Symposium on Film, 

Television, Digital 

Media, and Popular Culture 

May 23-24, 2006, Los Angeles, CA

Summary 

Report 

 

 President’s Committee 

 on the Arts & Humanities
Symposium Participants 

Moderator 

Adair Margo, Chairman, President’s Committee on 

the Arts and the Humanities 

 

Panelists and Presenters 

Bruce Cole, Chairman, National Endowment for 

the Humanities and Member, President’s 

Committee 

Lionel Chetwynd, Writer/Director and Emmy Award 

winner (Hanoi Hilton; Ike: Countdown to D Day; 

Miracle on Ice) and Member, President’s 

Committee 

Elizabeth Daley, Dean, University of Southern 

California School of Cinema-Television 

Nicholas DeMartino, Senior Vice President, 

American Film Institute 

Suzanne de Passe, Executive/Writer/ Producer and 

Emmy and Peabody Award winner (Motown, Lady 

Sings the Blues, Lonesome Dove) 

Jean Picker Firstenberg, Director & CEO, American 

Film Institute 

Christian Gaines, Director of Festivals, American 

Film Institute 

Andy Garcia, Director/Actor (The Lost City, 

Godfather Part III, Untouchables) 

Dana Gioia, Chairman, National Endowment for 

the Arts (NEA) and Member, President’s Committee 

Karen Herman, Director Production & Research, 

Television Academy Archive 

Frank Hodsoll, Chairman, National Endowment for 

the Arts (Reagan Administration) 

Bill Ivey, Chairman, National Endowment for the 

Arts (Clinton Administration) 

David Jensen, Television Academy Board of 

Governors (2-time Emmy Winner) 

Marsha Kinder, Professor and Associate Vice 

Provost, University of Southern California 

Steven Lavine, President, California Institute of the 

Arts 

Janet Murray, Professor, Georgia Institute of 

Technology 

Louise Oliver, Ambassador and U.S. Representative 

to UNESCO 

Anthony Radich, Executive Director, Western States 

Arts Federation (WESTAF) 

Michael Renov, Associate Dean and Chief 

Academic Officer, USC School of CinemaTelevision 

Phil Roman, Member, President’s Committee and 

multiple Emmy Award winner (Garfield, Charlie 

Brown Specials, The Simpsons) and Member, 

President’s Committee 

Alina Romanowski, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. 

Department of State 

Michael Rosen, Executive Producer, Television 

Academy Archive 

Gary Sinise, Actor/Director (CSI: New York; Forest 

Gump; Truman; Co-founder Steppenwolf Theatre) 

Penelope Spheeris, Filmographer/ Director 

(Crooked E: Truth about Enron; Decline of Western 

Civilization, Parts One and Two; Wayne’s World) 

Joel Surnow, Writer/Producer/Director and Emmy 

Award winner (24, Miami Vice) 

Symposium Participants 

Debbie Allen, actor, dancer, choreographer, 

director, producer, author, and President’s 

Committee Member 

Jan Naylor Cope, President of the J. Naylor Cope 

Company and President’s Committee Member 

Elizabeth Dubin, Director of the Dubin Companies 

and President of Pasadena Utility Corporations and 

President’s Committee Member 

James Farmer, President, of James E. Farmer 

Consulting, Inc., and President’s Committee 

Member 

Alice Carrington Foultz, owner of Carrington 

Gallery, Ltd., and President’s Committee Member 
Frank Fowler, artist representative, and President’s 

Committee Member 

Laurie Firestone, Director of Development of the 

Office of Regional Programs, University of Southern 

California and President’s Committee Member 

Roxanne Gilmore, Professor of Classics RandolphMacon College, and President’s Committee 

Member 

John Mason is founder and President of the Law 

Offices of John E. Mason, and President’s 

Committee Member 

Burt McMurtry, Venture Capitalist, and President’s 

Committee Member 

Raymond Nasher, Chairman, Nasher Company, 

and President’s Committee Vice Chairman 

Marc Pachter, Director of the National Portrait 

Gallery and President’s Committee Member 

Caren Prothro, Arts Patron and President’s 

Committee Member 

Mercedes Paz-Slimp, President of SP Associates and 

President’s Committee Member 

Anne-Imelda Radice, Director, Institute of Museum 

and Library Services, and President’s Committee 

Member 

Marjorie Reese, Executive Director, Department of 

Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles 

Margaret Robson, Regent Museums and 

Monuments of New Mexico and President’s 

Committee Member 

William Strickland, Jr., President and CEO of 

Manchester Bidwell Corporation and President’s 

Committee Member 

Laurel Whitcomb, Vice President Marketing, 

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences 

 

Participating PCAH Staff 

Candace Katz, Deputy Director 

Henry Moran, Executive Director
 

 
Foreword 

Under the leadership of its Honorary Chairman, Mrs. Laura Bush, the President’s Committee on the 

Arts and the Humanities plants seeds and nurtures new relationships through its work in advancing 

the arts and humanities. Over the last few years, it has been my pleasure as Chairman to hold our 

meetings in several different parts of the United States, drawing on the wisdom, expertise and 

knowledge of our committee members. The symposium grew out of several of our members’ 

interest—Debbie Allen, Lionel Chetwynd, Laurie Firestone, Mercedes Paz-Slimp, and Phil Roman—

to honor the contributions of film and popular culture to our nation. Each of them lives and works 

in the greater Los Angeles area and many of them actively contribute their talents to this creative and 

vibrant industry. Films, television, and other popular media have an enormous impact on our own 

culture and offer millions of people around the world a glimpse of America. 

With the help of these members, the President’s Committee brought together leading artists, 

producers and humanists to help us understand the forces that shape popular culture and explore 

options for future international programming and collaboration. No other media come as close as 

film in helping share universal stories across cultures and nations. Even the most accomplished 

artists face challenges in developing new films or works for television, but at the same time, exciting 

new opportunities are coming online. I never thought I’d be able get such a close look at the creative 

process that resulted in some of our film classics, but new digital tools are making it possible. 

Technology is also opening up new channels of distribution to reach untapped audiences. These 

and many more ideas and issues emerged from our rich discussions over the two-day symposium. 

The PCAH congratulates our Symposium host, the University of Southern California (USC) School 

of Cinema-Television, and our meeting partners, the American Film Institute (AFI), the City of Los 

Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Western States Arts Federation for an extraordinary 

experience where many friendships were born, connections made, and cultural exchanges and 

initiatives begun. Of course, we rely on our cultural agency partners—the National Endowment for 

the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Institute of Museum 

and Library Services (IMLS)—to help us realize these possibilities. 

I’m reminded of a comment by Michael Renov, Chief Academic Officer of the USC School of 

Cinema-Television, who said at the symposium, “We think we are the hub of the entertainment and 

filmmaking world, but in fact cinema has always been an international medium and an international 

language.” This is a very important lesson for us to take away from the Symposium. Mrs. Bush took 

this idea to heart when she launched the Administration’s Global Cultural Initiative under which one 

of the symposium’s seeds bore fruit in a collaboration to foster international cultural understanding 

through film. AFI Project: 20/20 brings together many of our Symposium partners—AFI, NEA, 

NEH, IMLS and the U.S. Department of State—through the PCAH to support this international 

cultural exchange effort. We are pleased to share more of the Symposium’s findings in this brief 

report. 

 --Adair Wakefield Margo, Chairman, President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities
“Los Angeles artists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders through film, television, and digital media affect 

cultural perceptions and realities everywhere. We seek to honor the achievements of the world’s most 

dynamic creative sector and recognize the challenges they face here and abroad. The Symposium will nurture 

new collaborations and connections that will stimulate future international cultural exchanges and 

initiatives.” 

Adair Wakefield Margo, Chairman, 

President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities 
Bringing Together the Los Angeles Creative Community 

“Our California committee members—Debbie Allen, Lionel Chetwynd, Burt 

McMurtry, Phil Roman, Laurie Firestone, and Mercedes Paz-Slimp—suggested that 

the committee meet in Los Angeles to connect with perhaps the most powerful aspect of 

the American personality--its popular culture....As I think we’ll see in this 

Symposium, film, television, digital media, and popular culture can help bring us 

together--here in this country and around the world.” 

--Adair Margo, Chairman, 

President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities

PCAH Executive Director Henry Moran (left) and 

Chairman Adair Margo open the Symposium. 

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the 

Humanities (PCAH), a non-partisan advisory 

council that has worked with each administration 

since 1982 to incorporate the arts and the 

humanities into White House objectives, hosted a 

Symposium on Film, Television, Digital Media, and 

Popular Culture in Los Angeles, California, May 23-

24, 2006. It did so in collaboration with the 

American Film Institute (AFI), the Academy of 

Television Arts and Sciences, the City of Los 

Angeles Department of Cultural Affair, and the 

Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF). The 

Symposium was hosted by the University of 

Southern California (USC) School of CinemaTelevision. 

The Symposium was part of the President’s 

Committee’s multi-pronged effort on behalf of the 

arts and the humanities. The PCAH’s activities 

include development of international projects 

aimed at increased understanding; youth learning, 

including the Coming Up Taller program, which 

recognizes leading after- school and out of school 

programs; and preservation/conservation, 

including coordination of the Save America’s 

Treasures a national grant program that helps 

conserve our country’s irreplaceable heritage. 

Other President Committee national activities and 

events include White House commemoration of 

the 40th anniversary of the founding of the 

National Endowments for the Arts and the 

Humanities; the conferral of National Medals of 

Arts and Humanities; and the annual Jefferson 

Lecture in the Humanities. The PCAH’s programs 

and activities are often organized in concert with 

the its three cultural agency partners – the National 

Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National 

Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the 

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). 

The Symposium, in conjunction with the 

President’s Committee’s semi-annual meeting, and 

drawing on the knowledge and associations of the 

PCAH’s Los Angeles members, had four main 

goals: 

• to honor Hollywood’s creative community, 

which has contributed so many universal 

stories and images to the world; 

• to explore the creation and dissemination 

of film, television, digital media, and 

popular culture in light of the rapid 

technological changes; 

• to address the appropriate role of 

government in culture; and 

• to explore ways to enlist these media to 

increase international understanding and 

seek out common themes and values that 

unite us around the world. 

1 
Honoring Hollywood’s Creative Community 

To honor the creative achievements of 

Hollywood’s hub of artists and business people, the 

Symposium presented clips from some of the 

greatest films and television series of all time (from 

AFI’s March of Time and the Television Academy’s 

Archives) and trailers from current films recognized 

with 2006 Academy Awards and Nominations. 

Elizabeth Daley, Dean, University of Southern 

California (USC) School of Film and Television, 

and Jean Picker Firstenberg, Director and CEO 

of the American Film Institute, spoke of 

Hollywood’s great contributions in America and 

around the world and the importance of its many 

stories, as matters of both art and history. 

The Symposium presented a retrospective of 

President’s Committee member Phil Roman’s

work in animation over five decades. The PCAH 

honored Roman for his contributions nationally 

and internationally, which have earned him six 

Emmy Awards, and for having helped create such 

beloved universal characters as Garfield, Charlie 

Brown, and the Simpsons. 

“Because we are a nation of immigrants, people from all over the 

world contribute to story telling that combines things. So, when you 

play it for an American audience, you’re playing it for a world 

audience.” 

 

--Phil Roman (above), PCAH Member 

and multiple Emmy Award winner 

Jean Picker Firstenberg (above), Director and CEO, AFI 

pointed out that American films tell stories--stories about human 

beings that reach us emotionally, singling out “To Kill a 

Mockingbird” as storytelling most embedded in the consciousness 

of Americans. 

The Symposium also honored actor Gary Sinise, not 

only for the significant roles he created for film and 

television, but also for using his stature and 

accomplishment to contribute to the lives of 

American troops and veterans through the U.S.O. and 

veterans’ organizations, and through his creation, with 

Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand, of Operation Iraqi 

Children. Sinise started a website, Operation Iraqi 

Children.org, a little over two years ago. It is part of 

the America Supports You project:. 

Sinise has made more than 19 trips over the last 

three years to visit troops in the U.S., Iraq, and 

Afghanistan. He takes his band out, and they play 

for the troops. He said he had just gotten back 

from Afghanistan, and was going on a domestic 

USO trip to five or six bases the following week. 

2 
“That is one of the most moving things I've ever done – to just go out there and pat these 

folks on the back and let them know that we have not forgotten them, that we care about 

them and appreciate the sacrifices that they and their families make so that we can do 

what we do here.” 

 

 --Gary Sinise, Actor & Director

Preserving the past 

Michael Rosen, Executive Producer, and Karen 

Herman, Director Production & Research, of the 

Television Academy Archive described how the 

archive’s taped interviews which will preserve for 

future generations the stories, visions, and insights 

of the men and women who shaped and continue 

to shape television. These will provide an 

important key to understanding the political, 

social, economic, and cultural history of the 

United States. Bruce Cole, Chairman, National 

Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), spoke of 

the agency’s support for film preservation, and 

introduced Professor Janet Murray’s critical 

digital edition of the classic film Casablanca which 

the NEH had supported. Dana Gioia, Chairman, 

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), 

suggested that from the popular culture of today 

and yesterday will emerge the great classics of 

tomorrow. 

Just as digital media have revolutionized the 

professional tools used to create movies, 

television and popular culture, they have also 

revolutionized how we can preserve the past. 

“The power of cinema, the television in our living rooms, and the 

media at the center of our desk tops is undeniable. So much of 

the way we see ourselves, the world around us, our past and our 

future, is defined by what we see on the screen.” 

 --Bruce Cole, Chairman 

 National Endowment for the Humanities 

3 2 
In this on-demand world, the Casablanca project 

is creating a new medium for people to 

experience and appreciate the film. Using digital 

tools, the project is segmenting the film shot by 

shot and weaving in commentaries and 

documents associated with the making of the film. 

Casablanca (1942) 

Warner Brothers 

“The question we're trying to answer in the Casablanca Project 

is: how can you access the film legacy with the same precision 

that you access a body of literature in print?” 

--Janet Murray, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology 

Understanding the Present 

“The marketplace is the best judge of what should be in the 

popular culture. If you play around with that, you move into 

areas populated by people with names like Goebels, Lenin, and 

Stalin. If you don't like our popular culture, concentrate on our 

schools and universities, examine our society, but don't try to 

limit our popular culture.” 

 

 --Lionel Chetwynd, PCAH Member, 

 Writer/Director; Emmy Award Winner 

A panel of distinguished Hollywood writers, 

directors, and producers—President’s Committee 

member Lionel Chetwynd; producer/director 

Suzanne de Passe; director, Penelope Spheeris; 

and writer/producer Joel Surnow—outlined the 

challenges and opportunities facing Hollywood’s 

creative community. All of the panelists noted the 

frequent tension and conflict between what they 

considered to be important, high-quality projects 

4 
and what the business thought would be 

commercially attractive. Some panelists lamented 

this; others thought that the discipline of reaching 

broad audiences demanded both excellence and 

perseverance. One panelist suggested a bias in the 

business against African-Americans as managers. 

Another suggested a bias against women, and 

another a bias against certain political viewpoints. 

 De Passe recalled that, when she was doing 

Lonesome Dove, people looked at her “as if she had 

just landed from Pluto.” They wanted to know 

what a black woman from Harlem was doing with 

an epic western. 

 

Director/Filmographer Penelope Spheeris said 

that, when she started out, she had had no idea she 

could become a film director. She had been raised, 

very poor, in a trailer park. She had started out 

doing very well with music videos, but her 

documentary, The Decline of Western Civilization, 

became the most written about film in 1980. It 

continues to play in museums and schools all over 

the world. Spheeris said she wouldn’t have ended 

up where she was, however, if it had not been for 

that “darn movie Wayne's 

World.” Wayne’s World had 

catapulted her into being 

viewed as a legitimate 

filmmaker with something to 

say. 

“All the way up to the Steven Spielberg level, there's frustration. 

But tough. You suck it up and keep moving forward. We 

don't feel sorry for people like you and me because we're 

working. And, at the end of the day, it is the joy of what we 

do. The way the end product’s received is up to the gods. But 

the fact that you go to work every day and people are paying you 

to do the job is remarkable and that’s what I like best about the 

business and about America.” 

--Joel Surnow, Writer/Producer/Director and Emmy Award 

Winner for the very popular TV series 24, which 

 he co-created and also produces with Robert Cochran. 

 

Lonesome Dove 

(1989)produced by 

Suzanne de Passe 

“Trying to generalize and find rules of order and significance in a 

creative business is like trying to put a tutu on a bull. We have 

people who believe that the true currency of our business is ideas and 

the people who have them, and other people who think the true 

currency of our business is dollars. One must focus on the value of 

creativity, and protect it at all costs, die for it, if necessary, in a 

business way. You know: no guts, no glory. Even the worst movie 

on television show is a miracle. It's a miracle because that's how 

hard it is to get anything made.” 

 --Suzanne de Passe, Executive/Writer/Producer 

 and Emmy and Peabody Award Winner 

 

5 
 

There was, however, agreement that everyone on 

the panel had been successful, despite perceived 

bias, in a very tough environment, but that past 

success was no guarantee of future work of choice. 

This message was reinforced by special guest 

actor/director Andy Garcia, who screened a clip 

from his recent release The Lost City, which 

chronicles the Cuban revolution, and which took 

16 years to finance and produce. The Lost City (2006)

“Distributors underestimate audiences. They make movies for a 

lot of money, and spend a lot of money marketing them. In 

reality, people have no interest in seeing those movies. The greatest 

frustration, as an actor or filmmaker, is to see the things they do, 

as opposed to the things they don't do. We need to continue to 

fight to make the movies we care about.” 

--Andy Garcia, Director/Actor. His most 

recent film is The Lost City. 

Looking to the Future 

Two presentations focused on the continuing and 

accelerating pace of technological innovation. 

Nicholas DeMartino Senior Vice President of AFI 

outlined the evolution from mass media, where 

audience members accepted or rejected a limited 

range of choices, to the on-demand digital world of 

the Internet with endless choices and interactivity. 

David Jenson of the Television Academy

similarly reflected on the demise of the television 

model of the last 50 years and its replacement by the 

disintermediation of stations, affiliations, and 

networks as consumers establish “me channels and 

networks.” Jenson said TV was facing a Category V 

storm that would require content re-engineering, 

interface branding, and cross-platform distribution 

and strategies. 

“Audiences want what they want when they want it. Kids are 

multi-tasking – watching TV, listening to iPods, I/M-ing their 

friends, checking out MySpace, and doing their homework – all at 

the same time. Some worry about the impact of this on story 

telling. Many worry that there will be no common cultural 

experience. Enormous selections available on sites like NetFlicks 

and Amazon may allow distribution of work that appeal to 

smaller audiences. But there are problems of assuring the work is 

paid for.” 

--Nicholas DeMartino, Senior Vice President, AFI 

 

5 
Debating Government’s Role in Culture 

“The challenge is to provide, especially in our educational system, those things which build, 

nourish, and develop our cultural identity at its highest level of execution, its broadest sense of public 

responsibility. The failings right now are the failings of American high culture, of educational 

culture, of cultural agencies – to catch up with the technology and the marketplace.” 

 

 --Dana Gioia, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 

Surveying the territory of current popular culture, 

Dana Gioia feared that media overload and globally 

popular escapist entertainment might negatively 

impact literacy, family time together, and cultural 

identity. Gioia emphasized the importance of the 

live performing arts and the irreplaceably important 

role of the non-profit sector and the National 

Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in preserving and 

maintaining them. His focus was on doing a few 

things in which the private sector had little or no 

interest, to assure that the nation doesn’t lose 

something important. 

Former NEA Chairman, Bill Ivey, suggested that 

too much attention was being paid to the non-profit 

world of the arts and humanities and not enough to 

policies that shape the quality of our cultural 

landscape: for example, concentration of ownership 

of television and radio and cultural assets generally, 

and copyright. He warned against the overbuilding 

of the non-profit sector. Ivey suggested that a 

vibrant expressive life should, like a clean 

environment, be a public good that government 

protects. 

Former NEA Chairman, Frank Hodsoll, noted 

that the most important roles of government are to 

protect freedom of expression, intellectual property 

rights and the public domain, and contract rights, 

and prevent monopolies. 

“The way in which we have engaged our larger culture – that is, the 

popular culture – is one of the great public policy vacuums in this 

country. This involves public policy decisions on issues that are 

crucial when it comes to the ways our stories are preserved for us.” 

 --Bill Ivey, Former NEA Chairman 

6 
“Popular culture’s many ingredients give us something to share. 

America's film, television, and digital media draw on the whole 

world. I'm more worried about Americans understanding others' 

cultures than I am about others understanding our culture. There 

is a need for more international cultural exchange.” 

 

--Frank Hodsoll, Former NEA Chairman 

“I spend my time surrounded by governments that try to intervene 

in order to pursue what they describe as worthy goals. Now, that is 

exactly the issue here: worthy goals. When you start doing that, it 

is a slippery slope, because you then start having government 

bureaucrats deciding winners and losers. That’s why the United 

States has come out strongly against governments dictating culture. 

We favor freedom of individuals to make their own choice.” 

 

-- Louise Oliver, Ambassador and U.S, Representative to 

UNESCO 

In addition, government can recognize, celebrate, 

and support the best of the arts that do not succeed 

in the marketplace, and help educate youth and 

adults about the variety of art that is a part of the 

heritage of yesterday and today. 

While favoring providing people with a fair chance 

to succeed, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO Louise 

Oliver warned against government intervention 

deciding winners and losers. Deputy Assistant 

Secretary of State Alina Romanowski underscored 

the importance of both the non-profit world and a 

government role that was not overriding. 

President’s Committee member Lionel Chetwynd, 

while fearing government intervention in the 

popular culture, agreed with California Institute of 

the Arts President, Steven Lavine that government 

might help prepare people for work in the popular 

culture. 

7 
Connecting with Audiences Around the World 

Michael Renov, USC’s Associate Dean and Chief 

Academic Officer of the School of CinemaTelevision, emphasized that film, television, and 

digital media are perfect vehicles for international 

efforts, and urged national support for film and 

filmmaker exchange, especially through universities 

and schools. 

Christian Gaines, AFI Director of Festivals, 

stressed the growing popularity of film festivals and 

their providing an effective avenue for international 

exchange and understanding. 

Ambassador Louise Oliver observed that the 

perception in many countries that globalization 

threatened their cultural identities might be 

countered by filmmakers in dialog with others 

abroad. 

Deputy Assistant Secretary Alina Romanowski 

noted that the State Department had tripled its 

budget for cultural diplomacy. She stated the 

department’s goal was, through culture, to build on 

broader foreign policy issues and unlock a dialog on 

common values and beliefs. 

Michael Renov, (top left), Christian Gaines 

(left) and Alina Romanowski (right) 

8 
Symposium Outcomes: AFI Project: 20/20 

The Symposium concluded with a consensus that 

greater emphasis was needed on providing for 

international dialog, exchange, and collaboration in 

film, television, digital media, and popular culture. 

President’s Committee Chairman Adair Margo

said that the PCAH would “take steps to see that 

what has been discussed here is addressed in future 

activities.” 

As a result of subsequent discussions, AFI Project: 

20/20 was formulated shortly after the conclusion 

of the Symposium as a public-private collaboration 

to address both international dialog and exchange, 

using film. It was formally announced by First 

Lady Laura Bush, the President’s Committee’s 

Honorary Chairman, at the White House on 

September 25, 2006, as a major component of the 

State Department’s Global Cultural Initiative. 

A project of the President’s Committee on the Arts 

and the Humanities, with support from AFI, the 

State Department’s Bureau of Educational and 

Cultural Affairs, NEA, NEH, and IMLS, AFI 

Project: 20/20 is a multi-year program, bringing 

together American and foreign filmmakers and their 

films at AFI FEST in Los Angeles, as well as, state 

and local venues across the U.S., and public venues 

abroad. Launched November 1, 2006, the project 

supports international cultural exchange and 

discussion with filmmakers and U.S. and 

international audiences. By sharing their films with 

audiences here and abroad, AFI Project: 20/20 

filmmakers engage audiences through their films 

and further understanding and appreciation of 

shared experiences and values. 

“One of the best ways we can deepen our friendships with the people 

of all countries is for us to better understand each other’s cultures by 

enjoying each other’s literature, music, films, and visual arts.” 

--First Lady Mrs. Laura Bush 

 Mrs. Laura Bush announcing the Global Cultural 

Initiative at the White House, September 25, 2006 

9 
Appendix 

Nineteen films and filmmakers were invited to participate in the AFI Project: 20/20, which premiered at 

the AFI FEST presented by Audi in Los Angeles in early November 2006. After screenings in Los 

Angeles, the artists and their films toured the United States visiting San Francisco (University of California 

Berkeley & San Francisco State University), St. Louis (St. Louis International Film Festival), Tucson 

(University of Arizona), Salt Lake City (University of Utah), Seattle (Seattle International Film Festival), 

Chicago (Facets Cinematheque), Washington, DC (AFI Silver Theatre) and Athens, Ohio (Ohio 

University). Following this domestic tour, AFI Project: 20/20 filmmakers went abroad with programs in 

Kuwait and South Africa, and more visits are planned for Israel, China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, South Korea, 

and Malaysia. 

AFI Project: 20/20 Filmmaker Norman Maake 

interviewed by a South African paper, Tonight, 

on his participation in the Project: 20/20 cultural 

delegation. 

"It's been an amazing experience," says Maake. "I've 

been learning so much from the other delegates. I was 

shocked to discover that in the States they have so many 

tiers of filmmaking. It's really been an eye-opener. But 

what's been most amazing is that even with such different 

backgrounds we still have more in common than we have 

differences." 

-“Collaborating to Bring Film to All”, Tonight, 

Cape Town, South Africa, 1 June 2007

The program above is from the screening at the AFI Silver in Washington, DC. 

10 
Symposium Collaborating Organizations 

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) is a bipartisan council established by Executive 

Order in 1982 that works with each administration to incorporate the arts and the humanities into White House objectives. The 

President’s Committee has a vital national interest in cultural and scholarly programs that increase our understanding of other

cultures and peoples. The President’s Committee plays a leadership role in cultural cooperation through the exchange of ideas, 

information, art, and other aspects of culture among nations and peoples. The PCAH seeks to connect Americans with each 

other and the rest of the world through its programs focusing on international exchange and cooperation, youth learning, 

preservation, and honoring of cultural excellence. 

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences was founded in 1946; just one month after network television was born. It is a 

nonprofit, 14,000-member-strong organization, devoted to the advancement of telecommunications, arts, and sciences, and to 

fostering creative leadership in the telecommunications industry. In addition to recognizing outstanding programming through 

its annual Emmy® Awards, the Television Academy presents numerous membership activities, professional development 

seminars, and publishes Emmy Magazine. Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Academy of 

Television Arts & Sciences Foundation utilizes the resources of the Television Academy and the artistry of television to 

preserve and celebrate the history of the medium, while educating and guiding those who will shape its future. The Foundation 

is responsible for the Archive of American Television, as well as Educational Programs & Services, such as the College 

Television Awards, Faculty Seminar, Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship, and its renowned student internship program. 

The American Film Institute (AFI) was created in 1967 with Gregory Peck as its first Chair (following President Lyndon 

Johnson’s statement of need in 1965). AFI is today chaired by Sir Howard Stringer (Chair and CEO of the Sony Corporation) 

and led by Jean Picker Firstenberg (its Director and CEO). At the 25th anniversary celebration of the National Endowment for 

the Arts, President George H. W. Bush noted that AFI had “nurtured and celebrated the art of the moving image” and in so 

doing “has had an immense impact on the mind and soul of America.” AFI’s mission is to provide leadership in screen 

education and the recognition and celebration of the art of film, television, and digital media. 

The University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinema-Television was established in 1929 as a collaboration 

between USC and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, offering the first film degree program in the country. The 

School is now led by Dean Elizabeth M. Daley and offers programs in animation and digital arts, critical studies, film and TV 

production, interactive media, and screen and television writing. Since 1965, only two years have passed when a graduate did not 

receive a nomination for an Academy Award. 

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) aims to enhance the quality of life for Los Angeles’ 3.8 

million residents and 24.3 million annual visitors by creating partnerships that leverage public dollars to generate and support 

high quality arts and cultural experiences. The Department of Cultural Affairs ensures access to those experiences through 

programming, marketing and development, grant-making, communication, and building relationships with community partners. 

Western States Arts Federation is a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to the creative advancement and 

preservation of the arts. Based in Denver, Colorado, WESTAF fulfills its mission to strengthen the financial, organizational, and 

policy infrastructure of the arts by providing innovative programs and services to artists and arts organizations in the West and 

nationwide. 

11 
Credits 

Symposium Producers: Frank Hodsoll and Henry Moran 

Summary Preparation: Frank Hodsoll 

Symposium Staff: Kimber Craine, Haley Gordon and Jennifer Schmidt 

Special Appreciation: The President’s Committee thanks the following organizations and individuals for their 

contributions to the PCAH meeting and Symposium: University of Southern California School of CinemaTelevision, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Sony Pictures Entertainment, City of Culver 

City, Debby Allen and the Debby Allen Dance Academy, Ms. Wallis Annenberg, J. Paul Getty Trust, and La 

Plaza de Cultura y Artes. 

 

Symposium Summary Editors: Kimber Craine, Candace Katz 

Photos 

All photos except where noted are the courtesy of Alan Baker, USC School of Cinema-Television 

Front Cover: (Top) Garfield (2004) Twentieth Century Fox, Photo by Rhythm and Hues, animation by PCAH 

Committee member Philip Roman; (Top left) To Kill A Mockingbird (1962 ) Universal Photo, winner of three 

Academy awards; (Top right) Requiem for a Heavyweight (1957), Playhouse 90, first teleplay to win a 

Peabody Award; (Bottom) Casablanca (1942), Warner Brothers 
President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities 

1100 Pennsylvania Ave. NW 

Washington D.C. 20506 

www.pcah.gov