Films Restored By The Film Foundation ^hot^ -

, 1974): A restoration of Bahram Beyzaie’s Iranian classic, funded by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation and recently screened at the Smithsonian Mortu Nega

Since its inception in 1990, The Film Foundation (TFF) has helped restore and preserve more than , safeguarding cinematic history for future generations. Founded by Martin Scorsese and a board of legendary directors—including Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, and Christopher Nolan—the foundation works with archives and studios to rescue deteriorating masterpieces from the "ravages of time". The Mission: Why Restoration Matters films restored by the film foundation

Film Foundation , founded by Martin Scorsese in 1990, has supported the preservation and restoration of over 1,100 films , 1974): A restoration of Bahram Beyzaie’s Iranian

This early musical was filmed in two-color Technicolor. For decades, it existed only in faded, black-and-white dupes. TFF funded a painstaking restoration by UCLA. Because two-color Technicolor prints are prone to extreme red/green drift, restorers used advanced digital tools to separate the color records, rebuilding the vibrant, art-deco spectacle. Why it matters: King of Jazz is a time capsule of pre-Code excess. The restoration saved not just a film, but a lost color process, showing audiences how early talkies actually looked. For decades, it existed only in faded, black-and-white dupes

Preservation is an ongoing process. The Film Foundation estimates that half of all American films made before 1950 and over 90% of films made before 1929 are lost forever. By supporting the foundation, attending screenings of restored classics, or purchasing restoration Blu-rays/DVDs, you help ensure that the language of cinema remains spoken for generations to come.

The Film Foundation has restored over 800 films from around the world, including classics from the silent era to contemporary cinema. The foundation's restoration process involves a meticulous and labor-intensive approach: