For the past seven years we had paid tribute and brought awareness to various contributions to the art of film by honoring individual artists.
With the 8th prestigious Coolidge Award, we branched out from our own Award history to make a bold statement about the need to protect history, by focusing on the efforts being made in film preservation.
The 8th Coolidge Award
While the motion picture medium endures as one of the most beloved art forms in the world, one that impacts our collective memory, the actual artifacts are by their nature fragile. Over half of all American films made before 1950 have been allowed to deteriorate beyond rescue and over 90% of all films made before 1929 are gone forever. Remarkable work is being done to preserve this cultural legacy.
The Coolidge thanks all those who joined with us as we celebrated, learned more from those on the forefront of these efforts, and experienced the joy of sound and image brought back to life. The Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation has set up a Film Preservation Fund of $125,000, of which $25,000 a year will be distributed over the next five years. The Coolidge is pleased to announce that the first $25,000 installment was granted to The Film Foundation, in honor of their extraordinary contribution to film preservation and restoration, education and outreach.
About the Film Foundation
For twenty one years, The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 by Martin Scorsese, has been dedicated to protecting and preserving motion picture history by providing substantial annual support for preservation and restoration projects at the nation's major film archives. Since its inception, the foundation has raised awareness of the urgent need to preserve films and has helped to save over 555 motion pictures. Joining Scorsese on the board of directors are: Woody Allen, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wes Anderson, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Curtis Hanson, Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, George Lucas, Alexander Payne, Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg. The Film Foundation is aligned with the Directors Guild of America whose President and Secretary-Treasurer serve on the foundation's board. The Film Foundation has been recognized for its work with the “Preservation and Scholarship Award” from the International Documentary Association, the Focal International Award for “Best Archival Restoration or Preservation Project (The Red Shoes)”, and the “Film Heritage Award” from the National Society of Film Critics.