NYWIFT Blog

By Camille Felipe 

Welcome to NYWIFT, Amy Heller!

Amy is the co-founder of Milestone Films, an award-winning film restoration and distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films. After fleeing academia, Amy found her passion in the independent film world and co-founded Milestone with her partner Dennis Doros in 1990. For 35 years, their mission has been to restore forgotten cinema, particularly films by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and LGBTQ+ community members.

Amy spoke to us about her journey in film distribution, the evolution of the industry over four decades, and her exciting upcoming transition as she passes Milestone to the next generation.

NYWIFT Member Amy Heller

Welcome to NYWIFT! Please give us a brief introduction for our readers.

Hi NYWIFT! I am Amy Heller, cofounder of Milestone Films, an independent distribution company dedicated to rediscovering lost and overlooked films, with a particular focus on those by and about women, people of color, Native Americans, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Our motto is: “We like to fuck with the canon.”

What brings you to NYWIFT?

In 2026 my partner Dennis Doros and I are giving our company, Milestone, to an amazing young woman, Maya Cade. It dawned on me that after 40 years in the film business in NYC, joining NYWIFT would be a great way to stay connected and keep learning.

I am also a co-president of the nonprofit organization, Missing Movies, which works to alert the industry to the problem of lost and unavailable films and to help filmmakers research and regain rights to their own work. We are also trying to help current filmmakers take steps to ensure that new films will not go missing in the years ahead. I look forward to sharing those tools with NYWIFT members.

What initially drew you to film distribution, and how has the industry evolved since you co-founded Milestone Films in 1990?

I fell into film distribution in 1985 and was lucky to get work at First Run Features, where I met my lifelong friend, Nancy Gerstman (who went on to co-found Zeitgeist Films with Emily Russo). At that job, and later at New Yorker Films, I found a community of smart, funny, creative, curious people: distributors, programmers, and filmmakers.

The industry — and the world — has changed so much since Dennis and I co-founded Milestone in 1990 that it is almost easier to list what has endured. And despite the many overwhelming technological revolutions (VHS, laserdisc, the internet, cell phones, digital editing, digital filmmaking, DVDs, Blu-rays, digital restoration tools, HD, 2K, 4K, UHD, cable television, pay-cable, TVOD, AVOD, SVOD and more) filmmaking — especially independent filmmaking — remains a powerful medium to inform, explore, and engage audiences.

Oh, and I didn’t even mention such mind-blowing changes as the creation of The Film Foundation, the Art House Convergence, and the Association of Moving Image Archivists!

Amy Heller with Todd Wiener of the UCLA Film Archive and her partner Dennis Doros at the 2024 AMIA(Association of Moving Image Archivists) conference.

Can you share what it’s been like celebrating Milestone Films’ 35th year in distribution and restoration in 2025?

Time is so weird, and anniversaries bring that home. At times I feel like I have been at Milestone for centuries and at others I keenly recall the excitement and anxiety we felt on the release of our first VHS tapes. It does mean a lot to me that we are closing out our ownership of Milestone with new restorations of films we first worked on decades ago: Killer of Sheep, Grass, Chang, My Brother’s Wedding, Queen Kelly, and Sadie Thompson.

Amy Heller with her husband and partner, Dennis Doros, at the 2024 Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna.

How do you approach selecting films for distribution, and what qualities make a project stand out to you?

Dennis and I — now in consultation with Maya Cade — choose films that we think are important in terms of history, filmmaking quality, and political/social relevance. And we especially seek out titles that challenge and expand the cinema canon.

Because we often are involved in the restoration of the film, we also think about what it will be like to watch it dozens and dozens of times. When Killer of Sheep screened at il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna in late June, I watched the film for maybe the 100th time — and loved it. Great cinema holds up and keeps offering new joys.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of your four decades in film distribution and restoration?

It has meant a lot to me to be a small part of bringing attention to the work and historical importance of overlooked filmmakers. But the most rewarding aspect of these decades has been the great friendships I have made. Our former colleagues and interns, programmers, academics, archivists, filmmakers, and many others have enriched our lives so much. We are grateful and lucky.

Amy Heller and Dennis Doros examining vintage posters at the Black Film Center & Archive at Indiana University in 2024.

What advice would you give to emerging filmmakers about the distribution process and getting their work seen?

Having spent decades working on restored films, I am no expert on the trials and challenges emerging filmmakers face. I am sorry about that. But I do encourage filmmakers and others interested in the business to think about film as a community of friends. I hate networking, but I love making new friends, young and old.

Amy Heller, Dennis Doros, and filmmaker Charles Burnett.

Are there any exciting restoration projects or distributions coming up that you’re particularly passionate about?

My husband/partner Dennis Doros’s first-ever film restoration was Queen Kelly in 1985. 40 years after that version played at the 42nd Venice Film Festival, his new reimagining of Erich von Stroheim’s unfinished masterpiece (based on access to nitrate elements, research, paperwork, and other footage) will be premiering at the 82nd Venice Film Festival on August 26.

Connect with Amy Heller and learn more about Milestone Films at milestonefilms.com.

(All images courtesy of Amy Heller)