named programs · 7 · from sources
What they call their work
Archive
Secures permanent, cost-free storage for film materials in partnership with nonprofit film archives
Education
Provides seminars and speakers for film schools and organizations on best practices for preserving indie films
Exhibition
Secures festival, museum, and cinema screenings for restored films and supports distribution deals and publicity
Inventory
Archivists inspect and catalog film and sound elements, entering data into the IndieCollect Index database; includes site visits in NY and Los Angeles
Legacy Planning
Assists filmmakers and heirs in developing comprehensive plans for preservation, rights management, and retrospectives
Restoration
Creates high-quality 4K digital restorations using an in-house Kinetta Archival Scanner and team of colorists working with filmmakers
Training
Trains and hires archivists and technicians from NYU, UCLA, and Brooklyn College; conducts professional development workshops
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Archival Digitization and Preservation 2 activities
- Inventory and data management for film and sound elementsConducts inventory and data entry for film and sound elements for nearly 100 independent filmmakers through office and site visits in New York and Los Angeles, supporting long-term preservation and access.
- Reactivation and archival of unreleased independent filmsLocates, identifies, and archives independent films, including previously unreleased works such as "Nationtime" and "Cane River," ensuring their preservation and inclusion in the cinematic canon. Thousands of films have been processed to date.
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Film Distribution and Screening Programs 1 activity
- Exhibition and distribution support for restored filmsSecures exhibition opportunities for restored films at festivals, museums, and cinemas, supports the negotiation of distribution deals, and promotes restorations through newsletters and press outreach.
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Arts and Cultural Workforce Training 1 activity
- Professional training in film preservation and color gradingProvides capacity-building through training programs, including a 2-day color-grading session for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, and recruits and trains archivists, scanner technicians, and colorists from academic programs at NYU, UCLA, and Brooklyn College.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- 4K digital restoration of independent filmsCreates 4K digital restorations of American independent films using original film and sound elements, often scanned from the original 35mm negatives, to preserve works at risk of extinction due to neglect or inadequate preservation methods. The organization has completed or has in progress the restoration of nearly 100 films, including titles such as "Trees Lounge," "A Blink of Paradise," "A Comedy In Six Unnatural Acts," and "A Question of Color."
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$740K
Contributions & grants$379K51%
Program service revenue$360K49%
Investment income$30%
Other revenue$954
expenses
Total expenses$740K
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead10%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$76K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$169K
Cash$48K
Investments$0
Liabilities$183K
Net assets$-14K
Liquid reserves0.8 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +54.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
board members · 17
- AMALIE R ROTHSCHILD — SECRETARY
- ANN HU — DIRECTOR
- CATHERINE WYLER — DIRECTOR
- CHAZ EBERT — DIRECTOR
- DAVID LEITNER — TREASURER
- GERALD HERMAN — DIRECTOR
- GREGORY NAVA — DIRECTOR
- JILL GODMILOW — DIRECTOR
- JOHN PTAK — DIRECTOR
- LYDA KUTH — DIRECTOR
- MICHAEL HAUSMAN — DIRECTOR
- MIKE MASHON — DIRECTOR
- PETER CONHEIM — DIRECTOR
- SANDRA SCHULBERG — PRESIDENT
- TED HOPE — VICE PRESIDENT
- TERRY LAWLER — DIRECTOR
- WARRINGTON HUDLIN — DIRECTOR
relationships · 16
Who they work with
- An Apparatus Production Partner — Collaborated on the production of a film.
- Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Funder — Provided financial support for the restoration of "A Comedy In Six Unnatural Acts".
- Black Film Center & Archive at Indiana University Partner — Cooperated in the restoration of the film "A Question of Color".
- Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema at Brooklyn College Partner — Source of scanner technicians and colorists recruited and trained by IndieCollect.
- Film Independent Partner — Organization for which IndieCollect provides speakers or organizes seminars on film preservation.
- George Eastman Museum Partner — Collaborating institution in the 4K restoration of "Trees Lounge"
- Gotham Film & Media Institute Partner — Organization for which IndieCollect provides speakers or organizes seminars on film preservation.
- HFPA Trust Funder — Provided funding for the 4K restoration of "A Blink of Paradise."
- Hollywood Foreign Press Association Funder — Provided financial support for the restoration of "A Comedy In Six Unnatural Acts".
- IndieCollect Network — Organization responsible for film restorations
- Library of Congress Partner — Receives digital preservation masters of restored films from IndieCollect.
- NYU’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program (MIAP) Partner — Source of archivist trainees hired and trained by IndieCollect.
- Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park Partner — Venue partner for the screening and benefit event featuring Steve Buscemi.
- Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture Partner — Received a 2-day color-grading training session from IndieCollect in 2020.
- UCLA Partner — Source of archivist trainees hired and trained by IndieCollect.
- Women in Film Partner — Organization for which IndieCollect provides speakers or organizes seminars on film preservation.
strategies · 5
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.
- Collaborative, Community-Sourced Restoration Prioritizationmethodology: community-sourced_restoration_prioritizationBy incorporating input from film scholars, archivists, and the press to select films for restoration, we enhance cultural relevance and field-wide impact because collective expertise improves decision accuracy and legitimacy.
- Equity-Focused Preservationmethodology: equity-focused_preservationBy prioritizing films by women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers for restoration, we correct historical underrepresentation in archives because inclusive curation produces a more accurate and just cultural record.
- Film Preservation by Risk Mitigationmethodology: film_preservation_by_risk_mitigationBy identifying and prioritizing films at risk of extinction due to neglect or flawed preservation, we ensure long-term survival of culturally significant works because early intervention prevents irreversible loss.
- In-House Restoration Capacity for Cost Efficiencymethodology: in-house_cost_reductionBy conducting scanning and color correction in-house with nonprofit labor and owned equipment, we reduce costs and increase restoration output because lower per-film expenses enable more projects within constrained budgets.
- Institutional Stewardship through Archival Placementmethodology: institutional_placement_networkBy placing physical film materials in established archives, we ensure long-term preservation at low cost because institutional partnerships provide sustainable, professional-grade custody.