About the North American Council for the Preservation of Exceptional Media

Our Mission

The North American Council for the Preservation of Exceptional Media is dedicated to preserving the very best moments the art form known as cinema has produced. We believe that as humanity rockets into the future, we should not forget the past. Thanks to a series of generous grants and donations, we’ve been able to document, restore and archive many of our most exciting film moments.

The NACPEM Vault Room

Our Values

A Commitment to Exceptionalism
A Belief that Movies are our Future
A Dedication to Community

Equality & Inclusion

The North American Council for the Preservation believes in the power of diverse voices to drive culture forward.

Which is why we’re looking for any diversity to round out our mostly white board. It’s actually shockingly white. We have a Japanese person as the head of our archiving efforts, but we don’t consider him diverse enough. If you’re non-white, consider applying.

About Us

Established in 2008, NACPEM launched the first comprehensive list of Great Moments in Movie History (later shortened to Great Moments in Movies.)The series was an instant hit, garnering praise from many industry peers, like TMZ. However, a disagreement with Google lead to the shuttering of the program in 2010.

Still, NACPEM soldiered on. In 2012 the Council opened the doors to the NACPEM Conservatory, a graduate-level program to train filmmakers on how to add exceptional moments into their films (current or past). However, that program was also shut down due to a controversial movement that spawned from within demanding the Max Rebo Band be digitally inserted into Fellaini’s La Strada (1954).

Although most of the Council’s funding had dried up by mid-2015, a generous grant in 2019 from the Zapruder Estate breathed new light into the organization. With guidance from Paul Zapruder, great-grandson of legendary filmmaker Abraham Zapruder, NACPEM re-established the Conservatory and began its commitment to the Great Moments program. In 2020, Great Moments in Movies (formerly Great Moments in Movie History) relaunched to overwhelming acclaim. The list has once again joined the ranks of important cinematic documents like the National Film Registry and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide.

As a nonprofit educational organization, NACPEM relies on the generous financial support from film enthusiasts like you to provide funding for its programs and initiatives. Donate today and play your part in preserving exceptional media.

Our Team

Paul Zapruder, President/Council Chair
Curtis Serling, Vice-President
Federico Fellini Jr, Head of Website Efforts
Shawn Kurosawa, Head of Preservation Efforts
Stephen Fleck, Council Member
Benjamin Zest, Council Member
Jonathan Tractor, Council Member

Support our preservation efforts