The Nitrate Picture Show

Join us for the 9th Nitrate Picture Show May 29–June 1, 2025.

SOLD OUT! As of May 6, the Nitrate Picture Show has sold its maximum number of passes. Those who still wish to purchase a pass can sign up to be included on a waitlist, should passes become available. Contact [email protected].

JUST ANNOUNCED: The 2025 Nitrate Picture Show will open with an original Technicolor nitrate print of Becky Sharp (1935), screening Thursday, May 29 at 7:30 p.m. at the Dryden Theatre. Directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Miriam Hopkins, Becky Sharp holds a unique place in cinema history as the first full-length feature produced in three-strip Technicolor. Adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair, the film follows its sharp-tongued and ambitious anti-heroine through the shifting currents of British society during the Napoleonic Wars. Bold in both its visuals and its tone, Becky Sharp mixes sly comedy with pointed drama, all delivered in Technicolor at its most expressive and self-conscious. The print screening at the Nitrate Picture Show was struck from the original camera negatives during the film’s initial release and has been preserved in excellent condition by the Eye Filmmuseum (Netherlands). Very few nitrate copies survive, and this print has not been projected on nitrate in at least fifty years.

About the Nitrate Picture Show

The Nitrate Picture Show, the festival of film conservation, returns for its ninth year. The festival features screenings of vintage nitrate prints from international archives and the Eastman Museum’s own collection and lectures from leading archivists, inviting you to experience the art and science of film preservation, from print conservation to archival projection. Film fans who have attended our festival before will tell you that it's the rare experience of watching original nitrate prints projected in the cinema while surrounded by other enthusiasts that really makes the Nitrate Picture Show unique. 

Since the very first edition, which took place in 2015, the titles of the films have only been announced on the first day of the festival, and the last screening has traditionally been a Blind Date with Nitrate, where the title is revealed when the curtain rises and the light from the projector hits the screen. Hence, we cannot say anything about the program selected for 2025. Instead, we can name but a few titles we screened in the past. Such as tinted silent prints of Intolerance (1916, D.W. Griffith) and Die freudlose Gasse [The Joyless Street] (1925, Georg Wilhelm Pabst); original release prints of Der blaue Engel [The Blue Angel] (1930, Josef von Sternberg), L’age d’or [The Golden Age] (1930, Luis Bunuel), Liebelei (1933, Max Ophüls), Stella Dallas (1937, King Vidor), Le jour se lève [Daybreak] (1939, Marcel Carné), Walt Disney’s Pinocchio (1940), Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944, Vincent Minnelli), Leave Her to Heaven (1945, John M. Stahl), Nightmare Alley (1947, Edmund Goulding), Ladri di biciclette [Bicycle Thieves] (1948, Vittorio de Sica), The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed), and Bakushu [Early Spring] (1951, Yasujiro Ozu); William Wyler’s personal prints of Counsellor at Law (1933) and The Good Fairy (1935) and David O. Selznick’s prints of A Star is Born (1937) and Rebecca (1940); a stunning 1945 British release print of The Wizard of Oz (1939, Victor Fleming); one of the few surviving nitrate prints of Alexander Nevsky (1938, Sergei Eisenstein) and Vredens dag [Day of Wrath] (1943, Carl Theodor Dreyer). Among other filmmakers whose works were screened at the first seven festivals are René Clair, George Cukor, Robert J. Flaherty, John Ford, Fritz Lang, David Lean, Ernst Lubitsch, Mikio Naruse, Roberto Rossellini, Douglas Sirk, Preston Sturges, Teuvo Tulio, King Vidor, and Raoul Walsh, to name just a few. We were lucky to find multiple projectable titles by Alfred Hitchcock and the legendary duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. In the Nitrate Shorts section, we presented Walt Disney’s first color films, screen tests for Gone with the Wind (1939), as well as experimental works by Mary Ellen Bute, Oscar Fischinger, Len Lye, Norman McLaren, and Vsevolod Pudovkin. We set a high standard, as you can see, and now we just have to live up to it.

Ticket Information

Patron Passes – SOLD OUT!

For the first time, Patron passholders have the opportunity to reserve their preferred seats in the Dryden Theatre, and their respective seats will remain exclusively theirs throughout the festival. Patrons with reserved seats will enjoy expedited entry to the theatre through a Patron-only line. This separate line for Patrons will also have the effect of shorteniing the line for attendees who are not Patrons.

Festival Passes - SOLD OUT!

The Regular Pass, as well as the Member/Student Pass, grant the holder access to all screenings and lectures held during the course of the festival. All pass holders are provided complimentary admission to the George Eastman Museum during the days of the festival. In addition, these pass holders have the opportunity to reserve spots for passholder-exclusive presentations, demonstrations, and tours. All Festival Pass holders also receive gift bags with limited edition Nitrate Picture Show ephemera and the festival program catalog.

The Patron Pass (now sold out), our premium supporter-level pass, receives all of the perks of the previous tier, reserved seating, as well as an additional premium Patron thank you gift in their complimentary tote bag. Patrons also receive acknowledgment by name at the following year's Nitrate Picture Show in the program catalog and on displayed signage.

• Regular Pass: $225
• Member/Student Pass: $175
• Patron Pass (includes reserved seats): $325 (SOLD OUT)

Dryden Theatre seating for Regular Pass and Member/Student Pass holders as well as single-screening ticket holders is general admission.

Please Note: NPS badges must be worn at all times in order to gain entry to all screenings and events. 

Single-Screening Tickets
Tickets for individual screenings, if available, may be purchased at the Dryden Theatre box office during the festival. 

• General Admission: $27
• Students & Museum Members: $22

Dryden Theatre seating for single-screening ticket holders is general admission.

Complimentary baggage check will be available the morning of Sunday, June 1. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Accessibility Badge

After purchasing your pass for the 9th Nitrate Picture Show, we encourage guests who require accessibility accommodations to sign up for an Accessibility Badge to ensure a comfortable experience. If you have accessibility or mobility needs, such as requiring specific accessible seating, using a wheelchair or walker, or difficulty standing for extended periods, please let us know in advance. You can sign up for the Accessibility Badge and contact us with any questions by reaching out to the box office by phone at (585) 327-4839 or by email at [email protected]. Our team is here to assist you in making any necessary arrangements so you can fully enjoy the festival.

Hotel recommendations:

Strathallan Reservation – Nitrate Picture Show (Neighborhood Rate)

Hyatt Regency Rochester Reservations – Nitrate Picture Show (Neighborhood Rate)

Thursday, May 29, 2025 Festival Schedule

• 9 a.m. onward - Festival registration opens
• 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. - Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center Nitrate Vault Tour 1 (off-site via bus, maximum 15 people, $25 per person, passholders only, reservation required)
• 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Press conference and announcement of titles (open to the public)
• 11:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. - Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center Nitrate Vault Tour 2 (off-site via bus, maximum 15 people, $25 per person, passholders only, reservation required)
• 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Technology Collection Tour 1 (maximum 10 people, passholders only, reservation required)
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Beyond Nitrate: Highlights from the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection (maximum 25 people, passholders only, reservation required)
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Concert in the historic mansion (grand piano, free to museum visitors)
• 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. - Technology Collection Tour 2 (maximum 10 people, passholders only, reservation required)
• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - Free Presentation: Film Atlas - A Comprehensive Online Encyclopedia of Motion Picture Film Technologies (maximum 70 people, passholders only, reservation required)
• 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center Nitrate Vault Tour 3 (off-site via bus, maximum 15 people, $25 per person, passholders only, reservation required)
• 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. - Technology Collection Tour 3 (maximum 10 people, passholders only, reservation required)
• 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. - Concert in the historic mansion (Aeolian pipe organ, free to museum visitors)
• 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. - Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center Nitrate Vault Tour 4 (off-site via bus, maximum 15 people, $25 per person, passholders only, reservation required)
• TBD p.m. - Program 1 - Opening Night Film

Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center Nitrate Vault Tour

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At the 9th Nitrate Picture Show, we are excited to offer a rare, behind-the-scenes tour of the newly upgraded and expanded Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center, the George Eastman Museum's esteemed nitrate vaults. Located off-site in North Chili, New York, this state-of-the-art facility houses more than 24,000 reels of highly flammable nitrate film, meticulously preserved under strict temperature and humidity controls to maintain the beauty and clarity of this remarkable medium. Led by our knowledgeable Collection Manager Deborah Stoiber, tour guests will gain insight into the history and care involved in preserving nitrate film, including the unique challenges that come with such volatile yet visually captivating material. Guests will leave with a newfound appreciation for the intricate work required to protect cinematic history, from handling protocols to the technical requirements for storage. Capacity is limited to 15 guests per tour, and transportation to the vaults will be provided via tour bus. Attendance is open only to Nitrate Picture Show passholders who have reserved their spot via $25 fee. Capacity Reached - Reservations Closed

Free Presentation: Film Atlas - A Comprehensive Online Encyclopedia of Motion Picture Film Technologies

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Join Founder and Editor James Layton, Project Coordinator Crystal Kui, and special guest authors for the public launch of Film Atlas, a new website from the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) and the George Eastman Museum. This online resource documents the history of film as a physical medium, from film gauges and bases, to color, 3-D and sound. It is a truly collaborative effort, with the aim of publishing over 650 newly-commissioned scholarly essays over the next five years, written by over 150 experts from 23 countries. This presentation will provide an overview of the project, an introduction to the main features of the website, and insight into the research and writing process from the project’s authors. Only Nitrate Picture Show passholders who have reserved their spot may attend. Capacity is limited to 70 guests per tour.

Get tickets here

Technology Collection Tour

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Join Curator Todd Gustavson and Collection Manager Damien Craft on Thursday, May 29, 2025, for an exclusive, complimentary tour of the George Eastman Museum’s renowned Technology Collection. This guided experience offers a rare glimpse into over 21,000 objects, showcasing the evolution of photographic and cinematographic technology from the earliest cameras to modern digital devices. Guests will encounter historic artifacts and rare equipment, including cameras used by iconic photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Ansel Adams, as well as pioneering American and French models. This is a unique opportunity to explore some of the most significant milestones in imaging history, curated by experts in the field. Only Nitrate Picture Show passholders who have reserved their spot may join this tour. Capacity is limited to 10 guests per tour. Capacity Reached - Reservations Closed

Beyond Nitrate: Highlights from the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collection

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We invite Nitrate Picture Show passholders to attend an exclusive presentation showcasing highlights from the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collections. This session will feature a curated sampling of rare and diverse objects illustrating the history of motion picture production, exhibition, and promotion, including pre-cinema artifacts, film stills and iconic Hollywood portraits, lantern slides, lobby cards, scrapbooks, and manuscripts. Join our hosts Nancy Kauffman, Archivist of the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collections, and Sophia Lorent, Assistant Archivist of the Stills, Posters, and Paper Collections, for this fascinating look at cinema's ephemeral material history and discover how these collections can be utilized by historians, filmmakers, and film preservationists. Capacity is limited to 25 guests. Capacity Reached - Reservations Closed

Concerts in the Historic Mansion

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Join us on May 29, 2025, for a unique musical experience with acclaimed musician and composer Andreas Benz in the historic mansion. Known for his expertise in silent film accompaniment and vintage dance band music from the 1920s and 1930s, Benz will present two distinct concerts: a piano performance featuring lively arrangements from the era, and a program on the Aeolian pipe organ, highlighting his much-anticipated “Nitrate Wish List” of classic films. Recognized for his musical craftsmanship and restoration of a 1929 Christie theater organ, Benz brings a rare depth to each performance. Both concerts are free to Nitrate Picture Show passholders and all other museum guests.