Amy Homma, former curator and director of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, has been promoted to be responsible for managing the Academy’s 52 million-piece collection. Additionally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled a number of new additions to its collection, including the hero bicycle used in Pee-wee’s Adventures and a collection of rare scripts and letters owned by Orson Welles.
In addition to its current role, Honma’s promotion will bring together, for the first time, collection, conservation, conservation, exhibition, and screening. She will work directly with Academy Executive Vice President of Collections and Preservation Matt Severson and the teams at the Academy Film Archive and Margaret Herrick Library.
“Preserving global film history is a core focus of the Academy, and we are honored to add so many exciting items to the Academy’s growing collection, which serves as an important tool for research, scholarship, exhibitions, and programming,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer said in a statement. “Bringing together our collections and museum teams is a logical evolution of our preservation and conservation efforts. Amy Homma is a great leader and, together with Matt Severson and his outstanding collections team, will greatly expand the scope of our Academy collections, just as she has done at the Academy Museum.”
Also included are behind-the-scenes photos from the set of “Jaws,” the personal collections of Alison Anders, Arthur Dong, Shelley Lansing, and Frieda Lee Mock, the couture dress worn by Cicely Tyson at the 91st Oscar Awards, costumes designed by Charles Lemaire and Mark Bridges, and new restorations of “Mysterious Skin,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and “St. John.” New addition to the collection.
“With our library, archives and museum, the Academy is the best place in the world to celebrate, preserve and learn about our film history,” Homma said in a statement. “We are honored to work with each of these incredibly talented teams and, along with Matt, unite them around a shared vision to provide these valuable resources to our global community.”
The Academy, through the Academy Foundation, is a world leader in preserving and exhibiting film-related objects and materials. Click here to learn more about the Academy Collection.
Tuesday, January 13th
Independent film leader Colleen Barstow dies at 64
Colleen Barstow, a longtime leader in independent film, died Saturday at the age of 64. She was the driving force behind ACX Cinemas, a family-owned theater chain based in Omaha. ACX Cinemas is a seven-location movie theater chain known for innovation, hospitality, and community involvement that grew out of Main Street Theaters, which she co-founded with her husband Bill Barstow in 1988.
Barstow was a tireless advocate and nationally respected leader of the independent film industry who believed that the power of theater extended beyond the screen. She champions theater as a venue for festivals, fundraisers, nonprofit events, and shared experiences, and “movies are always secondary to me,” she said. “We like to bring people together. We like to tell stories. And those stories aren’t always on screen.”
Barstow served as treasurer of Cinema United’s board of directors and chair of the Independent Theater Owners Committee. She was the first woman elected to Cinema United’s board of directors and served on Cinema United’s board from 2022 to 2026.
A native of Detroit, Barstow quit his job as a banker to help build ACX Cinemas from the ground up, delivering film prints between theaters, managing operations, and raising a family alongside his work. During the pandemic, Colleen played a key role in industry advocacy, working with other exhibitors and Cinema United leaders to help secure federal relief funding for shuttered venues and independent theaters.
She is survived by her husband and their three children, Michael Barstow, Andrea Barstow-Olson, and Amy Evans, and four grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Omaha, Nebraska.
Asia Pacific Alliance in Entertainment supports three filmmakers at Sundance
CAPE is attracting attention with three filmmakers as representatives at this year’s Sundance. The Asia Pacific Entertainment Coalition announced that projects supported by the Pathways program will be screened across the festival’s US Dramatic Competition and Midnight Short Film lineups.
“Josephine,” directed by Beth de Araujo, will be premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Araujo is a recipient of the inaugural CAPE and TAFF Rising Filmmaker Finishing Fund and previously garnered attention for his SXSW 2022 debut, “Soft & Quiet.” Her latest work depicts an eight-year-old girl who struggles with fear and control after witnessing a crime in Golden Gate Park. The cast includes Mason Lily Reeves, Gemma Chan, Channing Tatum, Philip Ettinger, and Saira McCarthy. Also in the U.S. Dramatic Competition is “Take Me Home,” written and directed by Liz Sargent, a 2022 grant recipient of CAPE’s Julia S. Gow Short Film Challenge. The film, an expansion of Sargent’s 2023 Sundance short film, examines disability, family and independence after the death of her mother, and stars newcomer Anna Sargent alongside Ari Ann and Victor Slezak.
The film concludes with “Taga,” written and directed by Jill Sachs, which will be screened on Sundance’s Midnight Short Film program. A recipient of the 2024 Julia S. Gow Short Film Challenge, Sachs brings a folk-horror perspective to the story of a Filipino-American woman who reconnects with her Filipino roots but faces the consequences of cultural disrespect. The film stars Kim Addis, Lisa Jacqueline Starrett, Ian S. Peterson, Joey Scoma, Bong Cabrera, Chloe Jackson, and Jemima Bogbog.
CAPE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in Hollywood through talent development, cultural consulting, and project advocacy.
Art Directors Guild honors Jon M. Chu with 2026 Motion Picture Awards
At ADG (IATSE Local 800) announced on Tuesday, Jon M. Chu was announced as the winner of the Art Directors Guild’s 2026 Motion Picture Award. This honor recognizes filmmakers whose work enriches visual storytelling while elevating the role of production design and art departments. Previous winners include Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Jane Campion, and Baz Luhrmann.
Mr Chu receives this honor as his collaborations with the art sector continue to garner industry attention through the ‘Wicked’ series. His latest film, Wicked: For Good, debuted in November at number one at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical in history, following the Oscar-nominated first film. “Wicked: For Good” and the concert special “Wicked: One Wonderful Night” were also recently nominated for ADG’s Outstanding Production Design Award.
Known for visually ambitious studio films such as Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, Chu’s work ranges from large-scale blockbusters and musical adaptations with an emphasis on world-building and design-driven storytelling. The Motion Picture Image Awards will be presented at the 30th Annual Excellence in Production Design Awards on February 28 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
Monday, January 12th
GKIDS decides to preview IMAX and February release of Japan’s Oscar-winning movie “Kokuho”
GKIDS has announced plans to release “Kokuho”, which was officially submitted by Japan for the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. The film will be screened exclusively for one night in IMAX theaters across North America on January 21st and will be shown on 15 screens across the country, before opening in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto on February 6th. Expansion in North America will begin on February 20th.
A major live-action film directed by Lee Sang-il (“Pachinko” Season 2, “Hula Girl”), Ryo Yoshizawa, Ryusei Yokohama, and Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe. Kokuho follows decades of actors who sacrifice everything to be the best at their craft, fighting against the traditions and pressures of Kabuki. Yoshizawa trained in Kabuki for 18 months to prepare for the role.
A record-breaking hit in Japan, “Kokuho” became the country’s highest-grossing live-action film ever, surpassing a 22-year record with more than $111 million in box office revenue and 12.3 million tickets sold. The film was shortlisted for two Academy Awards in December: Best International Feature and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Kokuho premiered at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and was also screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and AFI Fest. Director Lee also won the Akira Kurosawa Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
This release marks GKIDS’ notable expansion into modern live-action films, following its success as a leading international animation distributor.
