Film Preservation Festival in Pleasantville
Restoration is the name of the game at Jacob Burns Film Center (JBFC) lately. From its newly restored seats in the JBFC theaters, visitors can watch a series of newly restored films this month.
Through May 23, the center’s Restored & Rediscovered: A Film Preservation Festival, showcases “a selection of restored classics, independent gems, documentaries, and silent film rarities,” according to its press release. The act of resurrecting these classics protects them for future generations to view and enjoy. The series will bring together filmmakers, archivists, restorers and other experts in the field to discuss this process and give insight on its importance.
Senior Programmer and Series Curator Monica Castillo says the festival celebrates the work that goes into protecting and preserving films that may otherwise have been lost: “Through their meticulous restoration efforts, several films we now consider classics were rescued from the brink of obscurity and brought back to life, allowing audiences to experience their magic again.”
Restored & Rediscovered includes two restorations from the Museum of Modern Art on May 14 — Charlie Chaplin’s The Adventurer and Ernst Lubitsch’s Lady Windermere’s Fan – with live music accompaniment. Four New York City-centric films made by women between 1965-1981, which were restored by Women’s Film Preservation, will be screened on May 16. Martin Scorcese’s well-known Hugo will show in 3D followed by a hands-on activity at the JBFC Media Arts Lab. Other offerings include the restoring of rare silent films (5/17), the Orson Welles classic The Third Man (5/17 & 23) and more. Some of the special features accompanying the films include Q&As, behind-the-scenes insight, live music and more.
