The Nitrate Picture Show

June 4-7, 2020

The Nitrate Picture Show, the world’s first festival of film conservation, returns for its sixth year. The festival features screenings of vintage nitrate prints from international archives—including the Eastman Museum’s own collection—as well as lectures, workshops, and other opportunities to experience the art and science of film preservation, from print conservation to archival projection.

BUY PASSES, TOURS & WORKSHOPS

Note: Workshops and Tours can be added after passes are purchased.

Ticket Information

Festival Passes

Passes include admission to all screenings and lectures, plus complimentary entrance to the George Eastman Museum June 4–7, 2020. Patrons receive a special gift and recognition on-site and in print.

• Patron Pass — $250
• Weekend (Regular) Pass — $175
• Student/Member Passes — $125

Enhanced Experiences

New! Louise Brooks Locations Tour

For the first time, a limited number of Nitrate Picture Show guests will be given an exclusive one-hour bus tour of Rochester’s Park Avenue neighborhood where Brooks lived and wrote until her death in 1985. Led by Charlotte Siller, producer-director of A Curious Idol, a new documentary about Louise Brooks’s post-Hollywood years and the influence her life and career had on those in her wake, the tour will include two of her residences, the church she attended, the site of her last public appearance, and more. Note: This is a street tour of exterior locations only; no interiors of private property are included. Each session limited to 12 participants; all tour attendees must hold Nitrate Picture Show passes.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $50.

• Tour 1: Thursday, June 4, 11 a.m. (Limit 12), register here
• Tour 2: Thursday, June 4, 1 p.m. (Limit 12), register here

Guided Kodak Factory Tour

Located just five miles north of the George Eastman Museum, the Kodak factory has been in operation for more than a century, manufacturing motion picture film since the nitrate era. This exclusive tour, guided by Kodak personnel, provides an inside look at modern film manufacturing, including the film sensitizing facility and the film finishing factory. Spanning three hours, this tour allows a limited number of guests behind the veil of this special production facility. Each session limited to 12 participants; all tour attendees must hold Nitrate Picture Show passes.

Roundtrip transportation is provided between the Dryden Theatre and the Kodak factory at Eastman Business Park.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $125.

• Tour 1: Thursday, June 4, 8–11 a.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT
• Tour 2: Thursday, June 4, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT
• Tour 3: Thursday, June 4, 12:30–3:30 p.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT

Workshop: How to Make Nitrate Film

During this one-hour demonstration, Eastman Museum process historians will create nitrate film and explain the process of casting raw film stock and coating it with an emulsion. Each session limited to 15 participants; all participants must hold Nitrate Picture Show festival passes.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $50.

• Session 1: Friday, June 5, 2–3:15 p.m. (Limit 15) 
• Session 2: Friday, June 5, 3:15–4:30 p.m. (Limit 15)

Guided Tour of the Nitrate Vaults

A rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and see the George Eastman Museum’s nitrate vaults, this hour-long guided tour includes the twelve vaults, inspection area, and conservation facilities at the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center. Examples of different nitrate stocks will be on display and conservation techniques will be explained.

The Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center is a short drive from the Eastman Museum. Each session limited to 15 participants; all tour attendees must hold Nitrate Picture Show passes. Roundtrip transportation is provided between the Dryden Theatre and the Louis B. Mayer Conservation Center.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $75.

• Tour 1: Friday, June 5, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. (Limit 15)
• Tour 2: Friday, June 5, 12–2 p.m. (Limit 15)
• Tour 3: Friday, June 5, 2–4 p.m. (Limit 15)

Guided Tour of the George Eastman Museum Technology Vault 

The George Eastman Museum is home to the world’s leading collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, consisting of more than 17,000 artifacts from the history of photography and motion pictures. Guided by Technology Curator Todd Gustavson, this hour-long tour through the vault will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the rare, arcane, and wonderful items collected over the last seventy years. Each session limited to 12 participants; all tour attendees must hold Nitrate Picture Show passes.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $50.

• Tour 1: Friday, June 5, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Limit 12)
• Tour 2: Friday, June 5, 1:30–3 p.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT

Guided Tour of Film Preservation Services 

A popular addition to the festival in 2019, this tour takes visitors through a modern digital preservation laboratory. Guided by the Eastman Museum preservation team, visitors will be introduced to typical digitization workflow for archival films. In addition to the techniques of inspecting, cleaning, and repairing nitrate films, the tour provides a look at some of the hardware and software used to re-create the original film images in the digital realm. A screening of some recent preservations rounds out the tour. Each session limited to 12 participants; all tour attendees must hold Nitrate Picture Show passes. Roundtrip transportation is provided between the Dryden Theatre and the Film Preservation Services Lab.

Advance registration required. Tickets: $50.

• Tour 1: Friday, June 5, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT
• Tour 2: Friday, June 5, 1–3:30 p.m. (Limit 12) SOLD OUT

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