Film Preservation Blogathon

This week (Feb 14 to 21) marks the first Film Preservation Blogathon. It's a way to raise awareness about the importance of preserving some of the medium's most important resources. It also comes at a critical time for me because I'm writing my final paper for my Historic Preservation class on the importance of preserving film. There are a few staggering facts about the state of Classic Cinema. For one, half of American movies produced before 1950 have disintegrated or have been lost - 50%! And even more depressing: only 10% of all films produced before 1929 have survived - TEN percent! That's awful! With the rise in interest from both federal groups (the National Film Preservation Act was passed in 1988) and private organizations (Film Foundation and National Film Preservation Foundation), the preservation and archiving of film has become an important endeavor, and the Library of Congress, the Film Foundation, and companies such as TCM have made it a priority to see to the upkeep of the medium. As of December 2009 there are 525 films on the LOC's National Film Registry, and up to 25 new films (be it feature length, documentary, short, newsreel, etc) are added each year. Film became the 20th century's most important art form, and it continues to grow and morph as filmmakers experiment with new ways to tell stories. I salute those preservationists and archivists who devote their time and energy into maintaining film's legacy. Thank you! Thank you! Now, let's blog away!