Northwest Film Forum is turning to its biggest fans and Kickstarter to help it make the leap to digital cinema — while keeping one foot firmly planted in supporting a diversity of mediums. As the standard of film exhibition has become increasingly digitized, the forum, which is committed to bringing Capitol Hill great independent films from around the globe, has started to struggle to find films in the right format.

Today, NWFF uses the classic 16mm and 35mm reels that have been around since the turn of the century but most films are being released exclusively in digitized, high-resolution hardware called Digital Cinema Package, or DCP. In fact, within the next year, 85% of the films the Forum wants to show will use DCP.

At a place like Northwest Film Forum, both types of film exhibition will be showcased and celebrated. You can help at NWFF’s Kickstarter page. A $10 pledge gets you a free movie pass and a soft drink from the lobby.

Molly Michal of NWFF believes in the importance of preserving old film exhibition techniques while still moving in the same direction that film is headed.

“It’s a transcendent and rare experience to see a film in its original form,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to compromise that in order to use new technology.”

The Forum’s Adam Sekuler likens cinema buffs to vinylheads, with 16mm film being the equivalent of vinyl disks and DCP being the equivalent of mp4.

DCP is an encrypted hard drive that can only work with certain devices and certain projectors. Many movie theaters in America have been able to convert to this new format by accepting a Virtual Print Fee subsidy from major film distributors. This subsidy makes the expensive equipment much more affordable, so movie theaters can easily transition to the new standard of film exhibition.

However, this subsidy comes with a caveat, Sekuler, NWFF’s Program Director explained to CHS. “The subsidy requires that you get rid of all your other equipment, and show films exclusively in the DCP format.”

To celebrate the history of film with events that spotlight different eras and styles of film, NWFF would become much more limited by accepting the Virtual Print Fee.

So, the Northwest Film Forum needs your help.

With the support of local companies, NWFF launched a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter to raise the $50,000 necessary to purchase the updated equipment without the subsidy from the studios.

Six days in, Northwest Film Forum has already received pledges for more than $17,000 from 202 supporters.

For more information, check out NWFF’s page at Kickstarter.

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