We are pleased and proud to announce that Richard Peña will be honored at this year's Anthology Film Archives (AFA) Film Preservation Honors and Benefit.
Honoring individuals and institutions since 1992, Anthology Film Archives will recognize the important contributions Peña has made in the past 25 years to the preservation and heritage of film through his work as Program Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center and head of the Selection Committee for the New York Film Festival. AFA began with a vision to showcase the Essential Cinema Repertory collection, which made AFA the first museum devoted to film as art and not just a disposable entertainment.
Alongside Peña, the Anthology Film Archive will honor Cinetech and The Women's Film Preservation Fund. Previous honorees include filmmaker Albert Maysles; founding director of the Harvard Film Archive Vlada Petric; film scholar Tony Pipolo; Technicolor; and the Library of Congress for creating the National Film Registry.
At age 12, Peña's aunt brought him to the New York Film Festival to see Erich von Stroheim's The Wedding March and he fell in love with film and the festival. He attended the festival every year since that day in 1965 with the exception of one year. After 25 years of service to the Film Society and NYFF, Peña will be stepping down at the end of 2012. He will, however, continue to be involved in the creation of a new education program here.
The benefit will take place Monday, June 25 at 7:00pm at The Standard's High Line Room and Terrace.
