Gosfilmofond and Russian Academy of Sciences to Use AI for Film Restoration
Gosfilmofond Rossii (Russian State Film Archive) is working with the Russian Academy of Sciences to integrate AI into film restoration workflows. The technology is expected to help address common film defects faster and at lower cost.
In nearly 90% of films undergoing digital restoration, the same issues recur – typically related to color or sound. That is where AI can act as an assistant, automating routine corrections. However, neural networks are not yet capable of fully replacing human experts.
“Without human input – without the experience, perspective, and understanding of the cinematographer and director who created the film – this work is impossible,” said Denis Aksenov, CEO of Gosfilmofond.
According to him, collaboration with the Russian Academy of Sciences has been underway for about a year. Beyond restoration, AI is also expected to be used in processing films for state archival storage and in subtitling.
“This is a costly and time-consuming process, and the adoption of artificial intelligence will help simplify it and reduce both financial and labor costs,” Aksenov added.
