Independent Film Preservation Fund
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Funds the restoration and digitization of aging film archives at risk of physical degradation before they can be preserved.
Why this matters in Italy
Much of film history survives on unstable materials. Early nitrate film is highly flammable and can decompose into powder; later acetate stock suffers from "vinegar syndrome," shrinking and warping as it breaks down; and color film fades as its dyes deteriorate, often shifting to pink. Past a certain point the image cannot be recovered. Italian cinema, from silent-era epics through postwar neorealism to regional and amateur filmmaking, is scattered across archives, private collections and laboratories in very different states of repair.
Well-known classics usually find a rights holder willing to pay for restoration. Lesser-known titles, documentaries, newsreels, home movies and the work of small producers rarely do, even when they are the only moving-image record of a place, a dialect or a period. Digital restoration means scanning each frame at high resolution and then repairing scratches, flicker and color frame by frame, work done by skilled technicians over months. That labor is the main reason so much material still waits on shelves.
What your gift pays for
- High-resolution scanning of deteriorating reels before decay makes them unreadable
- Frame-by-frame digital repair of scratches, flicker and faded color by specialist technicians
- Climate-controlled storage that slows decay of original negatives and prints
- Restoration of lesser-known films, documentaries and amateur footage that lack commercial backers
Organization
Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna · Italy
Codice Fiscale / Partita IVA (Italy) · No. 03170451201
Founded 1962 · Headquarters: Bologna
Bologna film archive foundation whose L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory restores and digitizes deteriorating film heritage.
How they work: Cineteca di Bologna pairs a working archive with a restoration laboratory and a public program. L'Immagine Ritrovata combines photochemical and digital techniques, and its researchers compare surviving prints held around the world to rebuild films as close as possible to their original form. Restored titles reach audiences through Il Cinema Ritrovato, the festival the Cineteca hosts in Bologna each summer, and through cinema re-releases. The Cineteca also houses major collections, including the Pier Paolo Pasolini archive, and led a long-running restoration of Charlie Chaplin's films.
Track record: Through its L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory, founded in 1992, the Cineteca restores around 140 films a year, with restorations premiering at festivals such as Cannes and Venice.
✓ Verified by our team on 11 September 2026
Giving in Italy
Cultural heritage outside the major national programs is the main subject of the Italian causes. FAI restores smaller, unlisted historic sites valued by local communities, the Cineteca di Bologna restores and digitizes aging film archives, and an association of small museums trains staff and volunteers across its member network. The one social cause, with Agevolando, provides early housing support for young people at risk of homelessness after leaving unstable family situations.
4 causes are listed in Italy, each with its own verified organization. $362,803 has been distributed to causes in Italy since 2021.
Our guide to giving in Italy · all 4 causes
Donare criptovalute in Italia: 4 cause verificate da sostenere
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