It is through the films of the silent era that the world first came to love movies and appreciate them as art. They have influenced every generation of filmmakers and continue to inspire audiences a century after they were made. Since our founding, San Francisco Silent Film Festival has been proud to have had a role in the preservation of cinematic heritage through presentation—festivals like ours participate in the preservation cycle by bringing appreciative audiences to bear witness to the extraordinary breadth and depth of silent-era filmmaking.
In the past several years, SFSFF has had a direct hand in the restoration and preservation of silent-era titles. Through our preservation fund, in partnership with organizations such as BFI, MoMA, Cinémathèque Française, EYE Filmmuseum, Library of Congress, the Film Preservation Society, Gosfilmofond, and the Polish National Film Archive, we have restored and preserved dozens of films. We are gratified to have brought these titles back to life and are committed to showcasing important restorations and preservations for years to come. 35mm prints of these titles are stored in the SFSFF Collection at the Library of Congress.
Be part of the important work of silent-film restoration – contribute to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival Preservation Fund! Contact Executive Director Stacey Wisnia for more further information.
