MUMBAI: As many as 75 long-lost silent films traced in the New Zealand Film Archive vault will be sent back to the United States. Among the films found in storage is the copy of Upstream a drama by legendary director John Ford and a period drama starring the 1920s screen icon Clara Bow.

Sadly, only 15 per cent of the silent films made by Ford have survived. Said, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson that the find is important as there are no prints remaining in the US.

Film Archive corporate services manager Steve Russell said that the films were discovered when American preservationist Brian Meacham visited New Zealand last year. Many of the films remained in New Zealand because distributors at the time did not think the return shipping costs were worth the expense.

Returning the films will cost the US National Film Preservation Foundation around $ 500,000. The late Ford‘s 1927 film Upstream was being copied onto safety stock in New Zealand to prevent further damage in transit.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hopes to screen the restored film in September. Copies of the films are to be made available in New Zealand through the Film Archive.