The NFDC-National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI) in association with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune will organize a specialized workshop on "Moving Images: Preservation, Archiving, Digitization and Restoration" from October 5 to 15, 2026, excluding weekends, at their Pune campuses. The workshop is designed for students, aspiring professionals, researchers and others interested in film preservation, archiving, restoration, film technology and audiovisual heritage.
The program will provide participants with understanding of the art, science and practice of preserving moving images through classroom sessions, practical demonstrations, hands-on training, institutional visits and screenings of archival and restored films. Curriculum coverage includes moving image preservation, metadata, digital preservation, film types and bases, preventive conservation, digital film restoration, paper conservation and audio restoration. Practical sessions will include film identification, inspection and repair, manual film cleaning, celluloid and digital film projection, film scanning and digitization, with additional learning about film scanners, picture and audio scanning, storage requirements, colour grading and quality control.
Participants will gain first-hand exposure to NFDC-NFAI facilities including its Library and Vaults, Documentation and Projection Room. The workshop will provide exposure to professional restoration workflows with technical support from Prasad Corp., which will contribute technical expertise and equipment for film repair, conservation and digital restoration. Institutional visits are scheduled to NFDC-National Film Archive of India, FTII, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute and Reserve Bank of India Archives to familiarize participants with different approaches to preservation, documentation, conservation and management of archival collections.
An international perspective will be provided through a dedicated session on practices followed by the Thai Film Archive. Archival and restored film screenings, including presentations on 35mm and digital formats, will form an important part of the program. The course will be led by Aparna Subramanian as Course Director with a maximum intake of 24 participants and a course fee of ₹12,000 per participant. FTII Vice-Chancellor Dhiraj Singh noted the program brings together film education and preservation of cinematic heritage, while NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum emphasized sharing institutional experience and specialized skills with students and aspiring professionals.