World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

Today, on October 27th , the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage is celebrated around the globe — a day that draws attention to the importance of preserving films, television productions, sound recordings, and other forms of audiovisual creativity . To mark the occasion, the film heritage platform Arkaader delights its friends with a newly restored Estonian film classic: director Peeter Simm’s first feature film, the legendary “ Ideaalmaastik ” ( The Ideal Landscape ), has been digitized and restored — and is available to watch for free today. In the early 1950s, Komsomol activist Mait Kukemeri is sent to the countryside to speed up the spring sowing campaign. The collective farmers, led by chairman Tuvike, are in no hurry to start work — the low fields are still too wet, and there isn’t enough seed grain. Meanwhile, superiors in the city demand results. The young sowing commissioner must find a solution, by fair means or foul, and during that bright and tumultuous spring he learns ...

The Theatre Collection's Audiovisual Digitisation Officer, Nigel, has written a blog about sticky-shed syndrome and the catastrophic damage it can cause to tapes. The University of Bristol, Theatre Collection The Great Tape Bake Off - battling sticky syndrome 27 October 2025 ONLINE ONLY

Since 2005, UNESCO has designated October 27th as “ World Day for Audiovisual Heritage ” to raise public awareness of its importance. To commemorate the day, the Hong Kong Film Archive presents a 4K digitally-restored treasure from its collection, Feast of a Rich Family (1959). This film is the most successful of several fundraising projects by the South China Film Industry Workers Union. In an extraordinary show of collaborative spirit, the production was entirely volunteer-based. A dozen writers collaborated on the script, while four acclaimed directors—Lee Sun-fung, Lee Tit, Ng Wui, and Law Chi-hung—each contributed their expertise. Featuring an unrivalled ensemble of the era’s biggest stars, the film is a testament to unity and charity within the Hong Kong film industry. Thanks to the Union’s generous 2024 donation of film materials, the Archive began a 4K digital restoration of the negatives and soundtrack. The process included colour grading, reducing flickering and scratches, a...