| The American International Film Festival was founded
in 1930 by the Amateur Cinema League who organized the Festival until 1954
when it was taken over by the Motion Picture Division of the Photographic
Society of America.
In 1990 the PSA decided to give up the organization of the Festival so the
America Motion Picture Society, AMPS, was founded by George W. Cushman
(1909 - 1996) to keep the Festival alive. He set up a board of three directors
with a President and secretary/treasurer to organize the Festival and this
continues to this day, open to membership for all movie makers and viewers
world wide.
In 1998 "video" was added to its title. |
Entries in the Festival are welcomed from both members and non-members.
The panel of judges is drawn from the ranks of both professional and amateur
movie makers and is changed every three years.
Originally conceived as a showcase for amateur films AMPS restructured
the festival and opened it to all non-commercial films regardless of the
status of the film makers.
In 2009 following the closure of AMMA (Amateur Movie Makers Association)
AMPS established NAMMA - The North American Movie Makers Awards with entry
restricted to amateur film makers in the USA and Canada. |
