Martin Scorsese’s foundation launches virtual screening room for restored films

By IANS

LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s non-profit The Film Foundation is launching a free virtual screening room to showcase restored films starting May 9 with ‘I Know Where I’m Going!’.

The 1945 film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive, in association with ITV and Park Circus, will be available for a 24-hour window, reports ‘Deadline’.

Subsequent features will debut on the second Monday of each month. Events will start at a set time with introductions and conversations with filmmakers and archivists providing an inside look at the restoration process.

The line-up from co-curators Scorsese and Kent Jones includes Federico Fellini’s 1954 ‘La Strada’, G. Aravindan’s 1979 Indian film ‘Kummatty’, a film noir double feature of ‘Detour and The Chase’, ‘Sambizanga’, ‘One-Eyed Jacks’, ‘Moulin Rouge’, ‘Lost Lost Lost’ and others.

“We’re looking forward to making these beautiful restorations available to a wide audience,” the director said Scorsese, who founded The Film Foundation in 1990 and serves as chair.

“Many of these presentations will feature restorations that are rarely seen, with myself and other filmmakers sharing why these films are important, how they have impacted our lives, and why it’s crucial that they be preserved.”

Margaret Bodde, executive director, said the Restoration Screening Room “aligns perfectly with the foundation’s mission, and we’re eager to connect with people around the world who love cinema.”

The screening of ‘I Know Where I’m Going!’ is co-presented by the BFI National Archive, Janus Films, ITV and Park Circus. The remastered version of the classic romance world premiered at Cannes Classics last year and had a UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October.

The screening will be introduced by Scorsese and include interviews with Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, Joanna Hogg, Tilda Swinton and Kevin Macdonald – all of whom count the films among their favorites. Restoration funding for the film was provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation with additional support provided by Matt Spick.

The Film Foundation, which has helped restore over 925 films, partnered with Oracle and DelphiQuest to create and power the platform.