Entries open for Matching Grant Program (US)

The grants may be requested by nonprofit or public institutions with film preservation experience and the current capacity to carry out large preservation efforts.

Funding Information

• Applicants may request cash stipends of between $20,001 and $75,000 to fund laboratory work and must “match” the NFPF grant with outside cash support equal to one-fifth of the total project costs.
• Duration: July 2025 to September 2026.

Eligible Activities

• The grant funds may be used to pay for the creation of:
  • New film preservation elements, including protection of the soundtrack for sound films.
  • Two new public access copies, one of which must be a film print. For projects with a digital workflow, NFPF recommends a 4K scan to be output to an uncompressed file. Access files can be compressed mp4 files of a lower resolution (minimum resolution: High Definition 1080p).
  • For silent-era films, the reconstruction or translation of English-language intertitles.
  • Closed captioning for sound films and/or audio description for online or television exhibition.

Eligibility Criteria

• Grants are available to public and 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations that have completed at least one NFPF grant and have the capacity to plan, manage, and complete a complex, large-scale film preservation effort. Large projects must involve the preservation, reconstruction, or preservation of a single film or film collection of special cultural, historic, or artistic significance that was made in the United States or by American citizens abroad and is not protected by commercial interests.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Materials originally created for television or video are not eligible, including works produced with funds from broadcast or cable television entities.

For more information, visit NFPF.