(Excerpts from text originally published in Michigan News on February 24, 2017 by Sydney Hawkins)

The University of Michigan Library recently acquired a comprehensive collection of Robert Altman's prestigious filmmaking awards. Totalling more than 130 plaques, statues and framed certificates, they will be added to the Robert Altman archive within U-M's popular Screen Arts Mavericks & Makers Collection that highlights visionaries within the genre of independent film (others include Orson Welles, John Sayles, Nancy Savoca, Ira Deutchman and Alan Rudolph).

According to Phil Hallman, curator of the Screen Arts Mavericks & Makers Collection, the awards will be added to the massive trove of materials spanning Altman's full career as a television and film producer-director as well as opera director. "This collection of Altman's achievements really shows how influential he was, not only in Hollywood, but worldwide," said Hallman, who hopes to display some of them on campus in the near future. "We're honored to continue his legacy in this way, by preserving these awards here at the University of Michigan."

Watch Phil Hallman's Interview Here