The World Cinema Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of neglected films from around the world. Founded by Martin Scorsese, the foundation helps support and encourage preservation efforts to save worldwide film patrimony and ensure that these films are preserved, seen and shared. From 2007 the WCF restorations are premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

“The World Cinema Foundation is a natural expansion of my love for movies. Seventeen years ago, together with my fellow filmmakers, we created The Film Foundation to help preserve American cinema. Much has been accomplished and much work remains to be done, but The Film Foundation has created a base upon which we can build. There is now, I believe, a film preservation consciousness. The World Cinema Foundation is being created to help developing countries preserve their cinematic treasures. We want to help strengthen and support the work of international archives, and provide a resource for those countries lacking the archival and technical facilities to do the work themselves. I am honored to be joined on the Advisory Board by Fatih Akin, Souleymane Cissé, Guillermo Del Toro, Stephen Frears, Alejandro Gonzales Iñárritu, Abbas Kiarostami, Deepa Mehta, Ermanno Olmi, Raoul Peck, Cristi Puiu, Walter Salles, Abderrahmane Sissako, Elia Suleiman, Bertrand Tavernier, Wim Wenders, Wong Kar Wai, Tian Zhuangzhuang and other filmmakers who share the common goal”.

Martin Scorsese, Chairman