Film Preservation

Die Eröffnung der Packstraße (Opening of Packstraße) (1936)

[Familiengruppenbild] (Family Group Portrait) (ca. 1930)

A major concern of the Austrian Film Museum at present is the preservation and presentation of its large holdings of amateur films. Almost all are unique objects, surviving only as single prints on "obsolete" film formats like 9.5mm. Their ability to record "the other side of life", in contrast to what was seen on commercial cinema screens, makes these films extremely valuable as historical documents. Only with the aid of digital technology and expert treatment in highly specialised laboratories can they be adequately preserved for the future.