Films play a vital role in capturing historic moments, leaving an indelible mark on audience. But films themselves require some attention as years pass by. We need to preserve the landmark movies, photographs and other material that are a part of film production.

Viacom18, a media and entertainment company, has tied up with Film Heritage Foundation to conduct the fifth Film Preservation and Restoration Workshop India 2019, that is aimed at protecting the country’s cinematic heritage.

Scheduled to be held here from December 8-15, 2019, the workshop will be attended by experts from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan. It will train people in the specialised practices of film preservation and restoration.

Viacom18 and Film Heritage Foundation have been organising events over the four years to create awareness on the importance of preserving and restoring films and film-related photographic and paper material for posterity. The workshops have been held in Mumbai (2015), Pune (2016), Chennai (2017) and Kolkata (2018).

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur , Founder of Film Heritage Foundation, said that applications for the week-long workshop would be open from August 25 to October 20.

Preserving history

“Film is an art form. It is history in motion and a reflection of the times we live in. That is why films must be saved. In keeping with the Foundation’s mission to save every bit of India’s film heritage possible, we began conducting workshops in 2015. They are aimed at training individuals to preserve our celluloid heritage as well as how to tackle the challenges of digital preservation for the future,” Shivendra Singh Dungarpur said.

“It is important for posterity to know the great achievements of our forerunners in the industry. They serve as an inspiration not just in the art of storytelling but also in the innovative and resourceful use of technology available to them in their times,” Dadasaheb Phalke award recipient K Vishwanath said.

The International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) and Annapurna Studios are also associated with the workshop.

The intensive week-long workshop, certified by FIAF, will cover both lectures and practical classes in the best practices of the preservation and restoration of films and film-related paper and photographic material.

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