$9.47 with 66 percent savings

List Price: $27.95

$3.99 delivery May 20 - 23. Details

Or fastest delivery May 14 - 17. Details

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$9.47 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Ships from

Book_Outpost

Ships from

Book_Outpost

Sold by

Book_Outpost

Sold by

Book_Outpost

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.

Read full return policy

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Details

$7.58

Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less Former library book; Readable copy. Pages may have considerable notes/highlighting. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less See less

FREE delivery May 20 - 21. Details

Or fastest delivery May 14 - 16. Details

Select delivery location

Only 1 left in stock - order soon.

$$9.47 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Enhancements you chose aren't available for this seller. Details

${cardName} not available for the seller you chose

${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}.

Ships from and sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta.

Other sellers on Amazon

New & Used (33) from $7.58 & FREE Shipping

Follow the authors

Jean Picker Firstenberg

Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute Hardcover – October 10, 2017

by Jean Picker Firstenberg (Author), James Hindman (Author), Patty Jenkins (Preface),

4.8 11 ratings

See all formats and editions

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$9.47","priceAmount":9.47,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"47","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"m8GC4mBWSPtjF8yAvnr2ChsQT%2BQMRqbHJ%2FxB1qzLH8bCgovV%2BKAovF8D7%2BtXEQZPuoHMSPiSY9mXrq6S9kTF6tIangEcbJdjA7zXC%2FIpKYDAmBY74RVZpf4pnV4Pz%2B6eSrB6AYx4xxB3fO%2FFVGmmwklStdcADQAzDjFc%2BwjwGfvol781dQFwLg%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$7.58","priceAmount":7.58,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"58","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"m8GC4mBWSPtjF8yAvnr2ChsQT%2BQMRqbHJ5Tl3NGTOthhnUMc7cbLXX4n1oT7rRjs8FM07RMesSMETGegB9JDgOGHqKYsBRZvnK89icDLkzJyi%2FjRnidy4Cut7DPdXp7qUKPc1iqk7zPUv2%2BeDT7%2B%2B%2Bz61ViZJvi2oti%2F25XaZMo%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

For over fifty years, the American Film Institute has flourished as one of America’s great cultural entities. Its graduates, faculty, supporters, and trustees have included such acclaimed individuals as Steven Spielberg, Maya Angelou, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, Les Moonves, Patty Jenkins, David Lynch, Jane Fonda, Edward James Olmos, Shonda Rhimes, James L. Brooks, Michael Nesmith, Sir Howard Stringer, and many other respected leaders in the worlds of film, television, digital media, and philanthropy.

Written in a unique memoir style, Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute offers a candid look at how this remarkable organization has brought together aspiring filmmakers, outstanding educators, and visionary artists. The book details AFI’s journey to becoming the foremost national champion for moving images as a vibrant art form and a critical component of America’s cultural history.

AFI’s story is chronicled through in-depth essays written by those who have been involved in its adventures, growth, and successes: from its early years under George Stevens Jr.’s direction at the legendary Greystone mansion and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; through its period of incredible growth, under Jean Picker Firstenberg’s guidance, as an influential cultural institution at its landmark Hollywood campus; to its continued years of excellence under Bob Gazzale’s dynamic leadership.

Becoming AFI provides an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at how AFI―with passionate determination―overcame the hurdles of advancing technology, political shifts, and new audience dynamics to turn its aspirations into a substantial and highly successful organization. A tireless advocate of moving images as one of America’s most popular art forms, AFI is maturing into one of the world’s most respected educational and cultural institutions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Featured in the Hollywood Times, the Pittsburgh Better Times, Hotspots magazine, 360Mag.com, InteractiveTV Today, and MysteriousRamblings.com

“Less a straightforward history and more a behind-the-scenes memoir, Becoming AFI also features photographs chronicling the last five decades of the institute.”
―L.A. Times

“Chock full of intriguing personal anecdotes and historical milestones, Becoming AFI is as much an easy to read narrative of the growth and development of a major non-profit as it is a useful compendium to page through.”
―PictureThisPost.com

“A unique look inside this remarkable organization and the impact it’s had on entertainment industry. . . . The fact that Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute is written in memoir style prose offers a feel of being a part of the journey.” ―TheNerdyGirlExpress.com

Review

“This book puts you directly behind the scenes for a story that began with a dream, overcame constant challenges, and evolved into the institution it is today.” ―Steven Spielberg

“As it celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, AFI stands as our country’s leading cultural and education institution in the history of American cinema. Becoming AFI is an admirable personal account of how that mission to nurture and protect the artistic and ethical standards of the film industry unfolded.” ―Henry Louis Gates Jr., author, scholar, historian, and filmmaker

“It is rare to find the story of a cultural institution’s birth and growth actually written by those who were on the firing line during the process. It’s even more rare to find the story written by authors who are incisive, honest, observant, and committed to telling it like it really was. In particular, Jean Firstenberg’s first-hand account of how and why the AFI was one of the 1960s government-funded arts institutions to survive is an excellent read. It’s also an insight into successful female leadership, something we still don’t have enough of today.” ―Jeanine Basinger, film historian-academic, author, and AFI trustee

“WELL DONE! This book tells a wonderful history and an important story about Hollywood, education in the arts, and the movie business. Brava!” ―Marsha Mason, actor, director, author, and AFI trustee emeritus

“AFI saved our film history. AFI celebrates filmmakers. AFI trains the next generation. Thanks to the NEA for creating the AFI. Thanks to Becoming AFI for telling us the fascinating story of its fifty-year history. And a big thank you to Jean Picker Firstenberg and James Hindman for documenting all of it! Here’s to the next fifty!” ―Edward James Olmos, actor and AFI trustee

“The AFI started out as an experiment verging on a mystery. But somehow it became an incubator for some of the great film talent of the late part of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first. This is a tribute to the dedication and insight of its leaders and its faculty and its Fellows.” ―Caleb Deschanel, filmmaker (AFI class of 1969)

“Documented here by the people who lived it, this is a remarkable tale of how a major institution, created out of whole cloth, wove itself into the American fabric.” ―Cokie Roberts, author and political commentator for ABC and NPR

About the Author

Jean Picker Firstenberg served as president and CEO of the American Film Institute from 1980 to 2007, overseeing the development of AFI as one of America’s greatest national, cultural, and educational resources. She received an AFI Life Achievement Award for Service to the Institute and was named president emerita and a lifetime trustee. In 2016, Firstenberg was named to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown, overseeing the largest four-year public university system in the United States, with twenty-three campuses educating the most diverse student body in the nation. Prior to serving at AFI, Firstenberg spent four years as a program officer at the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation. She also served as director of Princeton University’s Publications Office. Firstenberg is a summa cum laude graduate of Boston University’s College of Communications. She has served on several boards, including that of Boston University (1984–1996), the George Foster Peabody Awards at Georgia University (1985–1997; board chair 1991–1997); and the United States Postal Service Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee (2002–2014; committee chair 2008–2014). She has won numerous awards and honorary degrees.

James Hindman, PhD, has spent his career in cinema and performing arts, creating and leading professional and public education programs at major institutions. During his twenty-four years at the American Film Institute, where he served as co-director and chief operating officer, he was provost of the AFI Conservatory, which he nurtured through WASC accreditation. He was also the uncredited producer of the award-winning feature documentary Visions of Light and the television series Starring the Actor. He developed the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Springs, Maryland, as well as numerous television projects and international film and television festivals. Subsequent to AFI, he developed and led film schools in the U.S. and internationally, including the Red Sea School of Cinematic Arts in Aqaba, Jordan, and New Mexico State University’s Creative Media Institute in Las Cruces. He is currently on the board of the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe, charged with creating a new cinematic and media arts program and facilities for the school. Prior to AFI, he served as head of graduate studies in the Performing Arts Department at American University in Washington, DC, having previously taught at the University of North Carolina. Hindman holds a PhD in drama from the University of Georgia and has served on the boards of the AIDS Service Center and LAMP in Los Angeles. He currently splits his time between Santa Monica, California, and Taos, New Mexico.

Patty Jenkins made history in 2017 when she directed her second film, Wonder Woman, becoming the first woman to direct a studio superhero movie and earning the biggest domestic opening of all time for a woman director. Jenkins wrote and directed her first film, the crime drama Monster, in 2003, launching Charlize Theron’s career with many awards, including an Oscar for Best Actress. Jenkins graduated from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1993 and the AFI Conservatory in 2001.

Dana Gioia was appointed Poet Laureate of the State of California in 2015 by Governor Jerry Brown. An award-winning poet who has published five collections of poetry, Gioia served as chair of the National Endowment for the Arts from 2003 to 2009, and was named a USC Judge Widney Professor in Poetry and Public Art in 2011.

David Lynch, born in 1946 in Missoula, Montana. Eagle Scout.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Santa Monica Press (October 10, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1595800948
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1595800947
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.75 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.25 x 10 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #3,400,832 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,248 in Philanthropy & Charity (Books)
- #3,408 in Art of Film & Video
- #8,132 in Movie History & Criticism

Customer Reviews:
4.8 11 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

About the authors

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

James Hindman
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
See more on the author's page
Jean Picker Firstenberg
Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.
Co-author of Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute.
Jean Picker Firstenberg served as President and CEO of the American Film Institute from 1980 to 2007, overseeing the development of AFI as one of America’s greatest national, cultural and educational resources. She received an AFI Life Achievement Award for Service to the Institute and was named President Emerita and a Lifetime Trustee.
In 2016, Firstenberg was named to the California State University Board of Trustees by Governor Jerry Brown, overseeing the largest four-year public university system in the United States, with 23 campuses educating the most diverse student body in the nation. Prior to serving at AFI, Firstenberg spent four years as a program officer at the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation. She also served as Director of Princeton University’s Publications Office.
See more on the author's page

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5

11 global ratings

3 star

0%

2 star

0%

1 star

0%

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Genvieve

AN IMPORTANT STORY BEAUTIFULLY TOLD

Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

What a brilliant and valuable book this is. Becoming AFI is a story worth your attention if you love movies and appreciate fine journalism.

Authors Jean Picker Firstenberg and James Hindman orchestrate the telling of this fascinating story. Added to their own reporting are the voices of others who helped shape the history of the American Film Institute and who write with passion and authority. They are storytellers and each chapter is one person’s view of a particular event or time frame.

Begin anywhere in the book; select a chapter as you would select a tempting bite of chocolate in a box of assorted delicacies. Each one is special in its own way.

I particularly enjoyed the way Jean Firstenberg begins the first chapter. She offers a sweeping view of AFI in the context of what was happening in the world. Without the work of AFI, 4,000 films would not have been restored and an important part of the history of American cinema would have been lost.

AFI support the empowerment of women in film and provide opportunities for them to succeed. Maya Angelou wrote, “I am proud of the American Film Institute for what it has done for me and others who would never have had the delicious experience of saying ‘action’ and ‘that’s a wrap!”

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Carolyn

The great AFI.

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

The fascinating and informative story of America's leading film institution. A most worthwhile read.

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024

A comprehensive and compelling look at the 50-year impact of the American Film Institute on the world of cinema. I adore films and want to get a hard copy for reference purposes and entertainment.

Helpful

Jennifer Wolfe

"Becoming AFI: 50 Years Inside the American Film Institute" documents the history of a national treasure

Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2017

Kudos to Jean Picker Firstenberg, James Hindman and all the others who helped bring this important book to life. "Becoming AFI" stands as a document of the 50-plus-year history of one of the country's most vital organizations dedicated to the art and preservation of the moving image, from its early beginnings in the White House Rose Garden, in 1967, through the upheavals of the dismantling of the National Endowment for the Arts, and into its entrepreneurial phase that introduced the AFI Awards and "100 Years..." lists, and continues today as the nation's preeminent educational program training the next generation of filmmakers.

Of particular interest are the sections detailing AFI's relationship with technology developers like Apple, which helped bring groundbreaking tools such a non-linear editing to a new generation of filmmakers, the rise of "American Film" magazine and the "Visions of Light" documentary, the development of the AFI Catalog, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, and the dozens of anecdotes and evocative personal essays that work together to preserve AFI's storied history.

The book also serves as a "Who's Who" of some of the biggest names in Hollywood history, such as Gregory Peck, Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, as well as the creatives and executives working behind the camera or behind the scenes including Tom Pollack, Sir Howard Stringer and Bud Yorkin. There are a plethora of photographs to help commemorate AFI and its achievements, and the portrait of Firstenberg drawn by David Lynch is worth the price of admission alone.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

BBLA

Fascinating history of an important institution

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017

This book is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the institution that has come to define Hollywood for the past fifty years. Its story is a microcosm of American life in the second half of the twentieth century, and how the AFI has approached these issues is a revelation of how arts organizations create and sustain dialogues that shape the rest of the country. Hindman and Firstenberg do an excellent job of describing the goals and programs of the institution, as well as its hopes and aspirations, and provide an transparent look at the AFI's constant reassessment and reinvention of its institutional identity. AFI's long and distinguished history -- and the stories of the people affiliated with it -- is retold with affection, honesty, and humor. Whether you are a Hollywood buff, have an interest in arts institutions, or simply love an inside look, "Becoming AFI" is a great choice.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Josh Kushins

An important (and entertaining!) chronicle of a cultural institution

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2017

For an institution that seems as if it’s always been part of our lives – and part of the essential cultural fabric – the effort, invention and sheer stubbornness required to build and maintain the American Film Institute is truly revelatory. This incredible chronicle – a story worthy of the movies – is exhaustively detailed by those who were there for all the twists and turns of AFI’s winding yellow brick road. The remarkable trials, tribulations and triumphs of AFI’s evolution are brought to life by personal recollections (and warm prose), making this delightful chronicle as entertaining as it is educational. Seeing how AFI adapted to a changing entertainment landscape is genuinely fascinating, and lays a foundation for a new appreciation of the organization today.

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

Brad Wyman

This is an amazing journey. it reads more like a memoir than ...

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2017

This is an amazing journey. it reads more like a memoir than non fiction. It is insightful. It is behind the scenes. How AFI became the foremost film institute is drama. Grads such as David Lynch and Ed Zwick. I enjoyed every page a picture. Also a great forward by Patty Jenkins director of Monster and Wonder Women an AFI GRAD.

Congrats to all, if you love film. If you love film preservation..
A must read

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Amazon Customer

battles were fought and the institution has evolved over the years in it's attempt to best fulfill the President's goal

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2017

Becoming AFI is an in-depth look at how the American Film Institute grew from a Presidential mandate fifty years ago into the non-profit and educational organization that it is today. This book shows the massive undertaking it has been to interpret and fulfill that mandate. This book gives you a backstage pass to how decisions were made, battles were fought and the institution has evolved over the years in it's attempt to best fulfill the President's goal. If you love non-profits, arts education and or AFI this book is for you.

Helpful