September 12 - September 14, 2025 Los Angeles Silent Film Festival Festival | “Harold Lloyd Home Movies,” THE FRESHMAN, HE WHO GETS SLAPPED, “As It Is In Life,” SILKS AND SADDLES, “Cops,” LOVERS IN QUARANTINE, THE BIG PARADE, KID BOOTS, “Love Among the Roses,” UP THE ROAD WITH SALLIE, “The Mender of Nets,” THE ENEMY SEX, “Liberty,” THE MAN WHO LAUGHS Co-presented by Retroformat Silent Films and Mount Saint Mary’s University Graduate Programs in Film, Television and New Media
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL: The American Cinematheque, in partnership with Retroformat Silent Films and Mount Saint Mary’s University Graduate Programs in Film, Television and New Media, is thrilled to present the first annual ‘Los Angeles Silent Film Festival,’ featuring nine films, six restoration premieres, all accompanied by live scores as originally and beautifully intended, by Musical Director Cliff Retallick and guest artist Andrew Earle Simpson. Chief Festival Program Director Steven K. Hill, film archivist and Silent Movie Day co-founder, has curated a series which includes both classic silent titles along with rare and exciting new discoveries, many of these recently and beautifully restored to their original glory. Renowned film historian Randy Haberkamp has assembled a rich assortment of short subjects to accompany select features. Preeminent historian and film curator of the Bison Archives Marc Wanamaker will also be on hand to provide special insights. Highlights will include the 100th Anniversary Screening of the World War I classic THE BIG PARADE (1925), which includes a star-making performance by John Gilbert, and four World Restoration Premieres, including HE WHO GETS SLAPPED (1924) starring “Man of a 1000 Faces” Lon Chaney; Universal Studios’ horse-racing drama SILKS AND SADDLES (1929); the dramatic THE ENEMY SEX (1924) starring Betty Compson; and a lively romantic comedy, LOVERS IN QUARANTINE (1925), starring Bebe Daniels and Harrison Ford. Also featured is the new restoration of KID BOOTS (1926) starring “IT Girl” Clara Bow and Eddie Cantor, plus the comedy-romance UP THE ROAD WITH SALLIE (1918) starring the always charming Constance Talmadge and directed by the legendary William Desmond Taylor. The series closes with a rare presentation of the horror-drama classic THE MAN WHO LAUGHS (1928), starring Conrad Veidt in one of his finest roles. This year, the festival will present an award to Suzanne Lloyd for her outstanding work preserving the legacy of her grandfather, iconic film comedian Harold Lloyd, along with a 100th Anniversary screening of the Harold Lloyd classic, THE FRESHMAN (1925). An award for scholarly research and writings about silent film and its cultural history will also be presented to author/editor Anthony Slide, acclaimed by the legendary Lillian Gish as “our preeminent historian of the silent film.” Slide’s extensive body of work includes authoring over 70 books and editing more than 150 volumes on the history of popular culture. Festival co-founders Brooke Dammkoehler, Kelby Thwaits, and Thomas Barnes warmly welcome both newcomers and devoted silent film enthusiasts to the inaugural Los Angeles Silent Film Festival.