Retroformat Silent Films

Our Mission is to promote education and enthusiasm about the art of silent film.

Our Vision is a future where the silent film era is widely enjoyed and fully appreciated as a cornerstone of modern film and visual art.

Our programs include in-person theatrical screenings with live music, educational programming for public and private schools, and a one-of-a-kind online silent film archive for members, the Retroformat Vault.

Only a small number of people alive today have ever had the unique experience of attending a public silent movie screening with live musical accompaniment. Retroformat strives to spread enthusiasm about the art of silent film, which flowered for thirty years and provided the foundation for today’s filmmaking.

It is estimated that 85 - 90% of all films made from 1896 to 1929 are lost forever. It is imperative that the surviving films from the silent era are experienced and enjoyed, or there will be no will to preserve what remains. Losing this part of our history would mean forgetting how the most important art form of our time evolved, as well as how people a century ago viewed the social issues shaping our lives today. We would also miss out on the chance to experience some amazing art.

Fortunately, the solution to this problem is simple, because so much of the art produced during the silent film era is powerful and universal. When we first began showing silent films to 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Laurel Magnet School in Los Angeles, we heard the same objection from a lot of well-meaning friends, “You can show them fast-paced comedies, but kids today don’t have the attention span for silent drama.” As it turned out, nothing could be further from the truth.

After successful screenings of films by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, we took a gamble and introduced the students to “The Flying Ace,” an aviation drama featuring an all African-American cast, and produced by the pioneering Norman Studios in 1926. The children were fascinated, and the discussion afterward was one of the most stimulating we ever had. The 1915 William S. Hart western short “Bad Buck of Santa Ynez” was received with similar enthusiasm.

Retroformat is run by a team of volunteers who are excited by our mission, including our Musical Director, Cliff Retallick, a master composer, improvisor and keyboardist, and digital imaging specialist David Slaughter, who prepares our online presentations of rare silent film prints from private collections. Our Board of Directors includes internationally renowned filmmakers Allison Anders and Alexander Payne, and our Advisors include the legendary cultural historian Anthony Slide, author of Nitrate Won’t Wait: A History of Film Preservation in the United States and more than 70 other books on film history and popular culture.

Retroformat recently had the pleasure of introducing Harold Lloyd's granddaughter, Suzanne Lloyd, and screening a Harold Lloyd film for a group of 6th graders at Laurel Cinematic Arts Creative Tech Magnet School in Los Angeles. Cliff Retallick brought his keyboard and provided a live performance to accompany the film.

​Pictured here, you can see the kids mesmerized by Harold Lloyd in Get Out and Get Under (1920), and Suzanne talking to the captivated students following the movie. Most of them had never seen a movie projector or reel of film before, much less a silent film with live music. The students loved the experience, and it's moments like these that remind us why we're so passionate about our mission to promote education and enthusiasm about the art of silent film.

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We believe that silent film is not only a crucial part of film history, but it's also a powerful and universal art form that can still resonate with audiences today. By introducing young audiences to the magic of silent film, we're helping to keep this important part of our history alive. You can help by becoming a member of the Retroformat Vault today, and gain access to dozens of rare silent films, too! ​