Buffalo International Film Festival

April 7, 2009

 

Buffalo, NY  On April 3, 2009, Mayor Byron W. Brown of Buffalo, NY (the first city and official to ever declare UNESCO World Day for AudioVisual Heritage, and home of the world's first permanent Motion Picture Theater) declared Mickey Mouse Movie Masterpieces Weekend (April 3-5, 2009) in honor of the contributions of local people to the history of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse and the efforts of The Buffalo International Film Festival to make them well known.

The Buffalo Film Festival (an activity of Buffalo International Film Festival, Inc., a 501c3 not-for-profit) depends upon tax-deductible donations and other support to present extraordinary events like this. Please consider supporting BIFF through your generosity.

The entire text of this wonderful proclamation follows.

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WHEREAS in 1928, Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks and Roy Disney, in the face of the financial collapse of their company, created the immortal and eternal symbol of joy, laughter and optimism who became known to the world as Mickey Mouse; and

WHEREAS  on November 18, 1928 Mickey Mouse premiered in his first all-talking cartoon appearance "Steamboat Willie"; and

WHEREAS , Patrick Anthony Powers (1869-1948) of Buffalo, NY provided the Disney Brothers with Powers Cinephone, an early sound-on-film recording system, for the first Disney sound cartoons including "Steamboat Willie" and the first Silly Symphonies; and

WHEREAS , Many native Buffalonians have worked for the Walt Disney and his company over the years including:

Ralph Kent (nee Kwiatkowski) who became a "Disney Legend" and "Keeper of the Mouse;" 

Bryan Wittman, a producer for The Walt Disney Company;

Michael Healey, Senior Vice P*gigglesresident, Original Movies, Disney Channel;

Edward Summer, Mickey Mouse Screenwriter and publisher of Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge McDuck by Carl Barks

and others who have worked throughout the Disney companies over the years; and

WHEREAS , on April 3,4,5, 2009, the Buffalo International Film Festival brings the Buffalo Niagara region a once-in-a-lifetime, world-exclusive celebration of joy and laughter in honor of Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney on the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of Steamboat Willie (Mickey's Birthday) including:

- a one-day display at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery of the rarest and most valuable Disney Art in existence (the original storyboards for Plane Crazy drawn by Ub Iwerks in 1928 which represent the very first drawings of Mickey Mouse ever made),

- a unique screening of original Mickey Mouse cartoons from the Disney Studio Archives at The Shea's Performing Arts Center the last remaining authentic 1926 movie palace in Buffalo, NY that included remarks by John Culhane, world-famous Disney author,

- a unique screening of Walt Disney's masterpiece "Fantasia" in its rarely seen original 1940 roadshow version, and other wonderful events and

WHEREAS , Walt Disney said: ""Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably." and this idea stands as an example and inspiration to the citizens of Buffalo, of Western New York and, indeed, the entire world; and

WHEREAS , Walt Disney also said about Mickey Mouse: "All we ever intended for him or expected of him was that he should continue to make people everywhere chuckle with him and at him. We didn't burden him with any social symbolism, we made him no mouthpiece for frustrations or harsh satire. Mickey was simply a little personality assigned to the purposes of laughter;" and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, BYRON W.BROWN, Mayor of the City of Buffalo, do hereby proclaim April 3=5, 2009 as:

MICKEY MOUSE MOVIE MASTERPIECES WEEKEND

in the City of Buffalo and in this spirit of curiosity, confidence, courage, constancy, optimism, joy and laughter inspired by Walt Disney and his beloved creation Mickey Mouse, commend and congratule the Buffalo International Film Festival, and all its parners for bringing us these very special events. 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I

have herunto set my hand

and caused teh Seal of the

City of Buffalo to be

affixed this 3rd day

of April 2009

BYRON W. BROWN

MAYOR

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