The Athens International Film and Video Festival was founded in 1974, and since then has presented independent films from around the world. The Festival is sponsored by the Athens Center for Film and Video, a project of the College of Fine Arts at Ohio University. Each year, a Prescreening Committee comprised of artists, students, and community activists watch all the films and videos entered in the competition. After all entries have been watched, the prescreeners evaluate all entries to determine films to include in public screenings.