The end of AIVF

Long ago I joined AIVF while I was still in school. Their magazine "The Independent" covered things that were not usually covered in other type of magazines, but that was then, and this is now. Since then there have been several magazines that have come out that do a better job at reporting about film and filmmaking. I tend to agree with people that an organization is needed to advocate for independent media makers especially in such times when government funding is but a memory. It seems more and more funding goes to corporations rather then individual media makers or local media organizations. When I first joined AIVF I used their resources and found contacts, and resources I could use, but as time went by AIVF's resources seemed to dry up. I seemed to get the feeling that I was in a vacuum, and nolonger connected to other media makers. I think this is the problem now. I've always tried to reach out to other filmmakers and media makers, yet I've done this on my own, and without the help of AIVF. I've had no luck in creating a group that I could go back to for support in creating new work, but maybe that's where AIVF's new nitche is. Maybe to create small groups of artists around the country and advocate for more venues to play their works in, and for more funding to these artists. Some cities already have groups of filmmakers working together, but have no connection to others in other cities or regions. Maybe AIVF can be a uniting organization that unites various factions of filmmakers around the country. In that way the organization wouldn't have to be too big, and it could advocate for these artists on a national level.

I'm just thinking out loud, and wondering if anyone really cares. There seems to be a divided way of thinking about what or if AIVF should even continue. One faction says that AIVF's time has come, and that the organization has become antiquated, and must go the way of the dinosaur. Then there are others that feel that loosing an organization such as AIVF would silence an advocacy group which fought for filmmakers rights. For me AIVF had become long ago distant, and I believe it lost it's way. It did not keep up with technology, and it alienated others by being more academic then industry. Hopefully what comes out of this will be a good thing, but right now I sense that the death of AIVF is immanent, and some good ideas will be lost with the loss of this organization.