American Film Foundation

The '''American Film Foundation (AFF)''' is a production company based in Southern California. It was formed in 1976, headed by Terry Sanders and Freida Lee Mock.<ref name=":0" /> It produces films with a particular focus on the arts, humanities, and sciences.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Molloy |first=Tim |date=2021-05-22 |title=Moviemaker of the Week: Terry Sanders - MovieMaker Magazine |url=https://www.moviemaker.com/moviemaker-of-the-week-terry-sanders/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=www.moviemaker.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tracy |first=Andrew |title=Veteran filmmaker Terry Sanders launches production on doc feature “Rescuing Democracy” |url=https://realscreen.com/2024/07/03/veteran-filmmaker-terry-sanders-launches-production-on-doc-feature-rescuing-democracy/ |access-date=2025-10-05}}</ref> The company has won three Oscar awards among ten nominations and two Emmy awards.<ref name=":0" /> Most notable among those are the 1994 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film for the film ''Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision''<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/934770274/?match=1&terms=%22Maya%20Lin%3A%20A%20Strong%20Clear%20Vision%22%20%22American%20Film%20Foundation%22 | title=Producer Describes Oscar Night | newspaper=Ventua County Star | date=April 4, 1994 | first=Susan | last=Petty | page=A6}}</ref> and the 1988 Emmy Award for the documentary ''Lillian Gish: An Actor's Life for Me'' for the American Masters television series.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1100790485/?match=1&terms=%22Lillian%20Gish%22%20Emmy%20Award | title=Emmy Voters Recognize Controversial Programs | date=September 18, 1989 | newspaper=Syracuse Herald-Hournal | page=F4}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hough |first=Q. V. |date=2024-06-01 |title=Passion, Truth and Lillian Gish: The American Film Foundation Collection Releases Digitally on Vimeo |url=https://vaguevisages.com/2024/06/01/american-film-foundation-vimeo-on-demand-release-lillian-gish/ |access-date=2025-10-05 |website=Vague Visages |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/345604611/?match=1&terms=%22Lillian%20Gish%3A%20An%20Actor%27s%20Life%20for%20Me%22%20%22American%20Film%20Foundation%22 | title=Gish Still Sparkles after 75 Years as Star | newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle | first=Paul | last=Henninger | date=July 10, 1988 | page=Datebook 43}}</ref> The company has completed over 60 films till date.<ref name=":0" />

==Selected works==

* (1982) ''Screenwriters: Words Into Image'' * (1988) ''Lillian Gish: The Actor's Life for Me'',<ref name=":1" /> a documentary focusing on the career of American actress Lillian Gish * (1990) ''Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember'', narrated by Edward Kennedy * (1994) ''Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision'' * (1995) ''Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper'' * (2001) ''Sing!'' * (2008) ''Fighting for Life'' * (TBA) ''Wrestling with Angels'' * (TBA) ''Tokyo Rose/American Patriot''

== Controversies == In 1995, AFF went through a controversy when its documentary film ''Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision'' won the award for Academy Award for Best '''Documentary''' Feature Film at the 67th Academy Awards.

The press accused expressed their displeasure at the nomination and the subsequent awarding of the documentary, primarily because Mock was the film's director who had previously served as a chairperson at the Academy's documentary-feature screening committee.<ref name="SFgate">{{cite web |last1=Guthmann |first1=Edward |title=Freida Lee Mock's Strong Clear Vision / Director says `Lin' stands on its own |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Freida-Lee-Mock-s-Strong-Clear-Vision-Director-3020546.php |website=www.sfgate.com |publisher=SFGate |access-date=8 October 2025}}</ref> Film critic Kenneth Turan wrote that the documentary being nominated for the award "smacks of cronyism of the worst sort".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Turan |first1=Kenneth |title=THE 67TH ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS : COMMENTARY : 'Hoop,' 'Red' Expose Holes in Academy Categories |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404090444/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-02-15-ca-32294-story.html |access-date=8 October 2025 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=15 February 1995}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.americanfilmfoundation.com American Film Foundation] * AFF [https://www.youtube.com/@americanfilmfoundation2833 on YouTube]

Category:Film production companies of the United States