Traditionally, live cinema was the norm – a silent film screening with a live piano accompaniment made film screenings unmissable in-person social occasions.

It is this original experience that is best reflected in these images, the screen remains center stage but with the powerful accompaniment of live music to again make this an unmissable, one-of a kind, never to be duplicated experience.

These were presented by the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival. There is a link to each screening’s details under the photos.

Pamela Gentile likes to work in the dark. The first film she ever processed was 16 mm, meant for movies, her first love and the profession she trained for.

Her first foray as a photographer into the local music scene in San Francisco led her to SF Weekly where she worked as photojournalist/photo editor. At the same time, she kept her focus on the world of cinema working for ten film festivals over the years.

Her archive now approaching 40 years is a study of the cinema–backstage, on stage, the red carpet, the marquee, the audience, screenings, and odd moments in between–captured cinematically in an atmospheric visual narrative.

Her portraits form a historical record of influential figures in world cinema.

Her most recent capture of live cinema is an attempt to highlight the origins of cinema to preserve what is fast becoming an endangered species.

For more of Pamela’s photos visit her Instagram and website.

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