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Cinema Studies Links:
Film Preservation and Film Archives
Film is a fragile medium. Over half the films made before 1951 either have decomposed because of the instability of the materials from which they were made or have been destroyed for reasons having nothing to do with their artistic worth. Major efforts are needed to preserve this artistic and cultural heritage, and time is running out for many rare films. The following sites provide information about some of these efforts.
- Association of Moving Image Archivists. AMIA is a non-profit professional association established to advance the field of moving image archiving by fostering cooperation among individuals and organizations concerned with the collection, preservation, exhibition and use of moving image materials.
- American Film Institute. The AFI takes an active role in preserving film and video through its National Center for Film and Video Preservation and maintains its own collection of films for research purposes.
- The Film Foundation. Founded by Martin Scorsese, the Foundation funds the preservation and restoration work of films that might have otherwise been lost and supports the National Film Preservation Foundation, which reaches over 100 regional archives, libraries and historical societies.
- George Eastman House. George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film, collects and interprets images, films, and equipment in the disciplines of photography and motion pictures. It also provides a curriculum of sutdy in film preservation and archival practice through its Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation.
- Film Archives on Line. This site is the work of GAMMA, a European Research Group of Film Archives and Laboratories, and includes information on and links to film archives, film preservation programs, and educational and vocational on line training on the work of film restoration. Also included are papers and references on film preservation, festival announcements, and searches for lost films.
- Film Edge Codes. Code marks along the edge of the celluloid film strip can identify the year the print was made. The Vintage Film Gallery page provides charts for Kodak and Pathé films, including variations used in the United Kingdom and Canada.
- National Film Preservation Board. The NFPB works to ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's film heritage. Its duties include advising the Librarian of Congress on films to be placed on the National Film Registry. Its site includes a list of films on the Registry.
- National Film Preservation Foundation. Created by Congress, the Foundation raises money for the non-profit and public archives to preserve and make available endangered films that are not protected by commercial interests.
- Public Motion Picture Research Centers and Film Archives. This Library of Congress internet resource page supplies links to public research centers and archives around the world.
- Universal Preservation Format. The UPF site includes background information, standards, patents, and specifications for the Universal Preservation Format, a digital system for preserving multimedia texts. There is some controversy over the suitability of this system for the preservation of film images. The site also includes a survey of archivists' opinions on the format.
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Unit for Cinema Studies
rleskosk@uiuc.edu
updated 9.14.2007 rjl |
