Giovanna Fossati (1971) was appointed professor of Film Heritage and Digital Film Culture at the UvA’s Faculty of Humanities in 2013. The part-time chair is made possible with the support of the Eye Film Institute Netherlands, where Fossati has served as Head Curator since 2009. In her research, she focuses on the influence of digital technology on efforts to preserve, restore and provide access to film heritage, as well as the new role played by film archives and museums in this regard. Her book From Grain to Pixel (2009) is considered to be a standard work in this field worldwide.

The combined position of professor and Head Curator is exceptional within the international film heritage world and forms the ideal link between international academic research and the EYE’s preservation practices. At the UvA, Fossati is involved with the dual Master’s programme Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image, an internationally oriented Master’s programme spanning one and a half years that has a large practical component. Together with the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), Fossati organises the annual EYE International Conference and the lecture series This is Film! Film Heritage in Practice. The UvA furthermore collaborates with Eye in many national and international research projects related to the application of innovative methods of restoration, digitisation and disclosure of film collections.

Since 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited a selection of film professionals who have distinguished themselves through their contributions to the film industry each year. In line with promises made by the organisation to become more diverse and inclusive, this year’s new members hail from 49 different countries outside of the United States.