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We celebrated the annual Home Movie Day for the second summer in a row this past weekend. 

This event has been held throughout the globe since 2002, started by a group of motivated film enthusiasts interested in preserving small gauge motion picture film memories, special moments and home movie history. “Home Movie Day has grown into a worldwide celebration of these amateur films, during which people in cities and towns all over meet with local film archivists, find out about film preservation, and most importantly—get to watch those old family films!”

As the only host of Home Movie Day in the State of Arizona, iMemories is proud to sponsor and participate and help spread the good word of film preservation, particularly, the advantage of digital conversion.

This year, we had expanded the event from a one day event to two days in order to more appropriately accomodate the growing number of people in Arizona who want to watch and preserve their family films. We had a record turnout this year, and needless to say, the iMemories Team working the Home Movie Day event were exhausted on Saturday evening.

It is always a lot of fun, to interact with people as they watch their personal movies and tell their stories. When watching these films, there’s a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time. For me, this old film carries with it an authentic history of life, that no other medium can seem to accurately capture. It’s nastalgic. It’s facinating. It’s real.

This year, we witnessed a solid blend of all the major amateur film formats — 8mm, Super 8 and 16mm — even some with sound (more so than last year). We saw some interesting, vintage footage this year. Lots of images of old town Phoenix — in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Wow, has this place changed. Really sparse open desert, hardly any businesses or residences. We enjoyed a Renaissance fair in Phoenix that was shot in 1973. A cross country move from New York City to Phoenix — and every city on the road trip. It’s funny the way people shoot family road trips. Always seems to be shot with the same style — as if the camera operator was the same person, from family to family.

To read more about Home Movie Day, and the press that this year’s event received around the United States, check out The New Yorker, San Francisco Chronicle, and MSN Entertainment.

If you missed the festivities this year, hopefully, you can make it next year. Mark your 2008 calendar for August 9th — that’s when we will sponsor next year’s event.