“We should invest as much in saving films as we do in making films.” – Jane Fonda
New York-based film preservation group IndieCollect visited Los Angeles in early December to bring twelve restored films back to the big screen. The inaugural RescueFest took place at Santa Monica’s Leammle Monica Film Center and the Academy Museum over two consecutive weekends.
The Golden Globe Foundation has proudly sponsored 44 film restorations with IndieCollect so far, bringing the total number of Golden Globe Foundation-funded film restorations to 165, as well as 300 short films by the Lumière Brothers.
Sandra Schulberg, president of IndieCollect, kicked off the festival. “This is hallowed ground… a cinema!” she proclaimed, before thanking her vibrant young team for their tireless work on the dozen restorations being shown as part of the festival. Cameron Haffner, Director of Restoration Services was in attendance along with Bella Racklin, Communications and Marketing Manager, and Isiah Babilonia, head of Creative Operations and RescueFest’s resident photographer.
Jane Fonda has long supported classic film restoration efforts, so it was no surprise when she walked into the opening night gala to introduce the restoration premiere of her longtime friend and ‘Grace and Frankie’ co-star Lily Tomlin‘s 1991 movie, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe.
The film, written by Tomlin’s wife Jane Wagner, and directed by John Bailey, is a feature version of Tomlin’s live show performed at New York’s Plymouth Theater. It’s been a hard-to-find flick for over two decades. Fans in attendance recalled hunting for the film version for years. And now, thanks to the restoration experts at IndieCollect, and former Academy Film Archive curator Ed Carter, who found the original negative, it’s back – in 4K!
Fonda conducted a Q&A with Tomlin after the screening. Producer Paula Mazur and Editor Carol Littleton were in the audience as the pair discussed the making of the film and the challenges of finding intelligent life in the universe.
A total of ten films were shown at Monica Film Center. Highlights included:
- West Coast Premiere of Camera d’Or winner Northern Lights, fresh from the New York Film Festival (coming soon from Kino Lorber)
- Director’s Cut of Nationtime by William Greaves, lost for nearly 50 years, the only film made about the National Black Political Convention of 1972 (in release via Kino Lorber)
- F.T.A., produced by and starring Jane Fonda, followed by Q&A with Jane Fonda, Holly Near and David Zeiger (in release via Kino Lorber)
- Melvin Van Peebles’ rarely seen movie debut The Story of a Three Day Pass, presented by Mario Van Peebles (in release via Criterion Collection/Janus Films)
- Closing Night West Coast Premiere of Shadow Magic, Ann Hu’s valentine to the birth of cinema, starring Jared Harris & Xia Yu, from Sony Pictures Classics.
Miracle Mile was an appropriate setting for weekend two of RescueFest, during which a further three films were screened at the Academy Museum’s Ted Mann Theater:
- Solomon Northup’s Odyssey by Gordon Parks with in-person appearances by Mario Van Peebles, DP Hiro Narita, producer Shep Morgan, restoration colorist Eva Yuma in conversation with The Ford Foundation’s Jon-Sesrie Goff
- Hairstory by LaTanya Richardson Jackson
- A Question of Color by Kathe Sandler
Both LaTanya Richardson Jackson & Kathe Sandler appeared in person, and took part in conversations with Maya Cade.
