October 31, 2016 (Detroit)—The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is seeking home movies for “1967 Detroit: Home Movies,” a year-long project to uncover and exhibit home movies made in the city around 1967 that recorded everyday scenes and personal histories of diverse Detroit residents. The museum is collaborating with the Detroit Free Press, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Wayne State University’s Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs, Detroit Historical Society and Bridge magazine to observe and reflect on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit rebellion. 

The DIA is calling on the greater Detroit community to loan their family (or found) home movies to the Detroit Film Theatre (DFT), which will show them weekly beginning in January. Selected films will be included in the Detroit Free Press’ Freep Film Festival (March 3–April 2) and the DFT will present a marathon screening of the films beginning July 29.

“These films will tell a wide range of stories about our community’s experiences in 1967,” said Salvador Salort-Pons, DIA director. “We are looking forward to working together with the community to unearth this extraordinarily important material from our local history. Finding and exploring these films with our community will provide a strong platform to begin to reimagine a more vibrant future for our entire region and country.”

Film lenders will receive a digital copy of their originals, and the Reuther Library and Wright Museum will select films to add to their collections.

This program is made possible with the generous support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

To submit a home movie, fill out an online submission form. A museum staff person will contact you to discuss your films and make arrangements for their temporary loan to the DIA. Submissions can also be made by calling 313-833-8687 or by emailing [email protected].

This program is part of Detroit 67: Looking Back to Move Forward, organized by the Detroit Historical Society.