneers.
A place to explore cinema from every film-producing country in the world, the Pacific Film Archive reaches out through the art of cinema to the many cultures that make up the lively Bay Area community. With daily screenings—over 600 different programs are offered each year—PFA presents rare and rediscovered prints of movie classics, new and historic works by the world's great film directors, restored silent films with live musical accompaniment, thematic retrospectives, and exciting experiments by today's film and video artists, including provocative, independently made fiction and documentary works. PFA is an inspiring cultural environment for students and the general public; screenings are often enlivened by in-person appearances by filmmakers, authors, critics, and scholars, who engage in discussion with audiences.
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