WHAT IS HOME MOVIE DAY?
Home Movie Day was started in 2002 as a worldwide celebration of amateur home movies, during which people in cities and towns all over would get to meet local film archivists, find out about the long-term benefits of film versus video and digital media, and-most importantly-get to watch those old family films! This year Home Movie Day will take place this October 20th, 2012 - all around the world!
Many archivists are concerned about what will happen to all of the home movies that have been shot on film during the 20th century, most of which are sitting in boxes in attics or basements. Besides their importance as family records, these films often contain a history of the hometowns and areas where these films were shot. We know that many people have boxes full of family memories that they've never seen because they lack of a projector, or are afraid that the films are too fragile to be viewed again. We also know that many people are having their amateur films transferred to videotape or DVD, with the mistaken idea that their new digital copies will last forever and the "obsolete" films could be discarded. Original films can long outlast any film or video transfer and are an important part of our cultural history!

WHAT CAN I DO?
It's simple: rifle through your attics, dig through your closets, call up Grandma, and search out your family's home movies and bring an 8mm, Super8mm, or 16mm home movie (sorry, no video or slides) to the nearest Home Movie Day event on October 15th to see it projected. Or just show up and watch the films of others. It's not just historically significant - it's fun!

WHY?
Because they will happen in communities across the globe, HOME MOVIE DAY events and screenings can focus on local and family histories, taking us back to a time when Main Street was bustling and the beehive hair-do was all the rage, with images of people we may know or resemble. Home movies are the essential record of our past, and they are among the most authoritative documents of times gone by.

Did you know that your original films can long outlast any video OR digital transfer, if you properly take care of them? Don't throw your films away!

HOME MOVIE DAY will also provide the opportunity for people to learn about the long-term benefits of film versus video. Motion picture archivists will be on hand to tell you how to properly store your films and plan for their future.

WHERE TO DONATE?
If you'd like to donate your family's home movies, the North Carolina State (Government) Archives, located at 109 East Jones Street in Raleigh, collects and preserves old moving images of North Carolina. The collection consists mainly of films and tapes relating to state government, but we will gladly consider some home movies for their holdings. If you have suitable film or tape please contact the Kim Cumber (head of the non-textual materials unit) at (919) 807-7311 or email kim.cumber@ncdcr.gov.

For more information about Home Movie Day Raleigh 2012, contact us:
Skip Elsheimer <skip@avgeeks.com>919-247-7752
Marsha Orgeron <marsha_orgeron@ncsu.edu> 919-515-4149.

Co-sponsored by the Film Studies Program at NCSU, North Carolina State Archives, Duke Archive of Documentary Arts and AV Geeks Transfer Services.

For more information about the other Home Movie Days around the world, visit the Home Movie Day site.