Academy Assures Members ‘We Are Not Decreasing Our Commitment’ to Film Preservation Amid Layoffs

AMPAS also announced the group of individuals making up the newly formed Academy Collection and Preservation Department, as led by Matt Severson.

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 not decreasing our commitment to our work in this area.”

Kramer in the note mentioned that by performing strategic structural changes, the Academy has launched a new division, the Academy Collection and Preservation Department, that oversees the 52 million item collection and is led by Matt Severson. Also announced were a list of 11 other staffers taking part in the new team.

Frustration with the layoffs extended to the membership as well. In a note obtained by IndieWire, Academy member James Mockoski wrote to Kramer about his concerns that this “radical new direction” is “decimating a legacy” built by Academy members. Mockoski noted that Academy restorations have been the example on which other film preservationists have looked to, but he’s reconsidering whether other groups should donate their legacy materials to the Academy moving forward.

“I am concerned that the Academy is dismantling a part of its institution that provided enormous visibility to the public about the necessity of protecting our fragile film heritage,” Mockoski wrote in part. “The Academy Film Archive is at the CORE of what makes AMPAS unique. Tampering with this institution in such a way makes our institution weaker and fundamentally changes the core mission of what I thought we strived to represent.”

The Academy last month announced it had added to its collection with Quentin Tarantino’s handwritten “Pulp Fiction” script, artwork from Hayao Miyazaki, and more. The Academy Museum itself will launch some new exhibitions soon, including specifically a celebration of film preservation.

Read the full note from Kramer to members below:

Dear Academy members,

As many of you have heard, we have made staffing changes across our collections and preservation teams at the Academy archive, museum, and library. We wanted to reach out and share some details related to this – and please know that we are not decreasing our commitment to our work in this area.

Over the last two years, we have been focused on making strategic structural changes across the Academy to reduce silos and to ensure that we are working cohesively across teams. This has allowed us to bring together departments that have shared roles and responsibilities. While these moments can sometimes mean people leaving the organization, they are designed to align our operations to create a more sustainable Academy.

As part of this process, we recently combined our collections and preservation departments – the archive, the library, and the collecting unit of the museum – and have spent the last several months assessing the structure of these teams. This has led to the creation of the new Academy Collection and Preservation Department, which oversees our entire 52 million item collection. The department is led by long-time Academy team member Matt Severson.

As part of this reorganization, some archive, library, and museum team members have left the Academy. However, it is important for everyone to know that the work of these divisions remains a core part of our mission. That is not changing.

Under the new structure, the following individuals will be leading key collections and preservation areas:

Film Preservation and Public Access: Taylor Morales
Film Traffic, Archivists and Vaults: Daniel Wagner
Library Special Collections (including the photograph and graphic arts collections): Warren Sherk
Library Graphic Arts: Meghan Doherty
Library Reference and Public Services: Elizabeth Youle
Library Conservation: Dawn Jaros
Library Core Collection (including books, publications and core reference files): Phillip Garcia
Credits Administration: Lucia Schultz
Museum Collection Preservation, Registration and Collection Management: Renée Kiefer
Oral History Project: Yousef Assabahi
Collection Acquisitions: Rachel Rosenfeld
These leaders will work closely with Matt Severson and the Academy Foundation and Academy Museum Boards to create a unified collection strategy for the entire Academy – something that has long been needed.

As our collection grows, we are eager to continue to preserve and champion our global film history. And, of course, we are deeply grateful for the support of our members with this important work. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Additional reporting by Anne Thompson