The Women’s Film Preservation Fund of NYWIFT at Restored and Rediscovered: A Film Preservation Festival

The Women’s Film Preservation Fund of NYWIFT
at Restored and Rediscovered: A Film Preservation Festival

Film still: Just Around the Corner (1921)

Join us on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, NY, for a day dedicated to celebrating restored cinematic treasures—both beloved classics and newly rediscovered gems. As part of the festival’s second edition, Restored and Rediscovered spotlights the importance of film preservation and the vital work of organizations like the Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF) of New York Film & Television (NYWIFT).

📍 Jacob Burns Film Center
364 Manville Rd.
Pleasantville, NY 10570

🎬 Schedule of Events

11:00 AM – Panel Discussion: Save That Movie! Film Restoration in Action

Film restoration has become a growing cultural priority as audiences learn how essential it is to save our cinematic history. But it wasn’t always this way. Hear from leading experts and preservationists about how the field has evolved, and how organizations like the WFPF are working to bring lost or overlooked films back to the screen.

Panelists:

• Ben Model – Silent film accompanist, Undercrank Productions
• Deborah Shaffer – Producer/Director; Steering Committee Member, WFPF
• Cameron Haffner – Director of Restoration Services, IndieCollect
• Dennis Doros – Co-founder, Milestone Films and Missing Movies
• Amy Heller – Co-founder, Milestone Films and Missing Movies

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1:00 PM – Screening: The Affair at Raynor’s (1912) & Just Around the Corner (1921) With live musical accompaniment by Makia Matsumura
Silent | 92 min | English intertitles with subtitles

Followed by a Reception at Take Three Café on the third floor of the Jacob Burns Center.

To celebrate the WFPF’s 30th anniversary, we’re proud to present two pioneering works by and about women in early cinema—restored with the support of WFPF grants.

• The Affair at Raynor’s(10 min)
  Part of What Happened to Mary, the first American film serial, this short follows Mary, a strong-willed and independent heroine. A cultural phenomenon in its time, the series captivated audiences and inspired a wide range of media spin-offs. Rediscovered and restored by the George Eastman Museum.

• Just Around the Corner(62 min)
  One of only two films directed by the trailblazing screenwriter Frances Marion, this touching story remained incomplete for decades. Recently reconstructed by the Library of Congress and the Eye Filmmuseum, it offers a rare look at Marion’s directorial voice. Marion, the first screenwriter to win two Academy Awards, was a force in early Hollywood and a key collaborator of Mary Pickford.

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🎞️ About the Festival

Restored and Rediscovered: A Film Preservation Festival returns for its second edition with a powerful lineup: from legendary directors like John Ford, Chantal Akerman, and Sergei Parajanov, to modern rediscoveries such as Zeinabu irene Davis’ Compensation and Jim McKay’s Girl’s Town. Highlights include a rare 3D noir from the 1950s; two screenings with live musical accompaniment; a special Q&A with James Ivory (one night only!)

“With more than half of U.S. films made before 1950 now lost, restoration is not just preservation—it’s cultural rescue.” — Monica Castillo, Series Curator and Senior Film Programmer

About the Women’s Film Preservation Fund (WFPF)

Since 1995, the Women’s Film Preservation Fund—founded by New York Women in Film & Television in conjunction with the Museum of Modern Art —has safeguarded over 150 films by and about women. From silent-era pioneers to feminist and activist documentaries, narratives and experimental work, WFPF ensures these stories remain accessible for generations to come.

🔗 Learn more about the WFPF here.