Independence native, film archivist, and documentary film producer, Randy Gitsch, will bring added flair to the next Riverside Cinema event! Keepers of the Frame will be shown at the River Walk Park Band Pavilion on Friday, June 8th at 8:30 pm. Gitsch, son of Ron and Ann Gitsch, will speak prior to his movie, providing insight into the Hollywood movie scene and an incredible depth of knowledge about the preservation of film.
The movie that Gitsch produced and co-wrote, Keepers of the Frame, is a critically acclaimed documentary about the preservation and restoration of films. Randy, with a long-time interest in history and archives, became more acutely aware of the fate of so many films through working in the RKO Studio Archives and as a film sales librarian. He found himself dealing with film deterioration on a daily basis at the Sherman Grinberg and Energy stock libraries. Because of the deterioration, “I then had to regularly throw away precious news films of the events of WWI, of Women’s Suffragette’s marching, Presidents Harding, Coolidge, wing-walkers doing stunts, so very much of the ‘20s,” Gitsch said. “I felt terrible.”
Keepers of the Frame was part of several festivals around North America and garnered a qualifying screening for Academy Award consideration. Gitsch and director Mark McLaughlin are respected for not only creating a movie which increases awareness of the dire need for the preservation of film, but also for creating their movie on film stock. Big names such as Debbie Reynolds, Alan Alda, Leonard Maltin, and Roddy McDowall are interviewed in the film.
Did you know that 90% of silent movies are gone forever and nearly 50% of the sound movies made before 1950 have also vanished? Find out more about this and the local boy who grew up to be a Hollywood film archivist and documentary film producer. Come to Riverside Cinema on Friday, June 8th at 8:30 pm to hear Randy Gitsch and view Keepers of the Frame. The Independence Public Library is happy to bring Riverside Cinema to you. Sponsorship by East Towne/West Village makes our June 8th event possible. For more information, please contact the library at 334-2470.
More information about Keepers of the Frame.