The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - presenters of the Oscars® - has honored the Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) with a prestigious grant. The Academy Foundation has selected Ashland's April event as the only festival in the Northwest, and one of only 20 in the U.S., to receive to receive an Academy Festival grant.

The Ashland Independent Film Festival was awarded $20,000 by  the Academy - the fourth highest amount granted. The funds are earmarked to assist the festival to bring additional filmmakers, actors and subjects of documentaries to the 7th annual AIFF, April 3-7, 2008. The festival is held at the Varsity Theatre and the Historic Ashland Armory downtown Ashland.

The AIFF’s Executive Director Tom Olbrich said the grant will enhance the Ashland festival experience. "Now when the lights go up in the theatres, more special guests will be there to talk about their films," Olbrich said, "and that is what makes a film festival such an incredible experience – hearing from the filmmakers and the people in the films. We are grateful to the Academy for this acknowledgment."

Last April the 2007, 6th annual event was the largest ever with over 6,000 filmgoers purchasing 15,000 tickets to 92 feature, documentary and short films.

The Ashland Independent Film Festival continues to gain national attention as a successful regional festival. The AIFF was mentioned in a New York Times article about film festivals last fall and Ernest Hardy of the LA Weekly said the festival is "Well on its way to being on of my favorite American film festivals, period. It’s the almost-perfect blend of programming, audience and location."

Henry Jaglom, director of Festival in Cannes and Last Summer in the Hamptons said "Ashland is, quite simply, the dream festival of all time!...In 30 years of attending film festivals, I have never come across one as productive, as stimulating or as much fun."

To view the official Academy press release, please click here.