Blackhawk Films
Blackhawk Films is a Burbank-based film preservation and restoration boutique offering digitization up to 6K/4K, digital restoration, screening licensing, and stock footage clip sales from its 5,000+ title archive, serving archives, museums, studios, and distributors worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1927
- HeadquartersBurbank, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Blackhawk Films does
Blackhawk Films Inc. is a privately held film preservation and restoration services company headquartered in Burbank, California, with roots dating to 1927 when founder Kent D. Eastin began distributing film advertising and used 16mm prints from his parents' basement. After multiple ownership changes (Lee Enterprises in 1975, Republic Pictures in 1985), David and Kim Shepard reacquired the assets in 1986 under the Film Preservation Associates name, partnering with Paris-based Lobster Films Group in 2000 and rebranding back to Blackhawk Films in 2020. The company operates from a digital lab opened in April 2019 at 3100 W Burbank Boulevard, staffed by a small team led by CEO Jocelyn Topolski, Head of Digital Restoration Lucie Fourmont, and Head of Audio Nicolas Ruau.
The company's core services comprise film digitization (picture up to 6K/4K and sound across 8mm-35mm formats including nitrate), digital restoration of picture up to 4K and sound, digital lab mastering (DCP, IMF, LTO archiving, color correction via Digital Vision Nucoda), screening licenses from a 5,000+ title catalog, and stock footage clip sales from an 8,000+ hour collection. Its technical differentiator is the ability to handle highly degraded archival materials through proprietary wetgate and drygate scanning processes, Arriscan and Lasergraphics Scanner equipment, and Kodak Digital Ice stabilization.
Blackhawk monetizes through professional-services fees for restoration projects, project-based licensing for screening rights (priced by venue and audience), and unit-based clip sales with free research support, while home video distribution is conducted through channel partners Flicker Alley, Kino Lorber, and Criterion Collection, and streaming/broadcast reach extends through Kanopy, Turner Classic Movies, and ARTE. Its customers include the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Library of Congress, UCLA, MoMA, Harvard Film Archive, Sony, and the Film Preservation Society, with marquee restoration premieres in 2023 (The Black Pirate for MoMA), 2024 (Laurel & Hardy: Year Two), and 2025 (HE WHO GETS SLAPPED and FOLLOW THRU).
Blackhawk Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blackhawk Films
- Legal name
- Blackhawk Films Inc.
- Website
- https://fpa-blackhawk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1927
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Blackhawk Films is a Burbank-based film preservation and restoration boutique offering digitization up to 6K/4K, digital restoration, screening licensing, and stock footage clip sales from its 5,000+ title archive, serving archives, museums, studios, and distributors worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blackhawk Films industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Film Preservation and Restoration Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Restoration & Remastering (4K/8K Scan, Image Stabilization, Dirt/Scratch Removal) (MPADAMAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Film Scanning & Digitization (Telecine, Frame-by-Frame, Metadata Capture) (MPADAMAE), Footage & Stock Media Licensing (Archival/Newsreel/Stock) (MPADALAD), Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC), Color Restoration & Grading for Legacy Content (HDR/SDR Remaster) (MPADAMAC)
Keywords
Where Blackhawk Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Burbank
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blackhawk Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Screening Licenses: Licensing of film rights and materials for theatrical screenings of features, shorts, and documentaries. Provides materials in HD, 2K, or 4K formats with special pricing adapted to audience and venue.
- Clip Sales: Sale of stock footage clips from their 8000+ hour collection for use in documentaries, advertising, features, and other productions. Free research provided for finding specific content.
- Film Digitization Services: Professional digitization of film for picture and sound, handling all formats from 8mm to 35mm, including nitrate support. Services include audit, preparation, repair, and cleaning.
- Digital Restoration: Digital restoration services for picture up to 4K and sound. Specialized in handling complex projects and highly damaged films. Includes picture restoration, sound restoration, and color correction.
- Digital Lab Services: Digital mastering and asset management including DCP, IMF (all applications), quality control, mastering, encoding, versioning, and archiving with LTO tapes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Clip Sales - Project-based pricing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Screening Licenses - Venue-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Blackhawk Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blackhawk Films provides professional film digitization (up to 6K/4K for picture and sound, handling 8mm through 35mm formats including nitrate), digital restoration of picture and sound, and digital lab services such as DCP/IMF mastering, color correction, and LTO archiving. It also licenses its collection of 5,000+ classic film titles through screening licenses and sells stock footage clips from an 8,000+ hour archive for documentary, advertising, and feature use.
Product overview
Blackhawk Films is a film preservation and restoration services company offering a unified portfolio of services: Digitization (picture up to 6K/4K and sound from all film formats), Restoration (digital restoration for picture and sound since 1990), and Digital Lab (DCP, IMF mastering, color correction, archiving). The company distributes its collection of 5000+ titles and 8000+ hours through two channels: Screening Licenses for theatrical/public screenings and Clip Sales for stock footage. Founded in 1927, joined Lobster Films Group in 2000, and opened a Burbank facility in 2019.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Digitization Services Film digitization for picture and sound, handling all formats from 8mm to 35mm including nitrate and archival materials with advanced deterioration. Includes picture scanning up to 6K/4K and sound digitization from optical and magnetic tracks.
- Restoration Services Digital restoration for picture up to 4K and sound, specialized in handling complex projects and highly damaged films. Since 1990, has restored thousands of features and shorts from the Blackhawk and Lobster Films collections and for third-party archives and studios.
- Digital Lab Services Digital mastering and asset management including DCP, IMF (all applications), quality control, mastering, encoding, versioning, color correction using Digital Vision Nucoda, and LTO 6 to 8 archiving.
- Screening Licenses Licensing of film rights and materials for theatrical screenings of features, shorts, and documentaries from a catalog of 5,000+ titles. Materials provided in HD, 2K, or 4K formats with pricing adapted to audience size and venue type.
- Clip Sales Sale of stock footage clips from the 8,000+ hour collection for use in documentaries, advertising, features, and other productions. Free research is provided to find specific content and pricing is adapted to project type and usage.
Companies that use Blackhawk Films
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Blackhawk Films technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Blackhawk Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lobster Films GroupcoreIn 2000, after years of fruitful collaboration, Blackhawk Films joined forces with Lobster Films Group based in Paris, France. The partnership combined two major film collections and enabled joint restoration projects. Blackhawk Films opened its Burbank facility with technical staff chosen from Lobster Films.
- Flicker AlleycoreDistribution partner for Blu-ray and DVD releases of restored classic films. Collaborated on releases such as the Julien Duvivier in the 1920s collection which won the Il Cinema Ritrovato 2022 Best Box Set award.
- Kino International CorporationcoreDistribution partner for high-quality video editions from Blackhawk's film elements, beginning in the late 1980s through early 2000s before transitioning to Flicker Alley.
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesminorFilm archive repository where Blackhawk's negatives and fine grain master prints are on deposit for permanent preservation.
- Library of CongressminorFilm archive repository and partner in ensuring permanent preservation of films on which Blackhawk's material is unique or outstanding.
- USC Hefner Moving Image ArchiveminorDigitized almost all of the original Blackhawk Films bulletins, creating a searchable archive of the company's historical catalogs.
- Film Preservation SocietyminorNon-profit organization collaborating on film preservation projects, including new restorations like FOLLOW THRU (1930).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Blackhawk Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Colorlab: Maryland-based film laboratory offering photochemical processing and digital restoration services to archives and filmmakers. Comparable as a specialist restoration lab serving institutional clients such as the Library of Congress and AFI.
- FotoKem: Burbank-based post-production and film services company providing scanning, restoration, and digital intermediate work to studios and independents. Geographic and service-line overlap with Blackhawk's Burbank lab.
- L'Immagine Ritrovata: Bologna-based film restoration laboratory affiliated with the Cineteca di Bologna. It is a world-leading restoration facility handling picture and sound restoration for major archives and festivals — directly comparable to Blackhawk's digitization and restoration services.
- Cohen Media Group: Independent distributor and theatrical exhibitor of restored classic cinema. Operates in the same value chain — restoring, distributing, and curating classic film for theatrical and home-video windows.
- Kino Lorber: Independent film distribution company with a deep classic and repertory catalog across Blu-ray, theatrical, and streaming. Functions both as a Blackhawk distribution partner and as a competing curator/restorer of classic film content.
- Lobster Films Group: Paris-based film restoration and distribution company founded by Serge Bromberg. It is Blackhawk's strategic partner and the most direct functional peer — both operate restoration labs, manage extensive classic film libraries, and co-produce restored releases.
- Cineric Inc. New York-based film restoration and post-production services firm specializing in archival film work, photochemical finishing, and digital restoration. Operates in the same B2B niche serving archives, studios, and distributors.
- Flicker Alley: Boutique home-video label specializing in restored classic and silent film Blu-ray/DVD releases. A direct distribution partner of Blackhawk and a comparable peer in monetizing restored classic content through curated physical editions.
Broad incumbents
- The Criterion Collection: The preeminent U.S. boutique classic-film label, with deep in-house restoration capabilities and a broad home-video/streaming footprint. A larger incumbent that both commissions restorations and partners with Blackhawk on releases.
- Deluxe Media: Global post-production and content services company offering film scanning, restoration, and remastering at scale. A broader incumbent providing overlapping archival services to major studios, contrasting with Blackhawk's boutique positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blackhawk Films social profiles
Digital presenceBlackhawk Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blackhawk Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Blackhawk Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blackhawk Films M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blackhawk Films
What does Blackhawk Films do?
Blackhawk Films provides professional film digitization (up to 6K/4K for picture and sound, handling 8mm through 35mm formats including nitrate), digital restoration of picture and sound, and digital lab services such as DCP/IMF mastering, color correction, and LTO archiving. It also licenses its collection of 5,000+ classic film titles through screening licenses and sells stock footage clips from an 8,000+ hour archive for documentary, advertising, and feature use.
Is Blackhawk Films a public or private company?
Blackhawk Films is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blackhawk Films founded?
Blackhawk Films was founded in 1927. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Blackhawk Films based?
Blackhawk Films is headquartered in Burbank, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blackhawk Films make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Screening Licenses are the primary driver. The others are clip Sales, film Digitization Services, digital Restoration and digital Lab Services.
Who are Blackhawk Films's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Colorlab, FotoKem, L'Immagine Ritrovata, Cohen Media Group, Kino Lorber, Lobster Films Group, Cineric Inc. and Flicker Alley. Broad incumbents are The Criterion Collection and Deluxe Media.
Does Blackhawk Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blackhawk Films.
What industry is Blackhawk Films in?
Blackhawk Films's product category is Film Preservation and Restoration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAMAB, Digital Restoration & Remastering (4K/8K Scan, Image Stabilization, Dirt/Scratch Removal), with a secondary code of MPADAMAE, Film Scanning & Digitization (Telecine, Frame-by-Frame, Metadata Capture). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.