HMD Hirosaki, Japan 2012. Courtesy of Film Preservation Society, Tokyo
Are you interested in helping people learn more about their home movies and how to preserve them? Home Movie Day welcomes new local hosts from all around the world, in cities big and small. Experience handling film and a fondness for home movies is definitely a plus—but if all you have is a venue that’s available on the third Saturday in October and a lot of enthusiasm, we will try to help you pull together the equipment, supplies, and volunteer archivists you will need to host a successful Home Movie Day event. Everyone who has held a Home Movie Day event in the past will tell you the same thing: Hard work is involved, but the outcome makes it all worthwhile. You’ll be helping people connect with their families’ histories, their own past, and their communities, and you’ll also contribute to the rescue of an important part of the cultural record, one which might otherwise be destroyed through neglect.
The “official” Home Movie Day for 2023 is October 21st, but we welcome events throughout October and beyond – any day can be Home Movie Day!
Please visit the Host FAQ and Documents section of our website for important planning guides and day-of documents, templates, and fun stuff for hosting a Home Movie Day. Also, check the listing of HMD locations—if there’s already an event host in your area, get in touch and join forces. If you’re ready to host, submit your event here, and it will appear on the Home Movie Day Events page. If you have questions or need to make changes after submitting, please email us at info@centerforhomemovies.org. We will send you an invitation to our Home Movie Day Google Group so you can communicate with other HMD hosts. We also offer promotional images, video PSAs, and sounds for use in publicizing your HMD event.
Want to volunteer?
If you can’t commit to running your own Home Movie Day event, consider volunteering to help out with one near you. Extra hands are always needed at HMD—relief projectionists, film prep people, runners, greeters, and surplus friendly folks ready to tackle the unexpected can all make a good Home Movie Day event even better. Please visit the listing of HMD locations to find one near you.
Contact the Center for Home Movies at info@centerforhomemovies.org for any questions about hosting a Home Movie Day event.