LANGUAGES
Romanian - Native, English - C1 , Italian - B1, German - B1.1, French - A1

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

​

Film Restorer and Archivist
Film Preservation Society, Los Angeles, CA
May 2022 – Present

• Perform hands-on digital restorations of early American silent films, focusing on works produced by the Biograph Company, including films by D. W. Griffith and performances by Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, and Lionel Barrymore.

• Undertake full digital restoration workflows, including cleaning, stabilization, grading, and repair of damaged frames using industry-standard tools.

• Edit and assemble restored films, reconstructing original narrative structure through careful placement of intertitles, scene continuity, and historically accurate formatting.

• Conduct historical research to guide visual and contextual accuracy in restoration and titling.

• Produce preservation masters and screening versions, ensuring fidelity to original presentation standards and archival best practices.

​

Presentation and Curatorship of Restored Films
Selected Screenings and Curatorship of Restored Films
Films restored or co-restored by Ruxandra Blaga unless otherwise indicated:

• Il Cinema Ritrovato: The French Duel (1909), Bologna, 2025

• The Cinema Museum: The French Duel (1909), Getting Even (1909), Kennington, London, UK, 2025

• Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, Pordenone, 2024
  Daily selection of D.W. Griffith’s 1908 films, all restored from paper prints

• Nederlands Silent Film Festival, Kid Boots (1926), co-restored, 2024

• Transilvania International Film Festival – Curatorial introduction, 2024

• The Film Forum: Kid Boots (1926), co-restored, New York, December, 2024

• Il Cinema Ritrovato – Curatorship, Bologna, 2023

• Cinema Arta, Wolf Lowry (1917), Cluj-Napoca, 2023

• Cinemateca Română,Manasse (1931), Bucharest, 2022

• Cinema Victoria, Manasse (1931) Cluj-Napoca, 2022

Writer
Cinema Victoria, Cluj-Napoca
January 2022 – 2023

• Wrote presentation and program texts for film premieres at Cinema Victoria, one of the oldest and most respected art house cinemas in Transylvania.

• Crafted concise, engaging synopses and contextual introductions tailored to diverse audiences, emphasizing each film’s artistic and cultural significance.

• Supported the cinema’s curatorial voice and mission through clear, thoughtful communication aligned with its programming ethos.

Film Restorer / The Romanian National Film Archive (Collaborator)

July 2020 – Present

​

• Carry out the digital restoration of historically significant Romanian films preserved in the national archive.

• Responsible for image repair, grading, stabilization, and digital clean-up, with a focus on preserving the original aesthetic and narrative integrity.

• Completed full restorations of key Romanian cinematic works, including:

  • Manasse (1925)

  • Leiba Zibal (1931)

  • Independența României (1912)

• Collaborate with archive staff and film historians to ensure historical and technical accuracy throughout the restoration process.

Film Restorer / L’Immagine Ritrovata Film Restoration & Conservation / Intern

October 2018 – March 2019

• Worked as part of the Digital Restoration Department at one of the world’s leading film restoration laboratories.

• Contributed to the restoration of 30 films, several of which were presented at major international festivals.

• Hands-on involvement in image cleaning, digital repair and quality control under the supervision of senior restoration specialists.

• Selected restored titles include:

  • Easy Rider (1969) – Cannes Classics 2019

  • Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (1979) – Il Cinema Ritrovato 2019

  • College (1927) – Marché du Film Classique, Lumière Festival (Lyon)​

​

Intern and Assistant
Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy
October 2016 – December 2016

• Museum Education: Delivered group and private tours in English and Italian, contextualizing works in painting, sculpture, and mixed media from major 20th-century movements including Surrealism, Cubism, Abstract Expressionism, and Arte Povera.

• Children’s Education: Led weekly Kids Day workshops for children aged 4–10, focusing on interactive learning and creative engagement with modern art.

• Customer Relations: Assisted with ticketing, visitor services, and wardrobe, ensuring a welcoming and organized front-of-house experience.

• Exhibition Support: Participated in quality control of works by Tancredi Parmeggiani for the exhibition My Weapon Against the Atom Bomb is a Blade of Grass. Tancredi. A Retrospective (Nov 12, 2016 – Mar 13, 2017).

• Photography Assistant: Supported renowned photographer David Heald (Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York) during the documentation of the museum’s collection.

​​

Writer of Exhibition Texts / Galeria Uniunii Artiștilor Plastici

February-September 2017
Compiled a series of descriptive texts of paintings and sculptures for the Art Museum of Baia Mare.

Unknown Magazine / Visual Arts Editor; Layout Editor
October 2013 - July 2016, York, United Kingdom.
Responsible for the selection of works of art, layout, and collaboration with visual artists from countries such as England, France, Romania, Spain, United States.
The Norman Rea Gallery / Committee Member and Curator
October 2013 - July 2016, York, United Kingdom.
Responsible for the selection of artworks, artists, and presentation of mixed media artworks and installations at the gallery.

Professional Formation (Selection):

• "Introduction to Film Restoration with Ruxandra Blaga," I.L. Caragiale University of Theatre and Film, Bucharest (December 2024).

• "Film Restoration with Ruxandra Blaga," Cinema Arta, Cluj-Napoca (May 5, 2023).

• "Recovered Images: Ruxandra Blaga on Restoration Work," Radio România Cultural, Bucharest (October 21, 2022).

• "Footnote: Frame by Frame" | Interview with Ruxandra Blaga – Films in Frame Magazine (October 13, 2022).

• "Manasse (1925) Q&A with Ruxandra Blaga," Cinema Victoria, Cluj-Napoca (September 26, 2022).

• FIAF Film Restoration Summer School – Bologna, Italy (2018).

• Film Identification and Archiving Project – EYE Collection Centre (2018): Identification and archiving of VHS collection, slides, and 16mm film from the artist Peter Rubin’s collection.

• Film Handling Workshop – EYE Collection Centre (2017), Eye Filmmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Identification of nitrate film from the EYE Filmmuseum collection under the guidance of film restorers and curators Mark-Paul Meyer, Simona Monizza, Elif Rongen, and Anne Gant.