What is NEAs commitment to film/video art at this point?
It’s a substantial commitment. You have within the entire film [arena]–particularly if you include film that makes its way onto television–some of the issues that affect other parts of the arts spectrum. You have some arts that are very expensive and others that are less expensive, some that involve a lot of outreach through distribution channels, others that are almost cottage industries, both in the way they’re developed and the way they’re distributed. So you’re probably talking about a couple of million dollars as the total for ’98 [media grants]. The commitment in total is pretty large, but just as our commitment to music is large, it ranges from very expensive opera productions to small chamber music residencies. Total dollars might be vast, but when applied to individual sections might be smaller. How solid is NEA funding beyond Clinton and should mediamakers be concerned about a possible climate of retrenchment from potential grantgivers? I would say no. I may be unreasonably
