Martin Scorcese presents a “Festival of Preservation” entirely devoted to the preservation of film and its culture. Screenings take place at Sag Harbor Cinema from November 18 through 21.
Returning to SHC after the success of its inaugural year in 2021, the festival welcomes back familiar faces and brings new experiences and filmmakers to the East End.
“This special program speaks to the heart of the Sag Harbor Cinema’s mission to engage our audience with the past, the present, and the future of film,” said Giulia D’Agnolo Vallan, SHC’s founding artistic director. “To connect to different strands of cinema and to celebrate the legacy and the power of the art form.”
‘Festival of Preservation’ highlights
Among the highlights will be the restoration of “The Runner.” Amir Naderi’s semi-autobiographical masterpiece was just re-released by Rialto to enthusiastic reviews. The great master of Iranian cinema — who was the subject of retrospectives at MoMA and Centre Pompidou — will be in Sag Harbor for the screening and Q&A.
The festival also features a screening of the 4K restoration of the George Stevens adaptation of Edna Ferber’s novel “Giant.” The film, starring James Dean, was restored thanks to a collaboration between The Film Foundation — Martin Scorcese is the founder and board chair — and the Warner Bros. archival team.
From Universal’s archives, in partnership with The Film Foundation, comes another take on the western genre, Jacques Tourneur’s “Canyon Passage.” Also restored in 4K, the film is a favorite of Scorsese and Steven Spielberg (a member of the foundation’s board).
Preservation specialists from MoMA will return to SHC with “Rosita,” a costume romance set in a mythical Spain starring silent film star Mary Pickford and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. The comedy “Squirrels to the Nuts” will have a rare screening, introduced by the man who saved director Peter Bogdanovich’s cut of the film after discovering it on eBay.
SHC will show two 35mm print screenings of “La Perla/The Pearl.” This legendary collaboration between Mexican director Emilio Fernandez and author John Steinbeck will be presented both in Spanish and English, courtesy of Mexico City’s Filmoteca UNAM and The Library of Congress.
Bruce Goldstein — Film Forum’s director of repertory programming and founder of Rialto Pictures —returns with his latest live program, “Vaudeville 101: A Night at the Palace.” Along with his deep insight on the subject, the program will feature 35mm screenings of two Vitaphone shorts: “Lambchops” (1929) and “The Beau Brummels” (1928).
David Lynch and ‘The Wizard of Oz’
Renowned essayist and filmmaker Alexandre Philippe will bring his unique critical perspective to the restored “The Wizard of Oz,” highlighting the impact of MGM’s lysergic classic musical on the work of David Lynch. Phillippe’s documentary “Lynch/Oz” premiered at Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year and will be released in early 2023.
SHC will show “The Wizard of Oz” as a kids and families matinee on Saturday and Sunday.
The festival will screen a 4K restoration of Lynch’s “Lost Highway” by the Criterion Collection. “Lost Highway” was co-written with Barry Gifford, who participated in a virtual Q&A at the cinema earlier this year.
Filmmaker Bill Morrison will return with “The Great Flood,” his mesmerizing exploration of one of the worst natural disasters in American history, the 1927 Mississippi River flood. Composer and guitarist Bill Frisell — Morrison’s frequent collaborator — wrote and performed the film’s score.
Preservation panel
Also returning will be the annual Sag Harbor Cinema Preservation Panel, followed by a brunch open to all attendees.
The annual Sag Harbor Cinema Festival of Preservation is made possible with the generous support of our presenting sponsor, Warner Bros-Discovery, and with additional support from the Suffolk County Film Commission.
Tickets and passes will be available on the cinema’s website, sagharborcinema.org.
