Porto, 2001
(Welcome Message in ASIFA News, Nr.1, 2001)

Dear Friends,

It is a great honour form me to be the new ASIFA President and a great challenge to continue the work of honourable presidents such as Michel Ocelot, Raoul Servais, John Halas, Francoise Jaubert, John Hubley and Norman McLaren.

For the first time we have a very small board, only 11 members but also for the first time all board members are connected through e-mail. This increases a great deal all the communications and means a considerable increase in the amount of work.

We have spent the first few months organizing ourselves according to the possibilities of these new technologies, in order not to be overloaded with tons of work that would make our volunteer job impossible to run. We are also trying to improve an internal organization, creating working groups on specific topics such as festivals, education and publications. We hope this will help us to accomplish our tasks as well as improve the overall role of ASIFA.

ASIFA is the International Association of Animation Film and it is recognised in almost every country where animation is being produced. This global aspect is both our strength and our weakness as it is very difficult to actually organize local activities on an international level. This is the main reason why local chapters were created and today we can count also 30 National or Regional ASIFA Chapters all over the world. The main problem has been that in a time were communications were not as easy as they are today, local chapters started to lose the contact with the international mother organisation. I hope that this new board will be able to establish new relations and increase the future collaborations between all the National and local ASIFA Chapters. I would like to welcome two new ASIFA Chapters in Colorado, U.S.A. and India.

ASIFA relies only on membership fees for its operating budget, and this means we have a very tight budget and the board is not paid for their job. For me, the main reason to carry on with an International Organisation like this one is this philanthropic idea of giving out our little things, of sharing our experiences. If ASIFA can have any importance to you depends a great deal on how much you are willing to give. The more you give the more you will be rewarded. This is the power that we can have together. Please help us in developing ASIFA, and I am sure you will get back more than what you will give.

This issue of ASIFA News has a new look, and represents a new approach to our newsletter. Chris Robinson is now the new chief editor and he needs all the help everyone can supply. I would like to thank Stanislav Ulver for his great job as editor of ASIFA News, he has been in charge of the newsletter for a long time and I hope we will continue to be able to read his great articles.

Aware of the changes in the world of new technologies we have for more than a year hosted a web site (http://asifa.net) that together with ASIFA News are oure face to the world. Quite often people ask what can ASIFA bring to them? Please think about this newsletter and our web site as a way to place your ideas, to promote your work or to protest against the injustices of the animation world. This is the forum for you to let the world know about what you are thinking and doing. Please help us develop our newsletter and web site by sending us your opinions, articles, news, drawings, little animations and reviews. We also invite you to visit the asifa.net web site and contact board members in charge of the areas you would like to be involved.

One of the most interesting things for me, that I most appreciate and where I learned the most were the international projects developed by the ASIFA Workshop Group. Each group managed to make its own little film, on a precise subject and sent it to the AWG. All the films were put together and we received back a package of 10, 20 or even more films from all over the world where we could compare and discuss results and methods of work. In our meetings, discussions and projects I learned a lot and today I am most thankful to ASIFA for all of its generosity and friendship.

Another heritage we have is the ASIFA Archives. I must thank Kurt Weiler for taking care of them for such a long time and I want to thank Bruno Edera for taking over this responsibility and the commitment to treat it in a way that the materials cen clearly be useful for all ASIFA members. Please consider donating animation films, videos and books to the archive.

I hope you will (…) encourage your animation friends to become part of this world association.

Abi Feijo

ASIFA President