Martin Scorsese's The Film Foundation to launch virtual screening room for restored films

The first film to show will be the classic 1945 romance 'I Know Where I’m Going!'

Martin Scorsese, the founder of The Film Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to film preservation. AP Photo

The Film Foundation, a non-profit group founded by Martin Scorsese, is launching a virtual screening room for restored films.

The first film to show in the Restoration Screening Room will be the 1945 romance I Know Where I’m Going!, which will be released on the free platform on May 9.

Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the film was restored by The Film Foundation and BFI National Archive and will be available to watch for 24 hours.

Films will be released every alternate Monday. The event will also feature conversations with filmmakers and archivists who will delve into the restoration process.

Co-curated by Scorsese and filmmaker Kent Jones, the line-up includes the 1954 Federico Fellini film La Strada, the 1979 G Aravindan film Kummatty, film noir classics Detour by Edgar G Ulmer and The Chase by Arthur D Ripley. Others to be shown include Sarah Maldoror’s 1972 film Sambizanga, Marlon Brando’s 1961 western One-Eyed Jacks, John Huston’s 1952 Moulin Rouge and Jonas Mekas’s 1976 Lost, Lost, Lost.

“We’re looking forward to making these beautiful restorations available to a wide audience,” Scorsese said. “Many of these presentations will feature restorations that are rarely seen, with myself and other filmmakers sharing why these films are important, how they have impacted our lives, and why it’s crucial that they be preserved.”

Executive director Margaret Bodde said the screening room aligned perfectly with the foundation’s mission and that they were "eager to connect with people around the world who love cinema”.

The foundation has contributed to restoring more than 925 films and has collaborated with Oracle and DelphiQuest to create the platform.

Scorsese will introduce I Know Where I’m Going!. The event will also include interviews with film editor Thelma Schoonmaker Powell, The Souvenir director Joanna Hogg, Only Lovers Left Alive actress Tilda Swinton and The Last King of Scotland filmmaker Kevin Macdonald, all of whom hold the film in high regard.

The screening of I Know Where I’m Going! is co-presented by the BFI National Archive, Park Circus, Janus Films, and ITV. The curated version of the classic had its world premiere in 2021 at Cannes Classics.