irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $297KFILM AND VIDEO PRESERVATION AND ARCHIVING: THE ORGANIZATION STORES APPROXIMATELY 20,000 FILMS AND 5,000 VIDEOS IN ITS CLIMATE CONTROLLED VAULTS, MANY OF WHICH MIGHT NO LONGER EXIST WITHOUT THE ORGANIZATION'S EFFORTS. THE ORGANIZATION PRESERVES DOZENS OF FILMS AND VIDEOS EACH YEAR, OF VARYING FORMAT, LENGTH AND PROJECT COMPLEXITY, MAKING NEW NEGATIVES, PROJECTION PRINTS AND DIGITAL COPIES OF FILMS THAT ARE UNIQUE AND/OR THREATENED BY DECAY, INSURING THAT THESE CRITICALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPORTANT WORKS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO AUDIENCES AND SCHOLARS FOR DECADES TO COME.
- #2 $42KLIBRARY AND RESEARCH: THE ORGANIZATION'S LIBRARY HOUSES THE MOST EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF RESEARCH AND ARCHIVAL PAPER MATERIALS RELATED TO AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA IN THE COUNTRY (AND PERHAPS THE WORLD). THESE COLLECTIONS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPOINTMENT, AND HAVE BEEN WIDELY ACCESSED BY STUDENTS, SCHOLARS, PROFESSORS, WRITERS AND CURATORS AS A UNIQUE RESOURCE IN THE FIELD. THE ORGANIZATION IS A NONLENDING LIBRARY, BUT OFFERS PHOTOCOPY FACILITIES AND IS BUILDING A DIGITAL IMAGE DATABASE OF ITS RARE PAPER MATERIALS THAT WILL BE UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE ONLINE. IN 2026, THE ORGANIZATION PLANS TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION TO EXPAND ITS FACILITIES, FEATURING A NEW ANNEX ADDITION ADJACENT TO ITS EXISTING HISTORIC BUILDING. THE NEW FACILITY WILL GREATLY EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS, ALONG WITH THE FORTHCOMING COLLECTIONS WEBSITE.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Film and Video Preservation and Archiving
Stores approximately 20,000 films and 5,000 videos in climate-controlled vaults; preserves dozens of films annually by creating new negatives, prints, and digital copies to prevent loss due to decay
Library and Research Services
Operates a non-lending research library with the most extensive collection of archival materials on avant-garde cinema in the U.S., available by appointment and being digitized for broader access
Public Screenings and Exhibitions
Presents curated programs of historic and contemporary avant-garde cinema, including themed series, retrospectives, and special events with artist introductions and lectures
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Film Festival and Screening Programming 2 activities
- Essential Cinema Repertory programHosts annual public screenings of the Essential Cinema Repertory collection, a curated selection of 110 programs and 330 titles established between 1970 and 1975 through a Film Selection Committee. Offers free access to over 100 screening programs annually as part of membership benefits and hosts quarterly members-only rare film screenings.
- Public film screenings and exhibition programsScreens more than 900 film programs annually, including curated programs, special presentations, and repertory series focused on independent, experimental, and avant-garde cinema. Screens films in original formats such as 35mm and 16mm, as well as digital transfers (DCP), and rents theater space for external screenings.
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 2 activities
- Film preservation and restorationPreserves an average of 25 films per year by creating new negatives, projection prints, and digital copies to prevent loss from decay; maintains approximately 20,000 films and 5,000 videos in climate-controlled vaults. The collection includes multiple formats such as 35mm, 16mm, Super-8mm film, and various video formats, along with film stills and audio recordings.
- Online access to archival materialsMakes selected video and audio materials from its archival collections publicly available online, expanding access beyond physical visits to the archive.
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Specialized Research Library Access 1 activity
- Maintenance of archival research collectionsMaintains the world's largest reference library of paper materials related to avant-garde and experimental cinema, including books, periodicals, manuscripts, letters, and documents. The collection is accessible by appointment and supports scholarly research, with ongoing development of a digital image database for online access.
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Artist and Curatorial Publications 1 activity
- Publishing and distribution of film-related materialsProduces and publishes books and DVDs related to film and avant-garde cinema. Distributes original 16mm Stan Brakhage film prints to Preservation Donor-level members as part of donor benefits.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.50M
Contributions & grants$881K59%
Program service revenue$571K38%
Investment income$-2K-0%
Other revenue$53K
expenses
Total expenses$1.21M
Program expenses81%
Admin / overhead15%
Fundraising4%
Salaries & benefits$622K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$3.81M
Cash$687K
Investments$0
Liabilities$939K
Net assets$2.87M
Liquid reserves6.8 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +65.7%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN MHIRIPIRI | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $55K |
board members · 5
- AMY TAUBIN — TRUSTEE
- JAMES WAGSTAFF — TREASURER
- MATTHEW PRESS — TRUSTEE
- RONNIE SILVERBERG — TRUSTEE
- SOTIRIOS KOTOULAS — CHAIR
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Avon Foundation Funder — Provided funding for the acquisition of prints and operations of Anthology Film Archives until 1973.
- James Broughton Partner — Member of the Film Selection Committee that assembled the Essential Cinema Repertory collection.
- Jerome Hill Funder — Provided initial funding and visionary support for the creation of Anthology Film Archives and the Essential Cinema project.
- Jerome Hill Partner — Co-founded Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- Jonas Mekas Partner — Co-founded Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- Jonas Mekas Partner — Member of the Film Selection Committee that assembled the Essential Cinema Repertory collection.
- Joseph Papp’s Public Theater Partner — Hosted the opening of Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- Ken Kelman Partner — Member of the Film Selection Committee that assembled the Essential Cinema Repertory collection.
- Kevin Bone Partner — Architect who guided the adaptation of the Second Avenue Courthouse building.
- P. Adams Sitney Partner — Co-founded Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- P. Adams Sitney Partner — Member of the Film Selection Committee that assembled the Essential Cinema Repertory collection.
- Peter Kubelka Partner — Co-founded Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- Peter Kubelka Partner — Member of the Film Selection Committee that assembled the Essential Cinema Repertory collection.
- RACETRACK Partner — Collaborates on a film series titled "RACETRACK" featuring films related to racetracks and gambling themes.
- Raimund Abraham Partner — Architect who guided the adaptation of the Second Avenue Courthouse building.
- Reflexions Data Partner — Website development partner
- Stan Brakhage Partner — Co-founded Anthology Film Archives in 1970.
- The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Funder — Contributed materials from The Andy Warhol Museum's collection for screenings at Anthology Film Archives.
- TransFuture Partner — Website development partner
- Veezi Partner — Platform used for membership renewals and online ticketing.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Curatorial Programming as Critical Framework for Cinematic Studymethodology: critical_curationBy organizing film exhibitions through curated repertory, thematic series, and the evolving Essential Cinema framework, Anthology Film Archives enables deeper engagement with cinema’s history and aesthetics because structured curation functions as a continuous critical tool for interpretation and education.
- Long-Term Access Through Physical and Digital Preservationmethodology: film_preservation_through_reformattingBy reformatting culturally significant films into new physical and digital copies and expanding online access to archival materials, Anthology Film Archives ensures sustained public and scholarly access because long-term preservation requires both media stability and expanded digital reach.
- Preservation of Marginal Cinematic Voices as Cultural Vitalitymethodology: culture-of-the-marginsBy preserving and exhibiting independent, experimental, and avant-garde films outside the commercial mainstream, Anthology Film Archives fosters cultural health because such marginal works serve as essential indicators of artistic innovation and societal critique.